Dear Church family and friends,
My constant prayer for you is that the Lord challenges you to become more like Him through this week’s “Refresco.”
Text: “12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:12-14)
Let me say first that the comparison of tenses in the verbs here indicates a stylistic issue and nothing more. The entire set of verses is a poem, with a structure made clear for the reader. Verses 12 and 13 parallel 14. The little children, fathers, and young men are essentially the same people, with the differences one of maturity rather than necessarily one of age.
The little children have begun their walk and follow God, they have been forgiven, but not much more can be said. They haven’t shown much spiritual growth.
The young men have overcome temptation to stray from the faith, their walk is maturing and deepening and they have gotten past the difficult part of the faith. They are actually growing in their faith.
The fathers are those who have had children, and at this point they have been in the faith since the time of Christ or shortly thereafter (note the “from the beginning” connections in 1:1-3). They are mentors. They encourage, develop others and have been faithful to live out their faith.
John’s poem introduces a progression of faith, a movement forward in the Christian walk, and he wants to see each person move from a child to being a father. Being John, his few words convey a deep meaning, namely that as one grows, the passion of faith cannot be left behind since maturity assumes commitment and being a father assumes having children of our own. That includes having “spiritual” children by the way.
- Where are you in your faith?
- Are you a little child, clinging to the open stages of faith, knowing God, being forgiven, but not moving from milk to solid food?
- Are you a young man, overcoming temptation and knowing the word?
- Are you a father, settled into the faith and having “children” of your own?
My hope is that this short mid-week study will prepare you for receiving God’s word on Sunday. May the Lord remind you of it the rest of the week. I look forward to worshiping with you this weekend.
Don’t forget your T.A.C.O.S.: Pray like this – T=thank God; A=adore God; C=confess to God; O=pray for others and finally S=pray for self. Be blessed!