“Grow Up”
Stages of Spiritual Growth
1 John 2:12-14
Like any personal letter, John wrote for a number of reasons. However a clear theme winds its way through he whole letter.
How do I attain and maintain an intimate relationship with the God who is LIGTH and LOVE?
I. GOD IS LIGHT
A. THE MESSAGE: God is Light 1:5
B. THE IMPLICATIONS 1:6-4:6
1. Continually walk (live) in the Light 1:6-7
2. Continually confess sin 1:8-10
3. Rely on your advocate 2:1-2
4. Give attention to His instructions 2:3-6
5. Love one another (don’t hate) 2:7-11
6. Grow up 2:12-14
Before John moved to another obvious implication in verse 15 he paused for a personal observation of three levels of spiritual maturity among believers. He specifically addressed believers at each of the three levels. Each level focused on a specific characteristic or level of understanding and practice. The implication in this passage is that God expects all believers to keep growing in their faith understanding and practice. All believers should continually cultivate a deeper relationship with God.
God created you to grow. The expectation is growth; change, transformation.
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:11-14
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Eph 4:15
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9-12
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3
Just as babies and children grow and mature so every believer is expected to grow and nature.
The Scriptures were given to bring about maturity.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Pastors are given to bring believers to maturity.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Ephesians 4:14-15
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Colossians 1:28
My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— Galatians 4:19
Trials produce maturity.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
We may grow up in many ways. We may demonstrate maturity in many ways. The ultimate measure of growth and spiritual maturity is becoming more like Christ.
Where are you in your transformation journey? The term used today is “spiritual transformation or development.” This growth relates both to perception AND practice; what I know and what I do. John addressed three milestones of spiritual development.
Children – Young Men -- Fathers
Peter used it in positive way and Paul used it in a negative sense.
a) Babyhood
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3
After new birth comes babyhood. Babies do baby things. When babies do them, it can be funny.
Who doesn’t laugh when a baby drools and sticks their face in their chocolate cake? It is not so funny when they are still doing those things at 40 years old. The expectation is that we grow up.
Peter pictures the insatiable appetite of babies to call us to continually desire God’s word which is the source of spiritual growth. Paul pictures the self-centered, immature, uncontrolled nature of babies to illustrate those who had either failed to grow up or had reverted to selfish baby behavior.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
The writer of Hebrews spoke of the dull of hearing who failed to practice what they knew and therefore were in need of baby food again.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:13-14
Jealous and strife and dissension are the tell-tale signs of babies. Always self-focuses. Needing constant attention. Yet the good thing about babies is their insatiable appetite.
Some babies however lose that appetite and fail to thrive resulting in stunted growth and a diminished capacity to develop.
Some basic observations.
• John used a poetry style and addresses each group twice.
• John perhaps presented the characteristics from a beginning to mature state in the two triplets. Or the minimum to the maximum of the specific characteristic.
• John used two different verb tenses “I am writing” (present) and “I wrote” (point time).
Some explain it that John had a stylistic rather than theological intent.
One was from his perspective as writer and the other as the perspective of the reader.
• The word “because” could be seen as casual or actual.
I write “because” or I write “in order that”
• Some think that John may have addressed only two groups rather than three. He addresses children as in a general sense and then young and old.
• John used an unexpected order (Children – fathers – young men).
b) Childhood
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. 1 John 2:12
I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 1 John 2:13
An understanding of forgiveness is one of the most essential concepts to understand. One must know the need for it and the source of it. John used a perfect tense verb. I am writing “because” or “that you may understand that” through Christ (for His name’s sake) your sins were forgiven at point in time and are still forgiven. “It truly is FINSHED!” Amen! Jesus paid it all!
We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our sins from us. I will remember their sins no more. That is the beginning point to getting to know the Father. The other end of the childhood stage is just getting to know the Father. We come to understand the Father’s love for us. We get comfortable climbing into His lap crying, “Abba Father.” We truly understand we are children of God. Later John reinforces this truth as well as the others.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. 1 John 3:1
How do we get to this stage? Understanding, the word, experience, simple trust.
c) Youthhood
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:13b
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:14b
John cited three characteristics for the “young man” stage.
1. You are strong (present tense)
2. The word abides in you (present tense)
3. You have overcome the evil one. (perfect tense = still walking in victory)
This is the stage of character development.
There is a strength that comes from the assimilation of truth and the application truth to life that enables us to withstand the attacks of the evil one through people and circumstance as well as direct assault.
d) Adulthood
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. 1 John 2:13a
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. 1 John 2:14a
This stage of maturity achieves an experiential knowledge of Jesus that only time yields.
This is knowledge of God that continues to increase and goes beyond mere perception of forgiveness and love to knowledge of the wonders of the eternal God who has always existed.
This is a knowledge that comes from a stable practice of truth and a life lived pleasing to God.
This is the highest level of relational knowing; the adoration/affection level.
This is what John has previously called “fellowship”, “abiding”, “knowing God”, “being in Him”. There is no higher level than this. Perhaps that is why John did not offer any further characteristics as he did the other two levels. Such knowledge of God is spiritual maturity.
By the way, this did not take 100 years to develop either. Even though it did take time and experience the readers were yet relatively young in the faith. Yet the expectation is that they would continually grow in the grace and knowledge of God. In a practical sense, these characteristics are similar to the development of any relationship.
Hungry but selfish stage
Petty little things get in the way. Squabbles and disagreements, jealousy, strife. Learn to focus on the word and let live by the power of the Spirit.
Forgiveness / getting to know you stage
Here you are able to get past some of the selfishness and forgive one another and begin to give and take love and get to know the other person.
Strength of character / overcoming obstacle stage
At this stage you learn to live by the truth rather than feelings and face the obstacles in life that can make or break relationships.
Intimacy of knowledge stage
Because you have chosen to stick it out and work through the issues that all relationships face, you come to know one another at a deeper level and learn deeper appreciation for who they are and you could say you have know them from the beginning.
How about our relationship with God?
Where are you in your spiritual growth?
Still fussing over little stuff and struggling with jealousy and relational issues and still feel that “It’s all about me”? Then you are in the flesh and the baby stage. Long for the pure milk of the word that you may grow!
If you can’t quite feel comfortable about God’s love for you demonstrate by His forgiveness of your sins through Christ, then you are still in your spiritual childhood. Let the truth of God’s love and forgiveness sink in to your heart and pout your trust in that love.
If Satan still keeps tripping you up and you find yourself neglecting the word…
If you feel weak and can’t get above the issues of life with an eternal perspective, then you are most likely still working on the youthhood level. Focus on the word of God implanted in your life. (beyond the milk).
If you find that your intimacy and affection for God is not so fervent, you have not quite achieved the adulthood level of spiritual growth. Focus on the full spectrum of habits that deepen relationship beginning with time spent.
What are the growth factors?
• The word of God
• The teaching of the word of God
• Encouragement of one another
• Biblical response to the trials of life.
• Practicing the truth (obedience) that trains the sense to discern good and evil.
• The truths emphasized by John in his letter also serve to encourage growth in all of the levels.
Remember, we can revert to babyhood any time we neglect the practice of truth.
God expects you to grow. Growth indicates life.
Jesus exhorted the churches in Revelation for their lack of fervency and their complacency.
Revelation 3:15-22
Jesus knocks today so that He might have intimate relationship with you. How would he characterize the level of your relationship with him?
Still fussing about what he isn’t doing for you?
Still keeping your distance because of unresolved issues?
Finding yourself falling to Satan’s schemes more often than you would like?
Not really that close to God?
It’s time to grow up!
• Realize the wonder of your forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus.
• Realize the wonder of your adoption and new birth into a new family that makes God your father.
• Receive the word implanted and let it continually dwell richly within.
• Let the Spirit of God bring strength of character.
• Stand up to the enemy and live in victory.
• Give yourself to continually cultivating deeper relationship with the Eternal God and His Son Jesus.
