1 John 2: 12-19
12 I write unto you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
13 I 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.
14 I 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.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and
as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many
antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but
they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
John gives
to us three examples of Christian maturity little children, young men, and
fathers. Each of these maturities has the results of our ever increasing faith
becoming a living thing within our everyday experience.
If we think
of these maturities as increasing the life, working, and power of Messiah in us
we miss the reason for John using this symbolism. If we were to look at a man’s
life when He was seven, twenty one, and sixty three there are certain
foundational things that are unchanging. In all three examples of His life he
is fully alive; he would not gain more life by living to maturity. We are
either baptized into His death in Messiah and raised by the quickening of the
Spirit or we are not Also unchanging is the way in which life is continued at
each intersection he must eat (the true bread from God), drink (the blood of
the covenant), have shelter (hidden in Messiah), rest (come unto me…I will give
you rest), and expel that which is harmful(purge out the old leaven of man’s teaching
by the renewing of your mind). What does change is our understanding of why we
are alive, what living well consists of, and the very reason we are alive.
John has
shared with us who Messiah is, what it is to have Him living in you, and what
true fellowship with Him is to the end that we may see who we are as His. The language
He uses fuses our relationship as a son of God with marriage language. God is not only our maker but also He has
joined himself to us making us and Him one.
little children, because your sins
are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Even the
youngest and least immature in the Kingdom of Heaven is betrothed to our
creator. A bride takes her husband’s name signifying she has left the family of
her father and has become one with her husband’s family. We leave the father of our flesh Adam and the
brotherhood of fallen men and join our self as one with the bridegroom. The bridegroom’s
Father becomes our Father and His brethren become our brethren.
Jesus proved
He had the power to forgive sins while ministering on the earth, and He showed
why the Father had given Him this authority; for He paid the debt of every sin
Himself. Therefore when we are joined with Him this same forgiveness is ours
because He has given us His name.
, fathers, because ye have known him
that is from the beginning
Paul would
say to the church you have many instructors in Christ but few Fathers. Instructors
draw others to themselves and their teachings while a Father seeks to show a child
how to have all life offers.
An instructor is a hireling who sees students
as a source of provision for himself and of course they should provide since he
is instructing them from his great knowledge. A father instead has no gain from
the child other than the joy of seeing him have a fullness of life; though he
will teach the child to work beside him that the entire family may share in the
provision of their labour.
Why is the
father able to be so different? As the spouse of the bridegroom fathers have
not only made an agreement to become one but has consummated their marriage. The
two have become one. A fathers life is not his own in possession or source but
it is the life of THE FATHER through him
, young men, because ye are strong,
and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
A young man has
begun to understand the authority and place of his family and how that name
means that he also has this authority and power available in his life. This is
the place where he begins to walk in that authority. A young man sees himself
as one that must bring honor to his Father and family through the manner and
conduct of His life. Duty honor and love for his father is the life of a young
man.
It is the
nature of a child to speak of being grown. It is the nature of a young man to
believe he has need of nothing more. It is the nature of a father to by love
and caring show how to live where you are and help you to become what you will
be.
The master
builder of the church concluded the work of a spiritual father when he said “I
determined to know nothing among you but Christ and Him crucified.”
15 Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father
is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The world,
all that is in and of this world, is the family and possession of the father of
sinful flesh Adam. Our Heavenly Father has no love for the things that the
flesh seeks. Those things bring only death and destruction. Our Fathers love is
men and to seek and save men must be our love also.
All the
things men desire and strive for shall dissolve into nothing leaving behind
only vexation and eternal death. The life our Father shares with whosoever will
is His life and shall never fade away or have an end.
18 Little children, it is the last
time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many
antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but
they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The time of the patriarchs has been and passed,
the time of the promise to come has been and passed, the teaching of the life
God wishes to share with men has been and passed, the manifestation of that
life and giving of redemption has been and passed, it is now the last days
when God
calls to everyman to partake of His provision of life. Each of these times
before has had a set time in the foreknowledge of the Father as does these last
days.
Men from the
beginning have sought to change the teachings of God to their own ways and they
have not changed. God gave the witness of sacrifice and Cain made it a false
way to elevate His own works; even refusing the grace to repent. It should
surprise no one that when the living manifestation and true sacrifice has come
men would once more pervert it to a means to elevate themselves. These are the anti-Christ
teachers and doctrines. Jesus has warned us that in these days would arise many
false Christ claiming to show the way to God while drawing men to themselves.
These
teachers have left Moses witness of life and the apostle’s witness of that life
manifested. They make our relationship with the maker a work of our own hands
and a way to obtain the things that are passing away. Witnessing of themselves
that they have not the life that abides beyond these things.
