The Stages Of Spiritual Life According To 1 John. Series

1 John 2 (NASB)

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Growth is the evidence of life!

John, Cardinal Newman-Growth is the only evidence of life. There is either growth or decay. It is not possible for a living organism to be totally stagnant.

Think about it. You plant a seed, and it grows into a tree, You birth a child moms, and he or she grows without to much involvement on your part, into an adult, that’s life, that’s how it works! Where there is life, there is growth, where there is growth, there is life!

Physical growth is something that primarily happens naturally. Yes there is the feeding and nurturing aspect to it but basically it is a series or a cycle that mainly consists of 6 stages. They are simply; foetus, baby, child, adolescent, adult and old person. Let’s talk about each of these stages in detail.

Ovum period – First two weeks after fertilization

Embryo Period – Weeks 2 through 8

Fetus Period Weeks 9 through 40

Infancy period – Birth to the end of weaning which takes about 24-36 months

Early Childhood period - From 24-36 monts to 7 years

Later Childhood period -From 7 years to puberty

Adolescence period - From puberty to about age 20

Young Adulthood period-20 to 30

Middle age period – Lasts from roughly the mid-30s to the mid-60s.

Older adulthood period - That begins in the mid-60s and lasts until the end of life.

And this all happens kind of naturally, just like the seasons do spring, summer, fall, winter, they just come whether we like it or not!

When it comes to our spiritual life and growth, it doesn’t come quite as unconsciously and naturally:

1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? – BSB

1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. - NIV

Ephesians 4:14 We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place.- CEV

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. -NIV

Anyway the title of my message to you this morning from the book of 1 John is..

The Stages of Spiritual Life According to 1 John.

My proposition to you this morning from this passage is this:

A study of The Stages of Spiritual Life set forth in 1 John 2:12-14 will inform us as to what they are, and will instruct us on how spiritual growth comes about!

Can’t assume it!

Job 32:9 The abundant in years may not be wise, Nor may elders understand justice.- NASB

You must pursue it!

Hebrews 6:1 Let us move onto maturity...

Let begin by considering:

I. The Concept of Stages to our Spiritual Life set forth by 1 John.

A) Classes - Three

1. Children

2. Father’s

3. Young men

B) Clarification:

1. Remember that although the scriptures are written with masculine pronouns; this applies to woman as well.

Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ

Jesus.- NASB

C) Concept in scripture?

1. Threefold stages of growth?

Mark 4:3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.- ESV