Written ~ 10-15-2023
1 John 2:12-14
12 I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. 13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.
The Book of 1 John is written by the Apostle John, he was known as the disciple Jesus loved, they had a brotherly relationship that seemed to be closer than the other disciples. John was the one Jesus asked to look after His mother Mary while He was dying on the cross. That tells me that Jesus trusted John immensely. So when we read the books in the New Testament that John has written you can really sense the urgency in his words. He wants us to listen to the words of each Apostle who wrote their eyewitness accounts while Jesus was with them. In our verses for today John says, “I am writing to you” and also “I have written to you.” This indicates to me that he wanted the message about Jesus to get out to everyone, so he was writing, just like the other Apostles, that we might know who Jesus Christ is and to believe through their testimonies that He is the Messiah.
Verses 2:12 and 13 John begins each sentence with “I am writing to you.” Then we see in verse 2:14, the very same content as verses 12 and 13 except he begins each sentence with “I have written to you.” It’s as though he is telling believers, “Hey, I have written to you, but let me remind you again!” Think about any conversation you have had, if you feel the need to repeat yourself verbatim, it usually means you want your message to be heard. I think it’s the very same way with John. The things he and the other Apostles are writing about is important, we should lean in and listen.
Let’s look at the three main truths John is listing in these verses:
- Your sins have been forgiven through Jesus
- Jesus Christ existed from the beginning
- You have won your battle with the evil one
When a person has come to the point in their hearts where they believe what the Word of God says about Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Savior, they have become a child of God through the forgiveness of sin because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It seems to be the brand-new believer who John is writing to in verse 12. It’s like he’s saying, don’t forget! You are forgiven! You are a child of God! In verse 13 he is addressing the mature Christian. Their faith has grown, they have a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures. They have come to know that Jesus existed from the very beginning with God, that He came to earth for the purpose of bringing Salvation and Eternal Life to all who will believe. Their faith is strong, unwavering. Then John speaks to the young in faith, they are growing in their fellowship with the Lord, they have fought battles with the evil one to get to where they are. It’s like John is telling them to hang in there, Jesus has your back!
In these verses, the reminders John is giving is for everyone, no matter what point you are in your walk with the Lord, you fall within one of these groups.
So, in which group do you fall? Are you a brand-new believer who needs assurance that your sins have indeed been forgiven? Are you the mature Christian who might need the encouragement to keep learning, keep pushing forward and teach others about the Good News of Jesus Christ? Or are you the young in faith? You may have been a Christian for awhile but your knowledge in the Word of God needs to grow so you can further escape the temptations of the world. Maybe you need to be reminded that you have won the battle, now it’s time to live for Christ! Wherever your walk with the Lord is right now, at this very moment, you will be reminded in Scripture who it is you follow.
It is important that we read the letters these Apostles have written to us. They tell us who Jesus is. They give instruction, encouragement and even give a little scolding if we’re not doing as we should.
My prayer is that each of us would be hungry for the Word of God, that a day doesn’t go by that we don’t dig in and feed on the wealth of information within the pages of the Bible. The Scriptures are a gift from God, they tell us about His heart! The Scriptures describe His love for us! And learning about Jesus, our Savior, is a very exciting thing! My prayer is that your heart yearns for knowledge, that your mind can’t rest until you have given real thought to what you have read in the Bible. Grow in your faith, grow in your knowledge. Have the Apostle John’s reminding words be placed within your heart, so you don’t forget why you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Father, for giving me Your Word. I long to see You one day, but in the meantime, I am grateful to have the Scriptures to learn all I can about You and Your Son, Jesus. Create a hunger within my spirit to grow in my knowledge of Scripture, to pour out what You have placed within my heart to help those who are on the same journey as me. I love you Lord, thank you for bringing Salvation to my life, thank you for giving me a hope for the future.
~AMEN~
It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.
God is waiting! Say this prayer of Salvation and be welcomed into the family of God!
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you! And just as Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”
Love this!!!
Thanks Debbie!