That is the recurring line in these next three verses.. I am writing to you....
Do you remember that John has just reminded us that God calls us to Love, not to hate?
In these verses he writes what he really wants us to know.
1. Our sins are forgiven.
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
But not just that our sins are forgiven, but they are forgiven for the sake of Christ! Christ died for us. He did. And we are God's children. His very own. Forgiven through the death of another of his children..his begotten son. One child has saved countless other children. Our sins are forgiven. Isn't that good to know? I find it is...cause I've so very many of them and they like to stare me in the face somedays....but God is gracious. He has forgiven them (as long as I am repentant of them)... so they must needs no longer be a weight you know what I mean?
2. He writes to the fathers, reminding them that they already know God. They've known him from the beginning.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
It's a reminder you know. He calls the people to remember that they know God, they really do. They've known him from the beginning. Just remember what you know.
3. He writes the young men... because they HAVE overcome the evil one.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
It's a battle that we are in. But Satan has been defeated. The Spirit is within us. God defeated him through Christ on the cross. It's just a matter now of mopping up the rest. Satan is defeated! Remember this. The battle is ours. We won. This is good for young men (and well.. everyone else) but young men in particular need to know that the battle is theirs. Knowing that victory is assured is a huge help.
4. He writes to us as children, reminding us that we know the Father. He's our dad. :)
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
Don't we all need a Father? Someone who watches over us. I know some folk struggle with this notion of God as Father because of things they have suffered in life... but people are fallen you know? Fathers on earth make sometimes horrendous mistakes..... does that need to negate the bigness of God the Father? It shouldn't. Seriously. Does one bad cookie make all cookies bad? Does one bad friend make all friends bad? No. So making God bad as Father doesn't make sense just because one's earthly father was bad. Learn to be protected and loved and safe as one who loves God. He is God the Father too. :)
5. He writes again to the father, reminding them again that they've known who God is from the beginning.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
6. He writes again, addressing the young men, because they are strong and God's word is in them, and they have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Again, young men need this encouragement, so do young women. But young men particularly I think. This coming from a woman who sees the difficulty some young men in just being young men and NOT women. Men are so often mocked in this world.. and they shouldn't be. It is so good to see them encouraged and standing up for God, and don't misunderstand me.. seeing a young woman stand firm for God, knowing that she is strong and that ultimately the devil has been defeated is a great thing, the young men need that encouragement, it needs to rest of their heads as a steadying force. They do.
But I need all this encouragement as well.
I need to remember that I know the one who loves me.
I need to remember that the devil is defeated.
I need to remember that my sins are indeed forgiven.
I need to be strong (and to remember that only through God am I strong)
I need to remember that God is indeed my Father and I can trust him to mind me full well. He knows me too (as Fathers' tend to know their children).
This all is an encouragement to all of us.
What are you in need of encouragement for?
In these verses he writes what he really wants us to know.
1. Our sins are forgiven.
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
But not just that our sins are forgiven, but they are forgiven for the sake of Christ! Christ died for us. He did. And we are God's children. His very own. Forgiven through the death of another of his children..his begotten son. One child has saved countless other children. Our sins are forgiven. Isn't that good to know? I find it is...cause I've so very many of them and they like to stare me in the face somedays....but God is gracious. He has forgiven them (as long as I am repentant of them)... so they must needs no longer be a weight you know what I mean?
2. He writes to the fathers, reminding them that they already know God. They've known him from the beginning.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
It's a reminder you know. He calls the people to remember that they know God, they really do. They've known him from the beginning. Just remember what you know.
3. He writes the young men... because they HAVE overcome the evil one.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
It's a battle that we are in. But Satan has been defeated. The Spirit is within us. God defeated him through Christ on the cross. It's just a matter now of mopping up the rest. Satan is defeated! Remember this. The battle is ours. We won. This is good for young men (and well.. everyone else) but young men in particular need to know that the battle is theirs. Knowing that victory is assured is a huge help.
4. He writes to us as children, reminding us that we know the Father. He's our dad. :)
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
Don't we all need a Father? Someone who watches over us. I know some folk struggle with this notion of God as Father because of things they have suffered in life... but people are fallen you know? Fathers on earth make sometimes horrendous mistakes..... does that need to negate the bigness of God the Father? It shouldn't. Seriously. Does one bad cookie make all cookies bad? Does one bad friend make all friends bad? No. So making God bad as Father doesn't make sense just because one's earthly father was bad. Learn to be protected and loved and safe as one who loves God. He is God the Father too. :)
5. He writes again to the father, reminding them again that they've known who God is from the beginning.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
6. He writes again, addressing the young men, because they are strong and God's word is in them, and they have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Again, young men need this encouragement, so do young women. But young men particularly I think. This coming from a woman who sees the difficulty some young men in just being young men and NOT women. Men are so often mocked in this world.. and they shouldn't be. It is so good to see them encouraged and standing up for God, and don't misunderstand me.. seeing a young woman stand firm for God, knowing that she is strong and that ultimately the devil has been defeated is a great thing, the young men need that encouragement, it needs to rest of their heads as a steadying force. They do.
But I need all this encouragement as well.
I need to remember that I know the one who loves me.
I need to remember that the devil is defeated.
I need to remember that my sins are indeed forgiven.
I need to be strong (and to remember that only through God am I strong)
I need to remember that God is indeed my Father and I can trust him to mind me full well. He knows me too (as Fathers' tend to know their children).
This all is an encouragement to all of us.
What are you in need of encouragement for?
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