REAL CHRISTIANITY

1 John 2:12-14

WORD WISE

Real Christianity # 7 (Studies in 1 John)

The Bible is a tremendous Book.

The Bible is God’s Book.

We are wise when we love this book.

We are wise when we learn this book.

We are wise when we live this book in obedience.

The words “I write” appear 4 times in the King James Translation of this passage. The words “I have written” appear two times. What was John writing? He, under the

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was writing Scripture. He was writing part of the Bible.

· He was writing to people who had already been made wise by the right use of the Word of God.

· He was writing to people who needed to be made wiser by the right use of the words that he was writing, also the Word of God.

No matter where we are in our Spiritual development we need to be “Word Wise”, or wise in our use of Scripture.

In this passage we discover that the Word or Scriptures, or the Bible is for three groups of people.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SAVED

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE STRONG

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SETTLED

John appears to be talking to three groups of people at various stages of their development in their Christian Lives, “Little Children”, “Fathers”, and “Young Men”. And yet, all three stages should be true for all Christians at all times.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SAVED

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

The “little children” had already been made wise by the Word of God. They had been born into the family of God by the Spirit of God who uses the Word of God. Galatians 3:24, 2 Timothy 3:15, 1 Peter 1:23

The little children were being written Scripture because their sins had been forgiven “for His name’s sake”.

We have sinned and failed God. We don’t deserve to be in God’s presence, now or later in Heaven.

But God, in his love sent the Lord Jesus to die for us. Romans 8:6-8

Of course Jesus did not stay dead but arose from the dead and later ascended into Heaven.

Jesus died for our sins. So when someone turns to Jesus Christ and believes on Him, he is forgiven for Jesus’ name’s sake. He is forgiven because of what Jesus has done. John 3:36

John says I’m writing to you because your sins are forgiven.

My friend, I repeat to you that John was writing under the inspiration of God. He was writing God’s Word. He was writing Scripture.

If your sins have been forgiven for the sake of the name of Jesus, Scripture is for you.

You should be so appreciative for what Jesus has done for you that you want to hear everything that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit has to say to you.

As God’s “little children” there is something else true of us.

Not only are we forgiven for Jesus’ name’s sake, but we have known the Father.

1 John 2:13c - …I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

If you are truly saved, some wonderful things have happened to you. Not only do you have forgiveness and eternal life, not only have you been “born again” by the Spirit of God, not only do you have the presence of God’s holy Spirit in your life, but God is truly your “Heavenly Father”!

John 1:12-13

If you have such a loving, caring, compassionate Heavenly Father, doesn’t it make sense to listen to what He has to say to you?

If you have such a wonderful Savior, doesn’t it make sense to listen to what He has to say to you?

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE STRONG

1 John 2:13b - I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 2:14b - I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

The young men have moved on in their walk with God.

The young men seem to be those who were in the thick of Spiritual battle.

The young men were those who were taking their commitment to Christ seriously.

There was good reason for John to write Scripture to these people.

These people were already strong spiritually. But please note that Spiritual strength does not mean we ever outgrow our need for the Word of God. We don’t!

They were strong Spiritually because the Word of God was abiding in them.

It is when God’s Word abides in you, that you will be strong.

It is when God’s Word abides in you, that you will overcome the wicked one!

Who is the “wicked one”?

The wicked one is the devil, Satan.

Christians are warned in 1 Peter 5:8-9 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

We can only resist the devil when we are steadfast “in the faith”.

We can only be steadfast in the faith if we are steadfast in God’s Word.

Let us strive to be strong in the Word of God.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SETTLED

1 John 2:13a - I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning….

1 John2:14a - I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning…

I feel that the fathers in this passage are those who are older and more spiritually mature.

There was a time when they were little children in the faith.

There was a time when they were young men fighting the Spiritual battles.

Now they are settled.

Now they are mature.

They have a long record of knowing God, who himself is “from the beginning”, He is eternal.

But John is writing Scripture to them too!

They still needed the Word of God!

They still needed to be taught!

They still needed to memorize!

They still needed to mediate!

They still needed to grow!

Do you consider yourself to be among the settled, the mature as a Christian?

ê YOU STILL NEED THE WORD OF GOD!

ê YOU STILL NEED TO BE TAUGHT!

ê YOU STILL NEED TO MEMORIZE!

ê YOU STILL NEED TO MEDITATE!

ê YOU STILL NEED TO GROW!

John wrote to three different groups of people.

He was writing Scripture, the Word of God.

He was writing to all Christians, no matter where they were on their Spiritual journey. They all still needed the Word of God.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SAVED

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE STRONG

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FOR THE SETTLED

The Scriptures are for you!

What are you doing with them?