day 16 young men part 2

I write to you, young men,

Because you have overcome the wicked one.

I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

we ended part 1 with a focus on one of the two characteristics that St. John brings up. I talked about the mature believer's strength. now I'm going to talk about a new trait.

The other characteristic of this more mature believer is the word of God abiding in them. The importance of the word of God cannot be stated enough. The word is a foundation for every believer’s life. It is the light which illuminates the path of life. By I can see the enemy’s pitfalls and avoid them. John 12:46 says that following Jesus keeps us from remaining in darkness. Luke 8:21 – those who hear the word of God and do it are those who are closest to Jesus

Luke 11:21 – those who hear the word and keep it are blessed

Acts 6:1-7 – as the word increased then the church multiplied in growth

Acts 19:5-20 – here Paul and his company labor by spreading the word of God. They are so effective that within two years every one in the province of Asia had heard the gospel. The end result it that God’s word brought people to repentance and into maturity.

As we have already read in Ephesians 6:17 the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. This word of God is most powerful indeed. Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The word of God is living and active. This is the power that is in the “young men”. Listen you cannot live a life that honors our God apart from his word. This word is to read on a regular basis. It is not only to be read but obeyed. If the word says it then adjust your life and thoughts accordingly.

The difference between a baby Christian and a more mature one has to do with the word. Getting the word into you is so important for maturity. You have to take it in and let it spread to your whole body. It has to affect your thoughts, your deeds and you words. Without a firm foundation in the entire word of God, not just the New Testament, you are easy prey for the devil and evil people. You will be led astray. You will be deceived.

St. John says that these young men have overcome the wicked one. Just imagine the feeling of knowing the devil is overcome. Jesus demonstrated the significance of abiding in the word and the word abiding in us during his temptation. Jesus could have used power to vanquish the devil but he chose God’s word. Three times he as tempted and three times he answered it is written. Our ability to see the devil defeated in our lives rests in the word of God.

How we need people today who are able to uncompromisingly teach God’s holy word. We need to encourage our fellow believers, regardless of their level of maturity to get into the word. We should be known as the generation of doers of the word of God.

Let us mature in Christ

Peace on your heads

day 15 the young men part 1

¹² I write to you, little children,

Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

¹³ I write to you, fathers,

Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

Because you have overcome the wicked one.

I write to you, little children,

Because you have known the Father.

¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers,

Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,

And you have overcome the wicked one.

The reason behind what he has written and what he writes is the same. There is a difference between a father and a young man. A father has a commitment to look out for, lead and provide for his family, this is others. He has less freedom than a young man and lives a life of greater sacrifice than the life of a young man.

A young man has a greater opportunity to serve in a radical way because he ultimately is responsible for himself. If we keep to the idea that St. John is writing about the different stages of Christian maturity, then the young men most likely refer to the middle stage of development. According to some commentaries this is a term for those in the 25-40 age group.

These believers have met the wicked one and defeated him. The Greek word for overcome, nikáō means to be victorious, to prevail, to conquer and to win. So this would suggest that in battling with the wicked one these more mature believers are not defeated but actually win.

These believers are strong ,ischuroi, physical strength and ability is one of two characteristics that leads to the believers being able to overcome. Romans 12:21 says that we are to overcome evil with good. No one can live the Christian life as God wants without God’s help. It is a manifestation of God’s grace that we can accomplish his will. Paul writes that he worked more than the other apostles, not by his own might, but his work is the result of the grace of God in him.

As we grow in maturity we become more aware of the fact that all that we accomplish is because of Christ and that without him we truly cannot do anything of significance for the Kingdom.

Ephesians 6:10-19 might shed some more clarity about this strength that allows us to obey God and follow his will.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ^{16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17} Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We are told to be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. It is not about trusting in one’s self, methods or the accumulation of knowledge, but in a recognition of God’s power and our dependency upon it. It is God’s armor that makes a believer strong enough to stand against the flaming arrows of the evil one. Because of his armor we can firmly stand and not be easily moved. There is no question that evil days will come, believe me they will come to everyone who wants to live a life pleasing to God, but about being prepared and ready when they do come. Now when we have this information from God then there is no excuse for a believer to be caught off guard. Living in his power and by the equipping that he gives us will keep us alert and in prayer.

I’m sure that many of us do not pray enough or very regular. This will not suffice for the believer, who wishes to live according to God’s will and mature. There is so much more to write about when it comes to the strength of believers. I believe that many are not living a victorious life just because they refuse to do the things that the stronger believers do. They refuse to live in the truth that they are dependant upon God’s strength. They make up rules and regulations and often focus on superficial things as a way of compensation but they are deceiving themselves. They think that they are strong but in actuality are weak. They think that they are ready to go to battle and that is why many get defeated. I know that this sounds harsh but it is not. If I love you then I have to tell you the truth.

I wish that these weak believers would open up their eyes and realize the truth and then allow the Holy Spirit to lead them toward maturity in Christ. As John Bevere writes in his book, Driven by Eternity, “The keys are first to seek God in faith; second, get planted in the local church God shows you; and third, forsake the entanglements of your life”. Our lives must be centered upon God.

peace on your heads

day 14 - 1 john 2:12-14 - to the little children

12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known 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.
The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

in these three verses St. John is saying quite a lot. many scholars think that the apostle is referring to the various stages of maturity one may find in a local church. In this pericope he is makes reference to three groups, dear children, fathers and young men.

the Greek word that is translated here as dear children, is teknion. It literally means small children like in nursery school, but in fact is a term of endearment. whether he means this a term of ones maturity or level of innocence I do not know.

what St. John does say is that he writes to them because of the fact that by the name of Jesus they have their sins forgiven and that they have known the Father. this is the basic security of all believers. we are saved because of Jesus and now there is no need to fear death. no believer should ever worry about the ability of God to secure one's salvation. The other step is to know the Father. It is impossible for a believer to grow if they do not know the Lord.

Titus 1:16 says that they profess to know God but by their works they deny him. This aspect of knowing God is a form of obedience. if you know God then you will live in obedience to him.

Galatians 4:8 when they did not know God then they practiced idolatry.

Colossians 1:10 good works is the result of knowing him.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 those who do not live in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ will face punishment.

i just wanted to use the verses to show that what I am saying is in harmony with the Scriptures.

there is a definite connection between being a Christian and good works. Many times we can be so focused on sinners making a confession and saying a prayer of receiving Christ that we forget to inform them of the cost of following Christ or of the fact that God still expects his children to live righteously before him.

Now that we have had our sins forgiven this one monumental act should be a motivator for the Christian to do good works. Don't get me wrong works do not save you but that does not in any way mean that there is a free for all when it comes to sin, Romans 6:1-7. When some one is new to the faith then they need to be instructed in the ways of righteousness. They are called to take upon them a new nature and person. This most definitely means living the lifestyle of the new person which is after Christ.

Forgiveness is part of the central doctrine of Christianity. There are over 83 direct Bible passages, 48 of them in the New Testament, dealing with forgiveness. Jesus' teaching on this subject it that we are forgiven in accordance with how we forgive others. I believe that this means that the forgiveness of God, while free and generous, implies that we forgive others just as generously and freely, Matthew 6:12, 13-14; Mark 11:25-26.

The basic level av living a Christ centered life is a life lived in surrendered obedience and generous forgiveness. Helping believer to develop this discipline should be the first steps in walking with them towards maturity in Christ.
I sure hope that I am this kind of leader and motivator.

the peace of God in abundance