Monday, October 18, 2010

Relevant Observations for Different Levels of Spiritual Maturity - 1 John 2:12-14

After explaining about the life of fellowship with the Father and with Jesus, and about the way to salvation and the fruit such way should show (love), the passage leads us to see who are the people this salvation is addressed to and how this develops in their lives as they grow in faith. The little children (babies in faith), the young men (those with some experience in the faith and an attitude of servant), and the fathers (those with more experience in the faith that, as pastors, leaders, advicers and elders, help other people to grow in faith).

According to verse 12 and 14, what happened to the little children (new believer)?
How are defined the young men (intermediate state of maturity) on verses 13 and 14?
How are described the fathers (spiritually matured) on verses 13 and 14?

Application:
1-When entering the Christian life through salvation, we have by faith to take over our new identity as children of God, and start our relationship of fellowship with God and His Son Jesus.
2-As we grow in fellowship and in our new identity we are strengthened against the devil's schemes (Eph. 6:11), we need to stand firm in Christ in the same way He is in us, taking possession of the authority He gives us to take hold of His victory at the cross over Satan as our own victory (Rev. 12:11)
3-In the maturing of our knowledge of Christ, in a practical way, developing fellowship with Him, we have to share this knowledge to others so that they can also reach out to this fellowship with Him.

Conclusion
Studying this first part of 1 John (1:1 to 2:14) we see that Christian life is a process when Jesus revealed himself so that we could have fellowship with Him, with the Father and with one another. For this to happen we have to walk in the light of a holy living according to the Word. When we sin we can feel safe knowing that Jesus who died in our place, delivering us from God's wrath and making us innocent, wants us to have a practical knowledge of Him and this can only come from a personal experience with Jesus that leads us to practice the commandment to love one another. Little by little we can find what is the level of spiritual maturity we are at.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

ótima postagem brother!
Gostei do teu blog,
o que nao entendi direito é se tu mora na ásia?

abraços