PT-4 "Introduction to 1 John 2:12-14"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/18/2024 10:04 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                    Focus: PT-4 “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 want to finish this section quoting from John MacArthur’s commentary on these verses, which is the introduction to them.

 

            “Finally, spiritual growth is not mystical, sentimental, or psychological.  It does not stem from a once-for-all act of spiritual rededication, religious decision, or an emotional experience that produces good feelings.  Rather, as physical growth results from the process of taking in food, so also spiritual growth results from the process of taking in God’s truth (His Word), believing it, and applying it (John 5:24; 39; 6:63; 8:31-32; Acts 17:11; Rom. 15:4; 1 Thess. 2:13; 4:1-2; 1 Tim. 4:5-6; James 1:22-25).  Responding to Satan’s temptation, Jesus quoted Moses’ words from Deuteronomy 8:3 ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’’(Matt. 4:4).  Paul’s letters define spiritual growth as being ‘transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Rom. 12:2); ‘perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor. 7:1; ‘press[ing] on toward the goal’ Phil. ‘being built up in Him and establish in your faith’ (Col. 2:7); and ‘pursu[ing] righteousness godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness’ (1 Tim. 6:11). And Peter commanded his readers, in 1 Peter 2:2 to ‘long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.’

 

            “The apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, placed this paragraph here to give assurance and comfort to his readers that they were the true children of God, unlike the false teachers and counterfeit believers who threatened them.  In view of the doctrinal and practical test about recognition of sin, the tests for obedience and loved—that apostle wanted to confirm the authenticity of his readers’ salvation.  This paragraph underscores his subsequently stated purpose for the entire letter.  ‘These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you man know that you have eternal life.’ (1 John 5:13; cf. 1:4).

 

            Obviously, not all original or current readers of this letter were or are at equal stages of spiritual maturity.  Some are spiritual infants while others are spiritual adults.  In order to effectively encourage all recipients, John began this very definitive section with a general reassurance, after which he gave specific assurance to those at each general stage of spiritual growth:  little children, young men, and fathers.”

 

            This SD concludes the introduction to these very important verses from 1 John 2:12-14.  In my next SD I want to begin looking at “General Reassurance” 1 John 1:12.”

 

10/18/2024 10:22 PM