Learning to Understand God

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1^st John 2: 12
I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

In this passage of scripture children refers to those who are new born again believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of how old you might be in human years.

As with all children who must be taught to understand who they are in their natural family, new Christians must also be taught to understand who they are in their spiritual family through their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Some children go through periods when for whatever reason, they feel like they just don’t belong where they are and their parents have to reassure them of their place in their family.

Sometimes new Christians go through the same thing. They feel like they are not really saved and that they don’t really belong to the family of God.

John is so concerned about this, that he makes a special point of reassuring the new Christians that they have been forgiven of their sins through the name of Jesus and are indeed a part of the family of God.

1^st John 2: 13 - 14
I write unto you fathers because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you young men because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children because ye have known the Father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written to you young men, because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Herein lies the three stages of our lives.

Fathers refer to the spiritually mature: those who have studied the word of God, are living according to its teachings and are passing their knowledge on to those who are young men and little children in Christ.

Young men refer to those who were little children in Christ, the newly saved who, through the guidance of the spiritually mature, were able to overcome the temptations of satan by their growth in the knowledge of God.

Little children refer to the new Christians, who through the guidance of the spiritually mature, have come to know God, our Father.      

Observation

As with the natural stages of life: moving from childhood, through young adulthood to mature adults, so are the stages of our spiritual life. It is a process that takes time in order to reach maturity. Unfortunately, we tend to forget this and instead of mature Christians being patient with the younger Christians and new believers in Christ, we tend to expect them to be saved to day and matured tomorrow. Let us remember that we must provide the new converts room for growth and development, so that they can mature into strong young people in Christ, who will eventually become spiritual mentors to other new believers.

Writer: Velyn Cooper

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