PT-3 "Introduction to 1 John 2:12-14"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/17/2024 8:04 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                    Focus: PT-3 “Introduction to 1 John 2:12-14”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:12-14           

 

            Message of the verses:  “12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

 

            I think it best for all those who read this if I continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentaries on the introduction to these very important verses:  “In discussing spiritual growth, it is important to address several misconceptions that must be carefully avoided.  First, spiritual growth does not determine the believer’s standing in grace before God.  That issue is finally and completely settled when sinners trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ and have His righteousness imputed to them (Rom. 3:21-26; 4:5-8; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Phil. 3:9; Col. 2:10; 1 Peter 2:24).”  Now if you have any doubts about whether or not you are a believer please go over these verses which will certainly help you.  “At the moment of conversion, Christ’s own sacrifice for sin is applied to the believing sinner and His own righteousness credited to the penitent so that God’s wrath is turned away, all sin is paid for and pardoned, and the believer is accepted by God in Christ Jesus.  The resultant standing is fixed and irrevocable, and it settles forever believers’ heavenly destiny.

 

            “Second, spiritual growth does not affect God’s love for believers.  He does not love the mature saints more than the less mature. (The reason for this is that His love is not based on the individual merit of any person [Rom. 5:8].)”  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  “The Lord Jesus Christ loves all the elect perfectly.  Even on the night before the crucifixion, the apostles demonstrated immaturity and pride (they were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom [Luke 22:24; cf. Matt. 20:24; Mark 9:34), being insensitive to their Lord who was already in the looming shadow of the cross.  Still, John writes that in their worst behavior, the Lord continued to love them ‘to the end,’ that is, to perfection, or to the maximum of His love (John 13:1).

 

            Third, spiritual growth is not measured by the calendar (cf. Heb. 5:11-14).  People who have been believers for many years are often less mature than others who have been believers for a much shorter time.  This may be the result of inadequate study or instruction in the Word (cf. Eph. 4:11-15), or fleshly disobedience and unfaithful application of sound teaching (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

 

            “Fourth, spiritual growth is unrelated to the amount of theological information believers know.  Some Christians have an adequate or even exceptional amount of biblical knowledge, and yet are shockingly immature spiritually.  That is a dangerous position to be in, because the more biblical information one receives but does not apply, the more deceived he becomes about his spiritual condition (cf. Rom. 2:17-29; Heb. 5:12-14).  The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay.  Constant disobedience produces indifference and a subdued conscience, stunting spiritual growth.

 

            “Fifth, spiritual growth has nothing to do with outwardly successful ministry activity.  Some of the busiest people in the church are unskilled in the truth and immature in the wisdom that comes from above (James 3:17-18).  Even p;rominent spiritual leaders can display and appalling lack of biblical wisdom.  Great temporal success, a high level of influence, heading a large organization, or generating must financial support is not an indicator of genuine spiritual maturity.  In fact, sometimes the opposite is true.  For Pau, weakness, suffering, persecution, and poverty (2 Cor. 6:3-10; 11:23-33; 12:9-10; Phil. 4:11-13; cf. 1 Tim. 6:6-10) were the true signs of his maturity in the Lord.”

 

            There is a little bit left in this introduction, but I will leave it to our next SD.

 

10/17/2024 8:33 PM