1 John 2:12-14
12 I
am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account
of his name.
13 I
am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young people, because you have
conquered the evil one.
14 I
write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from
the beginning.
I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the
word of God abides in you, and you
have overcome the evil one.
Importance
of Encouragement
John is writing to his spiritual
children. His love for them is
demonstrated throughout his letter. He
has been walking with the Lord for probably 70 years and has had many experiences
to draw upon that will help his children grow.
John was their spiritual father and he wanted to encourage his
children. Encouragement is one thing
that everyone needs no matter how long they have been in the faith. A word of
encouragement at the right time can make a huge difference in someone’s
life. Someone has said that success is
not based on what you believe but who believes in you. We all need someone who believes in us, that
we have what it takes to be successful.
John understood the trials they were
facing with the opposition of the Gnostics.
This group had brought in false doctrine and when your beliefs are being
challenged it can be a time of discouragement, of doubting and analyzing what
you truly believe. John must have known
that his beloved children needed to be encouraged and that is what he did in
these verses we will look at tonight.
John refers to his little children
and many believe that this is applies to everyone who would read his letter,
young, middle age and elderly. He was
not belittling them, nor was he addressing them in a condescending way. He was a loving father addressing his
children with tenderness and positive encouragement. He could have been harsh
and scolding toward those who were perhaps wavering in their faith but he chose
the high road and addressed them with love.
How we address people has a
tremendous impact on their lives. Rick
Renner is a pastor in Moscow and in his book “Sparkling Gems” comment on a time
in his life when he was very young and was struggling with school.
“Because I was sick for a prolonged period of time when I
was in junior high school, I missed a great deal of school. I especially felt the pain of this loss when
it came to the subject of mathematics… When I returned to school, I was far
behind everyone else.
As I started my first algebra class in junior high school,
my teacher ridiculed me for not understanding the basic elements of mathematics
that everyone else in class seemed to understand. I tried to explain my situation, but she
responded by calling me “stupid.” In
fact, every day when she called the roll, instead of calling my name, she’d
say, “Stupid Renner, “ and I’d always answer, “Here, Ma’am.”
My teacher’s words negatively affected my self-image when I
was a young junior high student. Other
students laughed at me and thought it was funny to call me “Stupid.” Outside of class, they started to call me by
the same name until, finally, the word ‘stupid’ became my nickname that many of
the kids used that school year when they spoke to me. Everywhere I turned at school, people yelled
out, “Stupid…hey , Stupid!” I allowed
this petty name calling to create felling of inferiority in my life that
affected me for several years.
When I was attending college I worked at an
elementary school supervising the playground at lunch time. One of the little boys would always come up
to me and talk to me. He was quite a bit
smaller than the others kids so I started calling him “big man.” He loved it when I would call him that and he
would tell others “he called me big man!”
Our words have great power and must be used wisely. John affectionately called these believers
his little children and those words must have warmed their hearts. He
identified with them and this must have encouraged them especially when the
Gnostics made them feel left out or not good enough to be part of their sect.
Assurance
of Forgiveness
Beside his affectionate address the first thing John
tells them is that their sins have been forgiven on account of the name of
Jesus. Forgiveness is needed in our
lives since we are all sinners and it is only through Jesus we can be
forgiven. Without forgiveness and the
assurance we have been forgiven our lives will be filled with grief and our
growth will be hindered. As in the story
I read last week of the German soldier who committed great atrocities against the
Jews, he desperately was in need of hearing someone say he was forgiven. His life was in turmoil and he needed to hear
that he was forgiven. When we sin we
carry guilt until we can be forgiven and released from the burden of carrying
this guilt. When God gave the laws to Moses he also gave instructions on how
they were to offer sacrifices for their guilt and their sins. Once a year there was a Day of Atonement.
Another sacrifice
called for on the Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16, demonstrates
forgiveness and the removal of sin. The high priest was to take two male goats
for a sin offering. One of the goats was sacrificed as a sin offering for the
people of Israel (Leviticus 16:15), while the other goat was released into the
wilderness (Leviticus 16:20-22). The sin offering provided forgiveness, while
the other goat provided the removal of sin. http://www.gotquestions.org/animal-sacrifices.html
This offering served to cover the sins of the people
until Christ came to be the perfect sacrifice for all sin for all time. The goat that was released was symbolic of
the sinner being released from his sin which is what forgiveness means.
John was assuring the people that their sins were
forgiven through Jesus. The Gnostics had differing ideas about Jesus so John
was again confronting their false teachings.
Being forgiven is a gift from God. We cannot earn it nor can anything be a
substitute for it. Only Jesus provides
true forgiveness and freedom from guilt.
If his sacrifice was good enough for God, it is good enough for you and
I. There is nothing more we can add to
what he has already accomplished for us.
We are free! At times it is
easier to forgive others who have offended us and for us to believe that God
has forgiven us than it is to forgive ourselves. The devil would like to remind us of our
failures and bring accusations against us regarding our past and our
unworthiness to be forgiven. Christ’s
provision for our forgiveness is complete and the enemy has no grounds to bring
up anything that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. When those thoughts enter our mind we simply
need to reject them and give thanks to Jesus for what he has done for us.
As we approach the Passion Week that is hugely
celebrated in Antigua, it is a great opportunity to find out what people
believe about the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. Many are confused by false teachings that
claim they must do more than just receive forgiveness of their sins. They must punish themselves or do good works
to qualify for entrance into heaven or lessen time that will be spent in
purgatory. When Christ cried out , “It
is finished!” He fulfilled God’s
requirements for the sacrifice and nothing more was ever needed to satisfy
him. The debt has been paid and we are
free.
A story is told of a man who went to visit a friend
and while the friend was gone a bill collector came to the door. The visiting friend paid the bill for his
friend. When he came home the visitor
told him that he paid a bill for him and said he should thank him. His friend said he did not know how much he
should thank him until he knew how big the bill was that was paid. If it was just a small bill for postage due
the amount of thanks would be less than if he paid a more costly bill. When we understand the degree of debt we were
in because of our sin and the results of not paying it, the level and amount of
our thankfulness for our forgiveness should reach maximum level. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
The
second encouragement John gives is to the fathers, the mature people of faith. He commends them that they know the Father. They have matured in their relationship with
the Lord and truly know him. The word, know, is the same word that is used to
describe a sexual relationship as when Adam knew Eve. It represents great intimacy in the
relationship and John was commending the fathers for this. Age does not determine intimacy. Many older people have never really developed
an intimate relationship with God. They
say the same prayers, make the same comments, give the same testimonies and
demonstrate that their faith has never really grown, they are at the same level
they have been for years. John was
commending the fathers for their strong relationship with the Lord. The Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge
but John is refuting that by stating that the fathers are the ones who truly
have the right knowledge of God and this knowledge has produced an intimate
relationship with God. God calls each of
into an intimate relationship with him.
When we draw near to him, he does the same.
How do we develop intimacy with God? How can our relationship with him grow, be
alive and vibrant each day? I remember a
comment made by a man I had known for many years at the church. He said that when he examined his life he did
not feel that his relationship with the Lord had really grown much during the
last 20 years. He was discouraged that
he did not believe that much progress had been made. Intimacy with God begins
when we make a decision to pursue him with all of our heart, mind, soul and
strength. We make a commitment to him
because we realize that he is the only person who ultimately will bring the
greatest satisfaction and happiness to our lives. Many people focus on seeking this fulfillment
in human relationships first and most always they are disappointed at some
point. Abundant life comes from our
relationship with God and he must be our priority (John 10.10).
When I went to high school guys and girls who were
in a relationship beyond friendship called it “going steady.” They made a commitment to each other that
they would not see other people but would exclusively see the other
person. This was often symbolized by
wearing each other’s class rings. The
girl usually had to put something in the ring to fill up the huge gap created
by the big ring and her small finger. If
the guy was an athlete he would give her his letter jacket to wear, confirming
that she was his woman! It may sound
crazy but in our relationship with God we have to make that same commitment to
him because he is that committed to us. There can be no rivals in our
relationship with God. He is jealous for
me and he has more to offer to me than any earthly person ever could.
So if we make that commitment our relationship has
the potential to grow in greater intimacy.
As in any relationship you have to spend time together experiencing
life. God wants to experience life with
us, he wants us to experience life with him. Revelation 3.20 states,
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me.”
This is not a fast food, eat and run visit. It is a sit down meal with conversation and
interaction. It is spending time with
each other sharing life.
What does a good relationship look like?
Communication that is honest and open; nothing
hidden as God sees it all anyway; listening as much as we talk which is not
very common in our relationship with the Lord;
Allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us through
God’s word is another way we allow God to communicate to us his thoughts and
desires.
1Sa 3:10 And
the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears."
Realizing when his presence is with us and when he
has withdrawn because we are not walking in obedience;
1Sa_4:21 And
she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from
Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her
father-in-law and her husband.
Dedicating time to worship him, he inhabits the
praises of his people (Psalms 22.3).
Psa 22:3 But
thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Take a day or two to do a personal retreat with
God. Get away and get alone with God.
Spending time with other believers is also important
as they carry the presence of God with them and can be used by God to speak to
us to increase our knowledge of him as well as our intimacy.
Heb 10:25 not
neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
This relationship of intimacy develops over time and
we must be patient with ourselves as well as with the Lord.
John’s
third encouragement was toward the youth. We are not sure if this was in reference to
an age group or the spiritual age of the people. John encouraged them by reminding them that
they were strong and had learned how to be victorious over the evil one because
they knew the word of God. These young people had been discipled and they knew
how to defeat the enemy. It seems that
young people are a special target for the enemy. If he can get them sidetracked when they are
young the likelihood of them coming to Christ will be diminished. Statistics
show that 80 % of believers come to Christ by the time they are 18. If
there is any group that the church should be focusing on more it is the
youth.
For those of us who worked in Latin America it is
important to understand what is happening among the youth and how they are
being influenced. In a study conducted
by Grupo Metadigma para OneHope called Beliefs and Behaviors of the Youth; surveyed
youth in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, El Salvador, Mexico, Espana,
Panamá, Peru and the Dominican Republic and found these results.
73% believe the Bible has values.
84% believe that Jesus was a real person
78% believe God created the world.
78% believe that Jesus can forgive sins.
Six behaviors of the youth were compared with those
of the global youth.
1. Violence
19%/16% -have thought about suicide in the past 3
months.
2. Sexual
Ethics
11-65% have experienced sexual relations between
13-18 years old.
24% have watched porn. 17-30% average globally
3. Addictions
32%/16% between 16-18 years old drink alcohol and
have been drunk.
4. Ethical
behavior
65%/42% lie
55%/32% cheat
in school
64%/17% okay to break the law if it does not hurt
someone.
5. Family
Time
77%/70% sped less than 1 hour each week talking with
their parents about important things.
6. Values
based in mediums of communication.
82% spend time watching MTV
55% spend more than 8 hours each week in music,
movies, internet, chatting on line, sending text messages.
The devil is at work to rob, kill and destroy the
youth and he is using a variety of means.
It should serve to call each of us to focus more attention on reaching
the youth to bring them to Christ and teach them how to overcome the enemy of
their soul.
The youth that John was addressing had got it. They learned the way to be victorious because
someone taught them through the word of God. The Navigators have used the “word
hand” to show five methods of learning from the Bible.
HEARING
Rom
10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of Christ.
Hearing
the Word from godly pastors and teachers provides insight into others' study of
the Scriptures as well as stimulating your own appetite for the Word.
READING
Rev
1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud
the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what
is written in it, for the time is near.
Reading the Bible gives an overall picture of
God's Word. Many people find it helpful to use a daily reading program which
takes them systematically through the Bible.
STUDYING
Act
17:11 Now these Jews were more noble
than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Studying
the Scriptures leads to personal discoveries of God’s truths. Writing down
these discoveries helps you organize and remember them.
MEMORIZING
Psa
119:9 How can a young man keep his way
pure? By guarding it according to your word.
Psa
119:11 I have stored up your word in my
heart, that I might not sin against you.
Memorizing
God's Word enables use of the Sword of the Spirit to overcome Satan and
temptations...to have it readily available for witnessing or helping others
with a "word in season."
MEDITATING
Psa
1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in
the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the
seat of scoffers;
Psa
1:2 but his delight is in the law of the
LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Meditation is the thumb of the
Word Hand, for it is used in conjunction with each of the other methods. Only
as you meditate on God's Word--thinking of its meaning and application in your
life--will you discover its transforming power at work within you.
A
final aspect is application of the word to your life. Ezra was a bible teacher for Israel.
Ezr
7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study
the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes
and rules in Israel.
We
have to put into practice what we have been taught before we try to teach
others. One statistic I heard is that we
remember 95% of what we teach others.
John
commended the youth because of their knowledge of the word regarding what it
teaches about overcoming the enemy.
What does
God’s word tell us about victory over the enemy?
Confessions from Scripture: Victory over the devil
·
Treading on the lion and cobra: I will
tread on the lion and cobra. I will trample the young lion and the serpent
underfoot. Psalms 91:13
·
Authority to tread on serpents and
scorpions: I recognize that Christ has given us authority to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt
us. Nevertheless, I don’t rejoice that the spirits are subject to us, but I
rejoice that our names are written in heaven. Luke 10:19, 20
·
Demons subject to Jesus’ name: Even the
demons are subject to us in your name, Lord Jesus. Luke 10:17
·
No concession to the devil: I never give
the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:27
·
Healing all oppressed by the devil: Just
like Jesus of Nazareth, I have been anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and
with power, so that I may go forth doing good and healing all who were
oppressed by the devil, for God is with me. Acts 10:38
·
Under the authority of Christ: Lord
Jesus, all authority has been given to you in heaven and on earth. Therefore in response to your command I go
forth making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
which you have commanded us. And we know that you are with us always, even to
the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20
·
Satan crushed under our feet: The God of
peace will quickly crush Satan under my feet. Romans 16:20
·
Resisting the devil: God continues to
give me more grace. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore since I make myself subject to God and resist the devil, the devil
has to flee from me. James 4:6, 7
·
Stay vigilant: I stay clear-headed,
self-controlled and vigilant because my adversary the devil, walks around like
a roaring lion. I resist him unwavering in my faith, knowing that my brothers
who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8,
·
Untouched by the evil one: I know that
because I am born of God I do not allow habitual sin in my life, therefore God
keeps me, and the evil one cannot touch me. 1 John 5:18
·
Take up the shield of faith: By taking
up the shield of faith, I am able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
·
Through forgiving others: I have
forgiven everyone one in the presence of Christ that no advantage may be gained
over me by Satan; for I am not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11
·
Protected from the evil one: You Lord
are faithful; you strengthen me, and protect me from the evil one. 2
Thessalonians 3:3
·
Greater is he that is within me: I don’t
believe every spirit, but I test the spirits, to determine if they are of God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Yet, as one of God
children, I have overcome them; because greater is he who is in me than he who
is in the world. 1 John 4:1, 4
·
Victorious by the blood and my
testimony: By the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of my testimony I
overcome the accuser. I do not love my life, even to death. Revelation 12:11
·
More
than a conqueror: In all these things, I am more than conqueror through him who
loves me. Romans 8:37
·
Christ’s death made the devil powerless:
Christ himself partook of our humanity, that through death he might bring to
nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver
all of us who through fear of death were all our lifetime were subject to
bondage. Hebrews 2:14, 15
We have the full benefit of the entire word of God
to help us be victorious over the enemy.
If there is one thing that must be instilled in youth is a love for the
Word of God so they know who and they are and what Christ has done for them. Ignorance will destroy them and us but
knowing the Word of God will provide us with the knowledge we need to be strong
and victorious over the enemy.
John was an encourager and he was one who knew the
Lord intimately and had learned how to overcome the enemy. He reminded the people that they were
forgiven through Jesus. He reminded them
of who they were and reinforced the progress that he saw in their walk with the
Lord. Intimacy, knowledge of the word
and victory over the enemy are three critical areas in our lives that will keep
us walking in the truth and keep us growing in our relationship with the Lord.
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