The A C B’s of Spiritual Growth
1 John 2:12-14
Who here would like to grow in their spiritual walk?
I have yet to hear a truly “born-again” person (one who had a genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ) answer NO – I’M OK – NO NEED FOR GROWTH IN MY LIFE, THANKS.
We are all interested in growing closer to our God and Savior – that is why we are here today!
After we enter into a relationship with our God – He desires for us to grow and mature in our faith – yet that process can be so difficult and almost illusive for so many people.
Many young believers get stalled out in the process and often never reach spiritual maturity – never become what God desired them to grow into.
Today I would like to see what the Bible has to say about spiritual growth and how it can be a reality in our lives. We will be looking at a passage that defines three specific stages of spiritual growth in the life of a believer, and how it is that God will give us growth in this life.
1 John 2:12-14 12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. 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 epistle of 1 John was written with four primary intentions:
1) to show believers how their joy in this life may be full, {1:4} 2) to guard them against sin, {2:1}
3) to warn them about false teachers, {2:26} and 4) to give them an assurance of their salvation. {5:13}
It is very easy to see that the audience of this letter; though they were all believers, are in different stages of spiritual maturity.
He defines these believers as: 1) Children, 2) Young Men, and 3) Fathers.
So let’s take a look and see what God has to say about each of these stages, starting with:
A) LITTLE CHILDREN
1 John 2:12 12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake
1 John 2:13 I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
John, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God really nails down exactly what it means to be a “child” of God right here – he points to two key essentials:
1) You have to have your sins forgiven, and
2) You have to have a relationship with God.
{Nothing More – Nothing Less!}
There are people who want to add to these two things – then, there are people who want to take away.
We need to Romans 3:4 let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Who here remembers their childhood? “Oh to be a kid again”
For many it is such an incredible time – often so carefree – children are often oblivious to what is going on around them – just taking in the moment!
Isn’t that how it was when we first came to Christ? We had just entered into this NEW relationship – the weight and burden of our sins were lifted – not a care in this world!
A time of such excitement and rejoicing!
Then it happens! We start to begin our walks with Christ – we start to grow in our understanding, and things get a little tougher!
We find out that – though God forgave our sins and brought us into His family – we still struggle with our flesh and find ourselves in falling to old habits and temptations.
We realize that there is more to this thing called being a Christian than we first understood – it is about making Jesus Christ the “LORD” of our lives – every part of our lives.
THIS IS TYPICALLY WHERE MANY BELIEVERS STALL OUT!
Though they may faithfully attend church every Sunday,
Though may help here and there with various projects,
They never really continue the growth process in their lives.
SO HOW DO WE CHANGE THIS? – HOW DO WE GROW IN CHRIST?
(GIVE ME A TWELVE STEP PLAN)
Really not quite that simple.
There is an incredible verse tucked away back in the Book of Colossians:
Colossians 2:4-7 4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
{6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him}
How is it that we received the Lord Jesus Christ?
We just looked at it – through the forgiveness of sins and entering into a relationship with God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So if we are going to GROW in Christ the same way we RECEIVED Christ – is it going to happen because of our incredible “WILL POWER” or because of all the good things we are able to “DO”?
NO! It is going to happen as He works in our lives by the power of His Spirit to continue to perfect us by HIS POWER – just as it was HIS POWER that transformed us and renewed us at our salvation!
Philippians 1:6 6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
God will eventually finish what He started in us!
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?
Typically A is followed by B – we just looked at little children – now we need to go to the young man stage.
But, God doesn’t lay it out quite that way in 1 John:
1 John 2:13 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.
1 John 2:14 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.
C) FATHERS
John was writing to these Fathers in this letter for the exact same reason that he had written to them in the past: “BECAUSE YE HAVE KNOWN HIM THAT IS FROM THE BEGINNING”.
That is really all he has to say about these spiritual FATHERS – these individuals who were mature, wise, understanding, strong in their faith and relationship with God.
It is incredibly interesting to me – what did God say about the little children? Their sins were forgiven “for His names sake” and because they have “known the Father”.
Children: Known the Father – Fathers: Known Him that is from the beginning.
Spiritual Fathers are noted for the same things that Spiritual children are – their relationships with God!
Is it any wonder that he tells us:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 1Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
It doesn’t matter what stage we are in our spiritual lives – we need to abound in our understanding of who God is and deepen our relationship with HIM!
That is the only thing that separates a spiritual Father from a spiritual Child – the depth and intimacy of their relationships with God! So how do we grow in our relationships with God?
SO WHAT IS THE KEY? I BELIEVE THE KEY IS FOUND IN POINT B:
B) YOUNG MEN
1 John 2:13 I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.
1 John 2:14 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.
God tells us twice what these young men are known for spiritually – They have OVERCOME the wicked one.
The wicked one: Satan, the Devil (Our Adversary), the accuser of the brethren, the tempter, the god of this world – has been defeated in the lives of these spiritual adolescents.
They have grown to the point where they will:
Romans 12:21 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Then we are told why they were able to be over-comers, because:
1) They are STRONG
2) The WORD OF GOD abides in them.
This spiritual life in Christ that we live is a BATTLE ZONE! If we are going to have victory over our adversary, we must trust God to strengthen and empower us! How will we become STRONG? By God’s WORD abiding in us!
2 Timothy 2:1-4 1Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Ephesians 6:10-11 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
We can win the war against our adversary , we can be victorious in our battle for spiritual growth, if we will listen to what God is saying to us and get to know Him more intimately in His Word – allowing Him to strengthen and nourish us!
We lose our battles guys – because we try to fight them in our own strength!
It is amazing how many people I meet who believe that SALVATION was a work completely OF GOD.
But somehow think that their SPIRITUAL GROWTH is entirely up to them.
Colossians 2:6 6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
It is by GRACE through FAITH that we will Grow and Walk in Christ – it is through His Word that our FAITH will grow – just as in our salvation: Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
I really believe Jesus said it best:
John 15:5, 7 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
