I John 2: 12--13

STAGES OF GROWTH

I John 2:12-13

John recognizes that we are at different stages of maturity in our walk with God. He refers to those recently born again as children or immature in Christ. Others that have been walking with God for some time have grown into strong young men. He addresses others as fathers, who have known the one who is from the very beginning. Fathers have developed an intimate relationship with God and have the ability to go beyond just teaching, to imparting life. John, himself, is one of these fathers who, with pen and ink, imparts the Word or Bread of Life.

1 John chapter 2: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” Immediately I think of Psalm 119: 11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” John writes an impartation of the Word of God to his readers, especially to the immature, that they would take it to heart and be empowered to sin not.

In verse 12 of chapter 2, John says: “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” From my own experience, the enemy will try a variety of approaches to pervert the Word of God, attempting to rob the truth, the light and the life from it. He might, first, try convincing the new believer that to sin means they were not really forgiven, or saved; they may as well give up. John wants to reassure them that they are forgiven. God’s Word is as good as His name; we have His signature on that promise. Again, the enemy may try to convince the believer that he or she will never sin, based on I John 3: 9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” KJV Then again, those who recognize they do sin but feel powerless, the devil promotes taking advantage of God’s grace: he knows we are weak. No matter which form the lie of the enemy comes in, John wants his audience to understand that we do sin but sin is no longer our master.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

In the beginning of the chapter, John writes so as to empower his readers that they sin not, but further on, in verse 12, he writes to them because they have been forgiven. He seems to shift his approach a bit, like building upon a foundation. Without a clear understanding of forgiveness and our new position in Christ, we could be stuck in immaturity indefinitely. Those who are not sure if they are forgiven or accepted, in Him, would not readily receive further instruction from God; it would be on a shaky foundation. With a clear understanding of our relationship and acceptance in Christ, we can move on to the next step in our maturity.

John writes to the fathers and young men because they had matured to another level. The fathers have come to know God in a deeper way and the young men have learned to discern and avoid the tactics of the enemy. At each level of our maturity, we are able to receive greater revelation from God.

Those who John calls young men are likely able teachers, or instructors, that can inform the immature of the tactics of the enemy, but haven’t yet become fathers themselves. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 4:15 :“For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” (KJV) Paul, as a father, had an ability to beget offspring (spiritually speaking) through the gospel. Young men have grown to the point of strength and wisdom in defeating the enemy, and even holding their ground, but fathers are giving birth to, and nurturing, children.

In one sense, the church today has a parallel problem to that of the world: a lack of fathers. Young men can birth children but it takes fathers with commitment, patience and wisdom to establish a foundation and see them through to maturity.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were given territory to hold and even expand; they were to be fruitful and multiply as part of the strategy to subdue the earth. Young men are strong and able to take, and hold, territory, but it requires fathers to fill the land with righteous offspring. We can learn from their mistakes; in a sense, Adam and Eve were immature, not wise to the tactics and snares of the devil. What the devil meant for evil, God used for good, that the earth could be filled with the children of the second Adam (Christ), full of truth and wisdom.

BUILDING ON CHRIST THE FOUNDATION

In Ephesians 4: Paul speaks of God giving ministers as gifts to the church to bring the young to maturity, that they would no longer be tossed to and fro by shifting winds of doctrine and the craftiness of men, who lie and wait to deceive. We need those who will speak the truth in love so that the immature will grow up into Christ, as the head of the body.

John writes to the young men because they are strong and the word of God abides in them. As a wise builder, John recognizes that the young men have a strong foundation on which he can safely build further. The immature must first have their foundation strengthened before building them up too high. Much knowledge can puff us up and set us up for a great fall, unless we have built a strong foundation to bear the weight of it. Christ is the Rock, the foundation upon which we are built, and our maturity is the evidence of that foundation. We have a foundation that can not be shaken.

It appears that immaturity was a common problem during the time of the New Testament writings. Hebrews 5: 11—14 speaks to those who are dull of hearing and unable to receive the strong meat of the word but can only digest milk like a baby. They had evidently been around long enough to have become teachers but they still needed the foundational truths of the word themselves. In 1 Corinthians 3: 1—3, Paul seems a bit disappointed; he would like to impart to them strong spiritual food but they can only receive the milk of the word.

Is the church today able to receive the spiritual food that will cause us to grow into maturity, or are we, also, needing milk?