CHILDREN,YOUNG MEN AND FATHERS

12 I am writing to you dear Children, bcause your sins have been 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 Men, because you have overcome the evil one. 

14 I write to you, dear 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 Men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.  

1 John 2:12 - 14 NIV

Christian growth is a MUST and part of the grand desire of God the Father for every Christian. Hence Peter encouraged us in 2 Peter 3:18, 'but grow in the grace and knowledge in your hearts through faith; and that you being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to the fullness of God.' He asked us to grow and gave the reason why we MUST GROW. 

No one was given birth to in the physical as a Young Man. Neither  was anyone given birth to as a Father. We are all given birth to as Babies or Children and grow into Young Men and then Fathers. Children, Young Men and Fathers as used both in my sentence and 1 John 2: 12-14 is in the generic sense. It does not refer to sex or gender. It is worth stating that John in His writing was not referring to Children, Young Men and Fathers in terms of age or physical maturity. He was referring to spiritual Children, Young Men and Fathers. Just as in the physical we have different ages and hence knowledge and wisdom it applies in the Body of Christ; we are all not Children; We are all not Young Men and We are all not Fathers in the Body of Christ. John acknowledged this and addressed the churches in Ephesus a such. A Pastor must know and acknowledge who are children; who are young men and who are fathers in His or her congregation. You do not lump them up and give them the same message or responsibilities. The individual must also know his or her spiritual maturity to desire growth. Spiritual GROWTH has nothing to do with how long you were born again although it should have. Neither does it have anything to do with how many years you have been in church. Please note you must go through all the stages of growth to become. You cannot fast track or short circuit the process. You must be humble enough to know who you are in Christ and be desirous to grow. Read Ephesians 3:17-19; Colossians 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:15; Ephesians 4:15. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11, 'When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I DID AWAY WITH CHILDISH THINGS.' Glory to God! No parent wants to have a baby who is growing in age but is still a babe in mind, thought, utterances, wisdom and physical body. The essence of growth is maturity. So it is imperative to know the things that are normal as it were with spiritual babes but unpardonable as a young man and a father. Every Christian must be desirous to grow hence must search the scriptures to know the character traits acceptable of a young man and a father in the Body of Christ. Mind you I am not talking abound physical child(generic), man(generic) or father(generic).

John said in verse 12 that, a Child is  happy about the fact that his(generic) sins have been forgiven because of Christ Jesus. He (generic) is relishing the thought of Grace having dealt with even sins he(generic) has committed now and yet to commit. The thought that God does not count it against him(generic) if he(generic) confesses them. In verse 14, John says, Children are also happy about the new found relationship with God; especially their new found fellowship with God. The emphasis however is on knowing Him. This is the desire to grow in that fellowship. Not to stay in that state of childhood because '..., as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, THOUGH HE BE LORD OF ALL;'  So 1 Peter 2:2 says 'like NEWBORN BABIES, long for the pure milk of the WORD, SO THAT BY IT YOU MAY GROW IN RESPECT TO SALVATION,' 

John said he was writing to the Young Men because they have overcome the evil one in verse 13. In verse 14 his reason for writing to the Young Men was 'because they are strong, AND THE WORD OF GOD LIVES IN THEM, and they have overcome the evil one.' This stage of maturity is the warfare stage. This is the stage where you are called upon to put on the Whole Armour of God. This brings into focus the nature of the born again Christian: Children and Young Men in my post 'A CURSORY LOOK AT THE BOOK OF 1 JOHN'. Do they have TWO natures even though they a new creature pertaining to their inner man? This is the stage that the flesh wars against the spirit man. So the warfare that they overcame the evil one in, is not prayer or physical warfare. Bible says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood... Read Ephesians 6:12. If you deny this fact, you are likely to have challenges and delay your growth. The ONLY weapon to overcome the evil one is the INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD. That's why John said in verse 14, 'because you are strong, BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD LIVES IN YOU,...' Their strength is premised on their in-depth knowledge of the WORD OF GOD and the fact that it LIVES IN THEM. This book of the Law SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH; but Thou SHALL MEDITATE upon it DAY and NIGHT,... Please read the complete verse in Joshua 1:8. The victory doesn't come through prayer. It ONLY comes through the STUDY of the WORD OF GOD and doing what it says. This is the stage where envy, anger, promiscuous lifestyle, refusal to pay First Fruit, Tithe and sow seeds including offering reigns. There is the tendency to LOGIC THE WORD OF GOD. You cannot tithe through admonishing or pressure from your cell leader or pastor. Give them the WORD OF GOD and that will cause that growth. Don't entice them with awards through competition as it will fail and not sustainable. It takes ONLY the indwelling of the WORD OF GOD to be strong and overcome the evil one. Most Young Men (generic) are struggling with living holy, dispensing righteousness, tithing, attending mid-week service and making the right choices with Kingdom Values and Business. Luke  2:52 says, 'And Jesus kept increasing in Wisdom and Stature, and in favour with God and Men.' God is proud of you when you get it right. Your cell leader and pastor is proud of you when you get it right. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Acts 9:22.  

Remember the process of growth is in Isaiah 9:6, 'For unto us a CHILD is BORN, unto us a SON IS GIVEN:...' Note is child is born; no one gives birth to a SON (generic) as used in this context. A SON (generic) is given not born. The child is socialised to become a SON to have the government upon His shoulders.

I will talk about the Fathers in my next post. 

Bro Ritchie Edukwesi WOANYA