Because relationships matter most of all #5: all at different stages

I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.  1 John 2:12-14

These verses stand out from the standard prose of the rest of this letter. It’s as if John is taking a pause, making a break in his urgent teaching. He’s reminding the believers of their standing in the faith. He’s reminding them of their status in God. He’s reminding them that each individual is at a different point in their faith journey, that their belief is not static, that they are all progressing, all maturing, all moving forward in the faith.

He’s writing to them because he cares about their faith journey as fellow believers. He wants the best for them. He can see how far they have already come and he wants them to continue to grow in faith and love.

These terms are not to do with chronological age but with spiritual maturity. It’s about acknowledging the different stages of faith.

When we first come to faith, there are two basic steps: we come to know God as father for the first time and to acknowledge the work that Jesus did through his death and resurrection to forgive our sins. A child is completely dependent on the parent to guide, provide and protect.

The fathers are those who have grown up in the faith over some time. They have experience. They’ve lived their faith. They have come to know God, the Creator and sustainer of the universe. This kind of spiritual maturity does not come overnight. It’s less of an intellectual knowledge (though that is a part of it), more a depth of fellowship and experiential relationship with Jesus.

Then there are the young men, full of zeal and energy. They are the active ones, the ones on the front line in the battle between good and evil. The source of their strength is God. They are rooted in Him and nothing can separate them from the love of God.

There is an obvious key point to take away for us here today. We are all at different stages of our faith journey and each stage is necessary. We can all learn from and encourage one another. Wherever we are, it’s about moving forward with God. We should never be comparing ourselves to others and then feel either superior or inferior. That’s not how it works at all.

My journey is my journey and your journey is your journey. Every journey has ups and downs, twists and turns, rough and smooth surfaces to navigate. The fundamental place to start is by coming to know God and the direction of travel is to know Him more.

The rest will follow.