Just Because
Text: 1 John 2:12-14
Introduction
1. When I was growing up i had a great relationship with my mom. we would often have a playful back and forth, but i always knew when i had taken things too far. Like when she would ask me to do something and i would respond with the question, "why?' now i always knew i had taken it too far when she would look at me sternly and say, "just because i said so!"
2. You will notice in our text today that John uses several different ways of addressing members of the church. However, he isn't talking so much about physical age as he is about spiritual development. You will also notice that with every group he addresses them with the phrase, "because..."
3. We are going to look at three "because" statements...
1. Because Our Sins Are Forgiven
2. Because We Have Come To Know God
3. Because We Have Overcome Satan
4. Would you stand with me as we read 1 John 2:12-14.
Proposition: We become members of God's family because of what Jesus has done for us.
Transition: First John talks about...
I. Because Our Sins Are Forgiven (12).
A. God's Children
1. I once read a marvelous story about a country doctor in Scotland who had a very poor practice. Although his patients would pay him in eggs, chickens, vegetables at harvest, and meat at slaughtering time, his huge ledger book would contain many names, symptoms, treatments, and prescriptions, but a lot of empty boxes or columns where nothing was paid. Once per year, the doctor would go through his book and write "Forgiven" wherever he knew the patients would never be able to pay.
When the doctor died and his heirs received all of his material possessions, they brooded over the ledger book and all of the "Forgiven" debts. Eventually, they tried to take some of the patients to court. But according to the story, the old Scottish judge said that there was no way that any court in Scotland could possibly find for the heirs when the physical evidence of the ledger was so eloquent with its message of "Forgiven, Forgiven, Forgiven" on every page.
2. In v. 12, John writes, "I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus."
1. Literally in Greek John is saying, "your sins have been forgiven." This use of the perfect tense conveys the notion that "your sins have been once and for all forgiven and will never be brought up before God again."
2. This is listed first by John because forgiveness is the fundamental experience of the Christian life and the condition of fellowship with God.
3. Forgiveness of our sins is the one thing we all have in common. Forgiveness of sins is at the very heart of the gospel and hence a centerpiece of apostolic preaching in the book of Acts (Allen, Preaching the Word – 1-3 John: Fellowship in God's Family, 87).
4. John wants to encourage his readers, so he adds a precious phrase: "through Jesus."
5. Their sins were forgiven because of what Jesus had done on the cross.
6. God’s "name" stands for his character. We are forgiven on the basis of who he is and what he has done.
7. Our sins are forgiven, but not for our sake. They are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.
8. In other words, John is saying, "Your slate is clean, and it will always remain clean because Jesus died in your place" (Allen, 87).
3. God has forgiven our sins "for his name’s sake." This is a familiar refrain in the book of Psalms.
1. Psalm 23:3 says, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake."
2. Asaph prayed in Psalm 79:9, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!"
3. My sins are not forgiven for my sake. They are not forgiven for anything I have done or deserved, but because of what Christ has done and earned for me!
4. My contrition, my repentance, my faith could never earn God’s forgiveness. They are the means for receiving that forgiveness, but the forgiveness itself is granted me "for his name’s sake."
5. God’s forgiveness of our sin must be forever detached from our merit (Allen, 87).
4. In Isaiah 43:25 God says, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."
1. God’s divine honor itself is at stake if he were to refuse to forgive the sins of any repentant sinner who called upon the name of Jesus for salvation.
2. We saved sinners are forgiven "for his name’s sake."
3. My sins, however massive, however filthy, were not too much for the great God of mercy to pardon!
4. Because of the unsearchable riches of Christ’s atonement, there is no single sin so great, no mass of sins so many that they are beyond the forgiveness of God!
5. The disease appears fatal; I am a hopeless case. Yet the Great Physician heals on the basis of his shed blood on the cross and glorifies himself in the process! (Allen, 88).
B. Forgiven Through Jesus
1. Illustration: It matters greatly in whose name I am forgiven if I am really forgiven! Public scandals of public figures have become almost commonplace. Wade Boggs was a five-time American League batting champion during his career, with a lifetime batting average of .356, and a 2005 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. At the height of his career, for four years Boggs had a mistress traveling companion, Margo Adams. When news of the scandal broke, the affair had already ended. Boggs had already confessed to his wife. Shortly afterward, in a Barbara Walters interview with Boggs and his wife, Walters asked him, "What went wrong; was it the glitz and glitter of fame and fortune; was it the wicked other woman?" Boggs, sitting quietly before the camera and holding his wife’s hand, said no to all of the above. In so many words he said he did what he did because he was a sinner. Walters seemed incredulous. She turned to Mrs. Boggs and asked, "And you actually forgave him?" Quietly Mrs. Boggs answered, "Yes." Barbara Walter’s facial expression indicated that the clue phone was ringing, but no one was at home to answer. She simply didn’t seem to get it. "I forgive you" are three of the most powerful words in any language. When God himself speaks those words to you, they are based on the work of his dear Son, Jesus. It is for the sake of his name that we are forgiven.
2. We all get a second chance, no matter what we have done, just because through Jesus there is forgiveness of sin.
1. Acts 13:38 (NLT2)
38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
2. Our sin separates us from God, but through the blood of Jesus we are restored to a right relationship with him.
3. Our sin makes us enemies of God, but through the blood of Jesus we are God's friend's again!
4. Our sin makes us strangers with God, but through the blood of Jesus we become children of God.
5. Just because of our sin we deserve an eternity in hell, but through the blood of Jesus we know that he has prepared a place for us where there is no more pain, no more sadness, and no more fear.
6. We are all in need of a second chance, and because of the blood of Jesus we get one.
7. Isn't it good to know just because of Jesus, and only because of Jesus, we have been forgiven!
Transition: Second, John talks about...
II. Because We Have Come To Know God (13).
A. Mature In The Faith
1. One of the early Church Fathers, a man named Andreas, said, "First you must become a child and be weaned off of evil. It is in this state that you must put off the weight of your old sins. Once you have done this, you can progress to the status of adolescents, when you must struggle against evil. Finally you will be deemed worthy of the deep knowledge of God which characterizes parents" (Andreas, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture NT, vol. XI, 182).
2. In v. 13, John says, "I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning..."
1. Here he is speaking to the spiritually mature people of the church. John is referring to the fact that Jesus exists eternally; hence he "[has been] from the beginning."
2. Though John is specifically referring to Jesus, it is not possible to separate God out of the picture here.
3. Both context and John’s theology indicate that to know the Son is to know the Father and vice versa.
4. The key mark of maturity in this context is knowledge of God through Jesus Christ (Allen, 89).
3. There is something about a mature Christian’s walk with the Lord that comes from many years of trusting him. I see this in the lives of many senior adult Christians who have lived for Christ for many years. They just exude it.
4. Charles Spurgeon wrote about an occasion when he was a young preacher and was talking about forgiveness in his sermon. His grandfather happened to be present.
1. Spurgeon asked his grandfather to close the service in prayer. The elder Spurgeon came forward, put his hand on young Charles’s shoulder, and said, "Charles can tell you about it, but I have lived it."
2. Mature Christians tell me it really is true: "The longer I serve him, the sweeter he grows."
3. Perhaps John is thinking about his own life now. He has walked with Jesus for over fifty years. When he was a young man, perhaps the youngest of the Twelve, he outran Peter to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty.
4. Now as a mature Christian who is also mature in years, John writes to the mature believers in the churches and says, "your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake." (Allen, 89).
B. No Longer Strangers
1. Illustration: Arthur Burns was chair of the Federal Reserve in the 1970s and a Jewish economist of great influence in Washington during the tenure of several Presidents. Burns was once asked to pray at a gathering of evangelical politicians. Stunning his hosts, he prayed thus: "Lord, I pray that Jews would come to know Jesus Christ. And I pray that Buddhists would come to know Jesus Christ. And I pray that Muslims would come to know Jesus Christ." And then, most stunning of all: "And Lord, I pray that Christians would come to know Jesus Christ."
2. There is a huge difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus!
1. Philippians 3:8 (NLT2)
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
2. What makes someone a Christian?
3. Is it going to church? No, you can sleep in a garage and that doesn't make you a car!
4. Is it believing in God? No, the Bible tells us that the demons believe in God, but they shudder in fear.
5. Is it reading the Bible? No, anyone can read the Bible, and many read and twist it's meaning in order to fit their own agenda.
6. What makes someone a Christian is having a personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
7. That's why Paul says that everything else is garbage in comparison to knowing Christ Jesus.
8. Going to church isn't going to get you to heaven. Simply believing in God isn't going to get you to heaven. Just reading the Bible isn't going to get you to heaven. Only knowing Jesus is going to get you to heaven!
Transition: The third thing John talks about is...
III. Because We Have Overcome Satan (14)
A. Won Your Battle With The Evil One
1. John now changes gears from talking about the mature to the young. Again this is not necessarily young in chronological age, but moreso in spiritual age.
2. At the end of v. 13 he says, "...I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one."
1. He tells these "young in the faith" they have "overcome the evil one." Christians are people who have overcome the devil through their victory in Christ.
2. John does not want the younger believers to think that just because they do not have the mature years or maybe the spiritual maturity of some of the older saints they are of less importance or of less value.
3. John tells them they know how to fight battles and win victories because they "have overcome" the devil.
4. Here is that perfect tense verb again. "Young though you are, you have put Satan under your feet and have won the victory over him through Christ!"
5. The masculine pronoun used here indicates that this is a reference to Satan, who is the source of all evil and his influence over the world.
6. In addition John uses the perfect tense to indicate that the victory has already been won, although there is still fighting to be done.
7. John here is thinking of the victory over evil which takes place at conversion, a victory due to the power of Jesus who conquered Satan by his death and resurrection (Marshall, NICNT: The Epistles of John, 140).
3. Now let's shoft our attention to the end of v. 14, where John says, "...I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one."
1. Notice here that when John mentions again the "young in the faith," he does so with a slight nuance in what he says. In fact, he says three things about the "young in the faith."
2. First, he tells them they are "strong." What is one of the characteristics of youth? Strength. Youth is characterized by strength.
3. John is saying, "Look, those of you who are younger in the faith, you are strong; and the reason you are strong is because the Word of God is in you."
4. The second thing John says about the young men is they are strong spiritually because they know and use the Bible.
1. Just as working out consistently with weights will give you strength, so working out spiritually with the weights of the Word will make you strong spiritually.
2. Just as it takes discipline to work out regularly physically and thus enjoy the benefits, so too it takes discipline and study of the Word of God daily to be spiritually strong.
3. As the psalmist says in Psalm 1:2, "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Do you delight in the Word of God? Do you relish in it? Do you desire to spend time in it? Does it permeate your life? Do you put it into regular practice?
4. Is the Bible a high priority in your life? These are the kinds of things John is referring to when he makes the statement, "the word of God abides in you."
5. Third, as a result of their strength derived from their knowledge and practice of the Word of God in their lives, the young men "have overcome the evil one." "
1. The evil one" here undoubtedly refers to Satan. Satan has no authority over your life unless you yield authority to him.
2. You do not have to give ground to the devil. The authority you have in Christ as one who is united with Christ means Satan has no authority over you unless you give him authority and power over you.
3. Notice John says that "the word of God abides" in these young in the faith. This phrase "word of God" occurs numerous times in the New Testament and is everywhere in the Old Testament.
4. It refers not only to the written Word of God, which we call the Bible, but to all of God’s verbal self-expression including apostolic preaching and instruction.
5. The best way to defeat the devil in your life is to know and use the sword of the Spirit, the Bible, against him.
6. That is exactly what Jesus did during his forty days of temptation in the wilderness. He used Scripture to defeat Satan.
7. Jesus is our example of how we can go about defeating the devil as well. We must wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:17.
8. All believers should be characterized by spiritual strength. Don’t be a pushover for the devil!
6. The secret of spiritual growth and strength is knowledge and practice of the Word of God. Knowledge of the Word takes the fangs out of the serpent, the devil; it takes the teeth out of the roaring lion, the devil, who walks about seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).
1. A fangless snake and a toothless lion cannot do much damage.
2. Most people probably face no more than five major crises in all of life. But each day you experience a dozen trifling problems that must be defeated. Daily life is invaded with tiny warriors, the little things with which we do constant battle.
3. You go to work and encounter a difficulty, a trivial annoyance, a lurking temptation. Yet if your mind is saturated with the Scriptures, the love of God, the daily presence of God in your life, you are equipped to win the victory over any temptation.
4. You are not a soldier in enemy territory ill-equipped to handle the enemy; you are a soldier who daily can put on the whole armor of God and who having done so can stand against all the schemes of the devil (Allen, 91).
B. Overcoming Satan
1. Illustration: There is tremendous power in the Word of God. This truth is illustrated in a story told by C. H. Spurgeon. Out of curiosity, an agnostic who belonged to what was known as the "Hell-fire Club" attended a service where George Whitefield was preaching. At the next meeting of the club, the young man began to ridicule the evangelist before the other members, repeating Whitefield’s words and mimicking his inflections and gestures. About halfway through the speech, however, he stopped abruptly as the Holy Spirit began to convict him. Responding to the message he had been repeating so flippantly, he confessed his sin and opened his heart to Christ right then and there. Needless to say, the meeting was quickly adjourned. That young man became a zealous witness who led many others to Christ.
2. We win our battle with Satan through the living and powerful Word of God.
1. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT2)
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
2. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 6, he talks about the "whole aromor of God," and in all of that armor there are only to offensive weapons, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and praying in the Spirit.
3. Jesus demonstrates this for us in Matt. 4:1-11, for every time he is tempted by Satan Jesus doesn't enter into a battle of whits with Satan, but rather says, "The Scriptures say..."
4. Whether we are young in the faith, or mature in the faith, our main weapon to fight against the devil is the Word of God.
5. It tells us truth from lie.
6. It tells us what path to take.
7. It tells us how we can control our emotions, desires, and thoughts.
8. It is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path.
9. It is our instruction manual and our measuring stick.
10. Above all it is our Sword against the enemy.
11. If you're tired of being defeated by the devil then it's time to start hitting him with the Word because it is full of God's power
Conclusion
1. This morning we looked at three "because" statements...
1. Because Our Sins Are Forgiven
2. Because We Have Come To Know God
3. Because We Have Overcome Satan
2. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER...
1. LEARN TO LEAVE YOUR PAST BEHIND BECAUSE YOU ARE FORGIVEN.
2. NEVER STOP GETTING TO KNOW GOD MORE.
3. START READING AND USING THE WORD OF GOD ON A DAILY BASIS.
