Sermon: For His Name's Sake
#1898
Martin G. Collins
Given 24-Oct-26; 65 minutes
description: Writing from Ephesus near the end of the first century to a community shaken by desertions, the apostle John pauses in 1 John 2:12-14 to anchor believers in three foundational, non-negotiable truths essential for enduring the Christian life. Addressing believers across three spiritual stages—little children who rest in the Father's love, young men who fight spiritual battles in God's strength, and fathers who possess deep, abiding fellowship—John reminds them that their sins are fully forgiven for Christ's name's sake, they have already overcome the evil one through God's abiding Word, and they possess an intimate, relational knowledge of the Father and the Son. Far from optional doctrines or progressive milestones reserved for a select few, these bedrock assurances belong to every Christian at every step of their journey, grounding their past in forgiveness, empowering their present in victory, and securing their future in eternal fellowship.
transcript:
Imagine facing your greatest enemy knowing the battle is already won. Imagine carrying the burden of your past sins only to discover that the penalty has already been paid and imagine the great creator of the universe, not merely a distant all powerful being, but your loving Father wants you to know him personally. Would that change the way you live? Has that changed the way you live? Has it changed how you pray, how you fight against sin, how you face the challenges of your Christian life? These are not merely encouraging thoughts and wishful thinking. These are foundational truths that God wants everyone of his children to understand and believe deeply, all the way to the heart. Yet how easily we can lose sight of them. We may become so conscious of our weaknesses that we forget the power of God has, that the the forget the power of God has made available to us. We may become so discouraged that by our failures that we begin to doubt whether God has truly forgiven our sins. Or we may become so absorbed in the daily struggle to overcome. That we lose sight of the wonderful relationship God has called us into. That is why the apostle John pauses in his first epistle to remind us of three essential truths. In First John 2:12 to 14, he reminds us that God has forgiven our sins in Christ's name. That we have overcome the wicked one through the strength God provides, and that we can know God the Father and Jesus Christ. These seem so general that we often forget them during a trial or As we are going through life and the struggles, our Christian lives are not built on our own strength, our own righteousness, or our own merits. They are built on the finished work of Jesus Christ, the abiding word of God, and our growing relationship with the Father and the Son. Today, let us examine these foundational truths and ask ourselves, do I truly understand the forgiveness God has given me? Do I truly understand the forgiveness God has given me? Do I recognize the spiritual strength available to me in overcoming sin and persevering through trials and suffering? And am I growing in my personal knowledge of the Father and the son? Because when we understand these truths, we have a solid foundation for enduring in the faith, resisting the world, overcoming sin, and remaining faithful to God until the end. If we can forget these things or our faith is not deeply embedded in understanding and believing these things, we are in dire. Or we are in danger of leaving the truth or floating away from it. The apostle John's epistle, First John is a deeply encouraging and faith building letter. John likely wrote first John from Ephesus, where he had apparently relocated near the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The letter was not written until the last decade of the first century AD. After John had observed decades of God's church and its people and those who had just floated away. John writes to Christians who had witnessed some some members departing from the truth, leading to an exodus of the way. John urges members of God's church to refine their biblical understanding so they aren't led astray, deepen their moral steadfastness, so they aren't enticed by the world and intensify their dedication so they do not neglect their worship of God. And that is, they must grow in faith, and obedience and love. It is not a letter of do's and do nots, but rather a testament to what is done. So John recorded Jesus' words to this effect in John 19:30 where it says, it is finished, where Christ said it is finished. The letter, First John highlights what God the Father has done, sending Christ His Son, offering him as a sacrifice for sins, and sending forth the word of life, which causes this world's darkness to pass away and the true light of the coming age to shine. God's action becomes the directive of those who faithfully believe in His Son. John writes, Whoever does the will of God abides forever. There in I John 2 and 17, but I'd like you to turn to First John 2 and 12. 1st John 2 and 12. God's will is that those who read and believe this letter receive the truth of Christ's coming, rejoice in the teaching of Christ's commands, and find peace in the Father's love, which continually translates into love for one another. In First John 2:12-14, John addresses believers of all ages, calling them his little children who have received forgiveness through Christ. He writes about our spiritual state, our standing in faith, and what God requires we know. I John 2:12-14 The caption in my Bible for this section is their spiritual state. I John 2 and 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. It's interesting that the little children, the word for a term for little children in verse 12 and verse 13, are two different Greek words which we will get to in a minute. I've written you verse 14. I've 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. So the older men, called fathers, were mature in their faith and had a long-standing relationship with Jesus Christ. And the younger men had struggled against Satan's temptations and emerged victorious. The boys and girls, meaning the little children, had learned about Christ and were just beginning their spiritual journey. So each stage of life builds on the previous one. As children learn from about Christ, they grow stronger in resisting temptation. As young adults move as young adults move from victory to spiritual victory, they deepen their relationship with Christ along the way. Older adults have known Christ for years and have gained the wisdom to teach young people, restarting the cycle. So John uses three titles to describe members of God's church. He calls them little children in verse 12, and that is the Greek word technia, T E K N I E, and it's transliteration from Greek, indicating a, a child young in age, young in age. In verse 13, the Greek word is uh Padia, P A I D I A, implying a child young in experience. So the difference one is focusing on age and the other is focusing on experience. So therefore they need training and discipline, and he also uses the term young men and fathers. So these three verses serve as a parenthesis. Within the series of appeals and encouragements that the apostle John offers in his letter to the saints at that time and to all of us today. So John believes every Christian should know these foundational things. That sins are forgiven for his name's sake, that we can overcome sin, and that we know God the Father and God the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Next, John tells us we must keep the commandment to love the brethren because fellowship with God and Christ. Depends on it Then he continues, or I should say, then he reminds us not to love the world, continuing on in verse 15 of First John 2. And we will read down to verse 17. Verse 15, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world, and the world is passing away, and the lust of it. But he who does the will of God abides forever. For the Father's love implants a desire to break with the world's idolization. And the world certainly has. Innumerable idols. Everything from the medical profession to literal idols to cars to sports to whatever it may be. It just seems human nature idolizes everything that That they think is important to them. But before John warns them not to love the world, he introduces a break in verses 12 to 14. Why does he do that? Why does he suddenly interpret his series of encouragements and pause at the end of verse 11 and then in verse 12 say, I write to you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake, and so on. There is a very interesting reason, and the apostle John in effect says this. I have been showing you some of the basic principles. I have been reminding you of the demands that the Christian life makes on you. I have been showing you the extraordinary conditions for blessing. So John pauses before verse 12 because he was a loving and understanding pastor. He had a practical purpose in mind to help them recognize false teachers, endure persecution, and avoid losing faith. So John takes a genuinely warm approach to show them how to persevere. At this point, John wanted to do 3 things to help them persevere. First, he wanted to comfort them. Second, he wanted to encourage them. And third, he wanted to show them that given what God has already given them, there is no excuse for failing in this life. It is easy to say we should love our spiritual brothers. It's simple to say we should keep God's commandments, but can anyone do these things perfectly on their own? If God's standard for Christian life, morality, and ethics is presented without first clearly showing how this is possible in light of God's truth, The New Testament would initially be discouraging and only discouraging. Thankfully, God inspired the New Testament to tell us certain things essential to living His way of life successfully. So John writes this to comfort and encourage us. Truly there is no excuse for failure, so the apostle John introduces this parenthesis. Uh, this way Comfort for those who feel condemned. Encouragement for those who feel this is unachievable. Comfort for those who feel condemned and encouragement for those who feel this is unachievable. Before John goes any further, he tries to remove any excuse we may come up with, any attempt to excuse ourselves from this high calling we have in Jesus Christ. And human nature is certainly full of excuses. At this point, John stops and says, Do you think this is all hopelessly impossible? And then he continues. If that's the way you feel, it's quite clear that you haven't understood foundational doctrine. So we move on as we go as we live our years in the church and we continue on thinking that we already know this, that and the other thing, but the very foundational things that we should keep in the forefront of our minds slip away and that's what John is trying to help these people at this time when there was a falling away to avoid succumbing to that. They were approaching the whole matter the wrong way. John could tell they were uncertain about the fundamentals of God's truth, so this is the way he continues by telling them that he is writing these things to them on a certain assumption. And here is his assumption. He says, I write to you little children because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 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. So that's John's basic assumption. If they do not share it, his appeals, encouragements would be ineffective and useless. He would waste his time telling them not to love the world because without a shared understanding and agreement they wouldn't grasp the significance of his admonition. We can't be united if we do not have the same foundational beliefs. So what vital points did they and do they, do we need to understand and agree on? In I John 2:12 to 14, we have the bare essentials, the basic foundation of Christianity. Our spiritual future depends on it. This is not everything. This is not all the all of the foundation, but it's the ones that he's focusing on here in his letter. If these Christians needed to understand If these Christians needed to understand these basic doctrinal principles, so do we, and all Christians must know from the outset and beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ shed blood made it possible for our sins to be forgiven as we repent, are baptized, and overcome our sins. Not only mature Christians must believe this, but even the newest member of the church. Baptism cannot be valid unless the repentant sinner understands this. Not only the Fathers who have known this since the beginning of their conversion, but all Christians must know it. Not only young men who overcome the wicked, the wicked oneBut that must be true of all Christians. So John writes for all. But our Christian lives have steps and stages, and at each stage we need one emphasis more than the other. The whole truth is meant for everyone, but at certain points some applications matter more than others. So in verses 12 to 14, John emphasizes key elements for individual spiritual maturity among Christian members. John emphasizes key elements for individual spiritual maturity among church members. The Old and New Testaments are written as admonishments for righteous conduct. Primarily for those God calls and empowers by His Spirit to overcome. John highlights three essential understandings all Christians must know, 3 basic assumptions here underlying the authority to keep the commandments, to love the brethren and not to love the anti-Christ world. But first, we must be clear about our understanding of the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins. He says that as John writes, I write to you little children because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. This is a fundamental assumption. What does it mean? So let's break it down. Christians should know that their sins are forgiven when they repent, except Jesus Christ, and are baptized because of Jesus' sacrifice. We cannot earn forgiveness. It is a gift from God through His Son. However, salvation is a conditional gift. Even though it is a gift, we have our part to play in. Qualifying, so to speak, for it, Jesus Christ gives this gift of forgiveness. He is the one whose blood washed away our sins. The apostles were sent out to deliver this essential message of repentance, the remission of sins, and the coming kingdom of God. Our certainty and assurance of the forgiveness of sins is based on our knowledge of the way in which our sins are forgiven. Now again, First John 2:12 says, I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake. Believing and living by the name of the Son of God brings assurance of salvation and eternal life. Now this is the basis of our certainty and assurance. We are forgiven because of Christ's perfect, finished, complete work on our behalf. Now we cannot atone for our sins by resting on the hope. That our good lives merits and good works will do so. We do not have a bearing on that as far as we cannot earn it. Why do we believe our sins are forgiven? On what grounds do we hold that belief? If you put that question to a mainstream Christian, he will often say, I believe my sins are forgiven because of God's love. But if those are his grounds for believing, then where does Christ come in? The apostle John says, your sins are forgiven for his names sake. Whose name? Jesus Christ. So John uses the thought provoking phrase for his namesake to convey that forgiveness comes through Jesus' sacrifice, righteousness, and reputation. So the Jews use names in a very special way. A name is not simply what a person is called, it stands for a person's whole character as much as others know it. And this usage is very common in the book of Psalms. Psalm 9:10 says, Those who know your name will put their trust in you. And Psalm 29 2 says, Give unto the Lord the glory due His name. This doesn't mean that those who know God as Yahweh will place their trust in Him. It means that those who know God's divine nature, having had it revealed to them, are ready to trust Him because they know what he's like. The psalmist prayed in Psalm 25 and 11, For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. For all intents and purposes this means for your love and mercy's sake. Now the basis for the psalmist prayer is God's character as he knows it, and he can request forgiveness only because he knows God's name, he knows God's character. In Psalm 20 in verse 7, the psalmist says, Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord God. So people trust in earthly help. But we will trust God because we know His divine nature. So in Christ we see God the Father. In Jesus we see sacrificial love and patient mercy. For this reason we know what God the Father is like and therefore we can be sure there is forgiveness for us. John put it this way earlier in I John 2:1-2. Regarding the testing of knowing Christ. So here in the beginning of the chapter, I John 2, we will read verses 1 and 2. Verse one, my little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if any one sins, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the righteous, and He Himself is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. So our assurance of forgiveness comes from the fact that it is for His name's sake. We know our sins are forgiven because Jesus Christ stands as our representative before God. And we are forgiven for his sake and for his name's sake. He has dealt with our sin. Isaiah 53:5-6 says, But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. So God Himself has taken our sins and laid them on Jesus Christ because He bore the punishment for our sins. We will not bear the punishment for them, for God has forgiven our sins in Jesus Christ's name. I'll turn to I John 1:9. I John 1 and verse 9. Now if we confess, I John 1:9 says, if we confess, let us repent, overcome our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So God's just demands that we be forgiven because Christ has been punished for us. These are the grounds of our certainty and assurance. Now let's put this in practical terms. If we are uncertain about the forgiveness of our sins, is that not sin itself? If we are uncertain about the forgiveness of our sins, is that not sin itself? We know that whatever is not of faith is sin in Romans 14:23. And this matters because some people feel that the assurance of forgiveness is presumption. And they would rather appear humble and modest, so to speak. They do not like to say my sins are forgiven. They do not feel worthy enough to say that. They are so conscious of their own unworthiness. The simple reply is, if that is their attitude, do they lack faith? Are they focusing on themselves rather than on what God is doing through Jesus Christ? Uncertainty that your sins are forgiven may mean you doubt God's word. And deny Christ. I'm not saying in every case I can't judge every person, but I'm saying this is a tendency that we can have or slip into if we focus. So much on our sins that we feel completely useless and worthless at all times. It's too depressing. God's not trying to depress us. He's trying to encourage us. The New Testament is certain that our sins are forgiven, and we have been forgiven for His name's sake. If we do not know that, it's because we are unclear about the doctrine and still rely on ourselves rather than on the Son of God's finished, complete work. It's because we do not realize the merit and the power of his sacred name. So when we plead that name before God, it immediately assures pardon for the one with a genuine repentant, humble heart. His name is above all other names and the name in which all fulness dwells and the name that grants entry into God's presence. So I'm going to shift gears here because I want to say something about what it means to act in a person's name. I want to say something about what it means to act in a person's name. What does it mean to do something in someone's name? The word name and its inflected forms appear nearly 1100 times in the King James Version of the Bible. And are almost always translated from the Hebrew word seem sm. Also rendered fame, renown, and report. Or the Greek word aoma O N O M A. Just under half of these occurrences refer to the name of God or of God's Son. Please turn with me to Luke 10 and verse 17. A name captures a person's essence. The Creator God, of course, has called everything in His creation by name. He did this because of His discernment or his authority to judge. In Genesis 2:19, Adam shows this discernment concerning the animals. He named them and had authority over them. But for a minister of God, it's the authority behind the command, not his own authority that expels demons. Here in Luke 10 verses, we will read verses 17 through 19. Luke 10 and 17. Then the 70 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. Verse 18 and he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall be, nothing shall by any means hurt you. So Jesus delegated his great power over the demons to his apostles. Serpents and scorpions symbolized demonic opposition. So God's ministers face these physical dangers as they preach far and wide. Both discernment and authority are often implied in changing names. Biblically, formal formal renaming signifies a change in personality and marks a new phase of one's life. When Abraham Meaning the Father is exalted, was given new responsibility. His name changed to Abraham, meaning father of multitudes. And Sarai, meaning Lord God is prince, was changed to Sarah, meaning princess, and this was done because she would be the progenitor of a great nation. Now please turn to Esther in verse, that's Esther 8. The phrase in someone's name can indicate status, impersonation, responsibility, or purpose. Usually, however, it claims delegated authority apart from acts of ministry and battle and generally serving as a person's representative. The phrase is mostly associated with verbal commands. Here's an example of formal communications from a king or leader. Esther 8, we are going to read verses 7 through 8. Esther 8:7. Then King Azareus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, Indeed I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. And verse 8, you yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews as you please in the king's name and seal it with the king's signet ring. For whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring, no one can revoke. So to know God's name is to live in harmony with God's character and purposes. To know God is to love Him rather than to possess a tool of power. Turn with me to Acts 3 and verse 16. Performing miracles and praying in Jesus' name is more, is more an appeal than a command and requires faith. A lame man was was healed at Solomon's porch, and he held on to Peter and John, and then Peter responded to the gathering crowd who witnessed the miracle here in Acts 3 and verse 16. And he said, and his that is Jesus' name through faith in His name has made this man strong whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through him that is Jesus has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. The phrase through faith in his name refers to Peter's faith here in Christ's name, not the layman's, and Jesus healed the man, and faith or trust in Jesus healed him. Because Jesus worked through Peter's faith, Jesus Himself imparts this kind of miracle working faith to his people's hearts and minds. Forgiveness is through faith in His name along with life and salvation. So scripture tells us that faith in Christ brings forgiveness of sins and eternal life, confidence in prayer, for protection from the evil one, and understanding and knowing the true God. I'll please turn to James 1 and verse 2. We should trust and have confidence in God because of His character and promises. And here in James 1, we are going to read verses 2 through 8. James 1:2. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Verse 5, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives all to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. So especially in times of need, our loving God is readily available. Not just in crisis, but we can access his intervention any time by faithfully asking. James assumes that members of God's church need wisdom, not just knowledge, and that God generously provides wisdom but never grudgingly. So to receive God's wisdom in trials, ask wisely, ask in faith, believing without doubting that His purpose will be fulfilled. The word for doubt in verse 6 suggests vacillating. A person who is unstable, a person who is tossed by the wind, as it says, that we should never approach God like a wave of the sea blown horizontally and tossed vertically by the wind. Now please turn over to John 14:13. Now to ask in Jesus' name means we ask as one dedicated to the same purposes Jesus Himself pursues as one who continually asks Christ to work through us and as one striving to live the same way of life Jesus lived his life. Now God the Father honors his son's name. No other name under heaven can save us. And when a true follower of Christ asks God in Jesus Christ's name, God Takes notice and responds. And here in John 14 we will read verses 13 and 14. Verse 13 and whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. The one thing I've always found curious is where it says that if you had enough faith, you could move mountains. And I considered that and I thought, how in the world could any human being ever have that much faith? But um that is not the issue. The issue is what is God's will. So when we ask for God to do something, we must ask according to His will. So if we ask Him to move a mountain, we have to ask according to your will it be done, but his will is not to move that mountain at that time. So we have to consider that, that we may ask something and we may be fervent in our prayers, but if we do not ask that God's will be done. Then we are just coming up short on the request. It doesn't mean he will not answer. It just means we do not have quite the right take on the request. The phrase in my name as found here in both verses 13 and 14 is not a magical formula of summons. In my name is equivalent to saying on my account or for my sake. The phrase, the phrase in verse 13, whatever you ask, promises something that applies especially to the apostles in their work of spreading the gospel, but also to all Christians who ask in faith and according to God's will. Now please turn over to First John 5:14. Praying in Jesus' name means praying in a way consistent with his character and will. In the ancient world, a person's name represented who they were. It also means it also means coming to God in Jesus' authority. So an intimate relationship with God is the goal of prayer. Effective prayer must ask and ask for and desire what Jesus approves of. John expanded this teaching in his first epistle. In I John 5, chapter 5 this time, and verses 14 and 15. I John 5:14. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked him, we have asked of him. So human experience confirms that we do not always receive everything we ask from God, even when it seems to agree with His revealed will. This phrase whatever we ask must be understood in light of other passages of scripture. That show that praying according to God's will includes praying in faith with patience and obedience, and in submission to God's greater wisdom. I want to I want to repeat that for clarity. The phrase whatever we ask must be understood in light of other passages of scripture that show that praying according to God's will includes praying in faith with patience, in obedience, and in submission to God's greater wisdom or will. On a human level, if a man who has money in a bank authorizes you to withdraw it, you do so in his name. Or if a person, if a son authorizes you to ask his father for aid because you are his friend. You do so in the son's name, and the parent will usually grant the favor because of his regard for his son and for his friends. Now please turn over to John 15 and verse 13. Similarly, we can approach God in the name of His Son because God is fully pleased with Him. And because we are friends of his sons, he answers our requests. Here in John 15:13. You're very familiar with this. This passage John 15:13-16. Greater love has no one, no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you, Jesus speaking. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, and that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give you. So even though we are undeserving, he still loves us because of his son and because he sees his image in us. No privilege is greater than approaching God in His Son's name. No blessings of salvation can be conferred on anyone who doesn't come in His name. Now please turn over to Daniel 9:17. To ask in Christ's name is to plead His merit and intercession and to rely on that plea. The Old Testament saints kept this in mind when they prayed for the Lord's sake and for the sake of the anointed. And here in Daniel 9, we are going to read verses 17 through 19. Daniel 9:17. Now therefore our God, hear the prayer of your servant and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause your faith to shine on your sanctuary which is desolate. Verse 18, 0 my God, incline your ear and hear, open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by your name, for we do not present our supplications before you because of our righteous deeds, but because of your great mercies. In verse 19, 0 Lord, hear, oh Lord, forgive. Oh Lord, listen and act, do not delay for your names, your own sake, my God, for your city and your people are called by your name. So forgiveness is by his name, it restores the relationship between God and the ex-sinner by reconciling, reconciling the ex-sinner who has, who was separated from God by sin. The attributes of God most often associated with His forgiveness are mercy, grace, and steadfast love. In fact, the Bible states 7 times that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. So God's forgiveness is often described as vast and abundant. It is abounding, not halfhearted. God doesn't simply remove sin. He removes it as far as the east is from the west. Showing that his love is as great as the heavens are. As the heavens are high above the earth. Psalm 103 verses 11 and 12 says, For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Living God's way of life requires us to understand and believe that our sins are forgiven. At baptism and continue to be forgiven as we repent and overcome, not because we have earned the right to be forgiven, but because Christ earned it. And he was, he was and remains the only perfect sacrifice, and his blood washes away our sins. So please turn to First John 2 once again. Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. We're very aware of that, and it should be constantly in our minds. He bore our sins, died our death, and rose again to justify us. Here in First John 2 we are going to once again read portions of verses 13 and 14. I'm going to start in the middle of each of those verses. The middle of verse 13, I write to you young men because you have overcome the wicked one. In verse 14, I write to you young men because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Look at how John puts it. I write to you young men because you have overcome, not because you are going to, but because you have. What does that mean? You have. We should recognize victory over the wicked one the moment we truly believe in Jesus Christ, not complete absolute victory, but simple victory. Although we still know our great weakness, the moment we believe in Christ, repent of our sins, and are baptized into the body of Christ, we know that we are no longer under the dominion of sin. So even though the wicked one is tremendously powerful and we may fear him in our weakness, we know we have an immediate victory. And though we haven't yet overcome sin, we are no longer under its dominion or under Satan's dominion. Now we know our great weakness, yet we know the wicked one is defeated. We are fools if we listen to him as Eve did. More simply, those who have faith in Jesus Christ know that He has already defeated the wicked one. What an advantage it is to face an enemy knowing that he is already defeated. And that is the position of members of God's church. We can't be defeated in battle because someone stands by us and he. Has already won So we are little children in the victorious army, and we can leave the enemy to him. Now that's how we understand this victory over the evil one, and John divides it this way we know we have been made strong. We know we have been made strong, so it doesn't mean we are strong in ourselves or that we have developed some strange mystical strength. It's impossible for us to keep the commandments to love the brethren and to hate the AntiChrist world unless we are given the spiritual strength. The struggle with temptation is personal. In verses 13 and 14, the apostle John doesn't speak abstractly about conquering evil. He speaks about conquering the evil one, and he sees evil as a personal power seeking to seduce us from God. In Christ we receive the power to confront and defeat this attack. John states here in verse 14, and the word of God abides in you. So another way to put it. The word of God is and remains in you. It remains in your heart and mind and thoughts, and you can also think of it this way. You take to heart the word of God, or you put and guard and keep and observe the word of God or what God has said in your heart. So God speaks His word and continues to do so. If we deny and reject it, First John 1 and verse 10 says, If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Now please turn over to I Peter 1:23. The word of God also gives us new life. The word of God also gives us new life. Having been born again, not of corruption, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides forever. Because all flesh is its grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the of the grass, the grass withers and its flower falls away, but The word of the Lord endures forever. Now, this is the word which by the gospel, which which by the gospel was preached to you. Verse 25 again, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now is it, now, this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. So in verses 24 and 25, Peter cites Isaiah 40, verses 6 and 8. To contrast the weakness of human flesh with the power of the of the Lord's word, which brings new life to believers. So the word of God is not the material of the new spiritual promise, but the means. The word of God is not the material of the new spiritual promise, but the means. Peter wrote in verse 23, Having been born again or born from above, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides forever. So the Bible is a living organism. Not a haphazard collection of fragments. Its parts relate to one another, and each has a specific function, all subordinate to the design of the whole. Because the spirit of God accompanies it, the word carries the germ of life, and the word of God is dynamic, not inert. Now please turn over to James 1:18. The word is an eternal power because even though the sound of the world dissipates and vanishes, the kernel remains the truth understood in the voice, and this sinks into the heart, then grows and endures. James says, God's way of life is rooted in us through the word. And here in James 1, we are going to read verses 18 and then 21 through 25. First James 1 and 18 of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures verse 21. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves, for if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself and goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it. And is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does. So the word of God comes to us, gives us life, and abides, so life grows. We can also think of this word as the word as the sword of the spirit. When Paul tells the Ephesians in Ephesians 6:17 to put away the whole armor of God, he lifts the pieces and identifies the sword of the Spirit as the weapon with which we fight the enemy. How does the word of God strengthen us to resist sin? It shows us the horrible nature of sin, and while the word of God abides in us, it reveals sin in all its ugliness, selfishness, and perversion, and we hate it. It also teaches us about the destiny of those enslaved to sin. So it shows the power of God in Christ, how Christ has already defeated the enemy and how Christ comes into us, makes us strong, and enables us to become more than conquerors over all spiritual forces that attack us. If we feel the demands of this Christian life are too high or impossible, it reflects ignorance and faithlessness. In a sense, we have no right to be weak or to fail when all this is offered to us. We're just not making use of what is available to us. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And this is why the apostle John says, So then I write to you because you know these things and because you know that these things are facts. Therefore we must know Christ's power and use it to overcome sin. Now once again, please turn back to I John 2 and verse 13. I John 2:13. That brings me to the 3rd and final essential understanding we must all know the Father and the Son correctly. This brings us to the 3rd and final essential understanding. We must all know the Father and the Son correctly. This is the central truth of John's entire epistle. First John 2:13. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you fathers because you have known Him who is from the beginning. The phrase Him who is from the beginning refers to Jesus Christ mentioned in First John 1 and verse one. That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon and our eyes have handled concerning the word of life. Then in the phrase in verse 13 we find that we must know the Father. I write to you little children because you have known the Father. Now this is the essential knowledge every Christian must have. A true knowledge of God, not God primarily as some great power, which is important, but God as Father. God who has loved us with an everlasting love, the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the great God who loves us so much that He counts the hairs on our heads, the God who causes the sun to rise and set each day. This amazing Father, Father God wants us to know Him, and if we know Him, we do not see His commandments as a sacrifice. We know they are for our good and the good of all. We know God has given us His commandments because He wants to bless us and conform us to the image of His Son. So we must know the Father and likewise his son correctly. And this knowledge of God means we feel He is near in our time of need and in temptation, enabling us to rise above them. That's why it's so important to keep these three things that John is emphasizing here in the forefront of our minds and not just shrug them off as I already know that type of thing. This is a gift of the growing knowledge of God. This knowledge is not merely intellectual. To know God is not merely to know Him as a philosopher does. It is to know Him as a benevolent Father, an intimate friend, and the sovereign embodiment of love. Now, flip over to the next chapter where you probably do not have to flip over but cross the page maybe to I John 3: 1 and 2. I John 3:1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Behold, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Our membership in the family of God depends on having the right intimate relationship with the Father and the Son. Those are the three basic things we must believe to have the faith to persevere. One, our sins are forgiven for His name's sake. 2 God gives us the spiritual power to overcome sin. And 3, we can, we can and must know God the Father and God the Son intimately through God's Spirit. We must be convinced of those things to have a faithful state of mind. Again, they are not the only foundational issues, but they are. Some of the most important, if not the most important. Let's compare these things across the age groups. While we are new and young in God's church and feel weak and small, what we really want to know is that God is our Father and God loves us. And that our sins are forgiven. The apostle John emphasizes this in writing to little children. In that early stage, all we really want to know is that we can in a sense recline safely in God's loving arms. That is what the child wants. He depends on the parent, wants to receive everything, but gives little. In the early stages of our conversion, God is like that toward us. At the beginning of living God's way of life, we do not understand much, so God gives us everything. He is the Father and the spiritual child receives it all. Little children, you know your sins are forgiven. And then you live a little, become a young man, and you know or rather you now find there is a fight involved and young men in the Christian life are aware of that fight. And the enemy is attacking them. At first, God's way of life was somewhat easy. Now there is conflict and difficulty to face. But God can make you strong, and you can overcome the wicked one, and the word of God will abide in you in this middle stage of the conversion process. Remember this, young man, you are not left to yourself now. This is a time of temptation by the pride of intellectual knowledge when you have learned enough about God's truth to succumb to your own understanding. And personal interpretation of the Bible, not realizing that Satan is leading you astray by feeding your conceit. Young men, the word of God abides in you, and Christ, who has defeated the enemy, can enable you to overcome. All Christians are somewhat like young men because they all have the strength to fight and win their battles against the tempter and his power. Fathers possess the mature wisdom that comes from living God's way of life and from experience. All Christians are somewhat like fathers, like full grown responsible men, because all can think and learn more deeply about God the Father and Jesus Christ. Fathers, whether old in age or long in the church, can no longer expect as children. That everything will come automatically. You have moved beyond day to day struggle and conflict. As you feel more like a member of God's family, you focus more on your personal relationship with God the Father, with Jesus Christ. You long to know God the Father and your Savior, Savior more intimately. So those who are converted have passed from death to life. We did not do this by our own ability. God loves us and sent Jesus as the propitiation for our sins. God then granted us life. With life he gave his spirit and spiritual understanding so that we are no longer of the world or of the devil but of God and of the truth. God now abides in us. His word lives in us and we abide in Him. Thus we live in the light because God is light. Now, another way to describe this relationship is to say that we know the love of God being made alive, receiving the Spirit and knowing God naturally. Lead to transformed behavior as the apostle John describes it in terms of loving God, obeying God, and loving one another. Now across the page to I John 2. First John 2:28, which is still under the spiritual their spiritual state section. And now little children abide in him that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. So each group's blessings are all the group's blessings, and each of us in generally include, are, are included in all of them. Now, in a very important sense, as members of God's church, we are all His children. But more specifically, the Christian life has stages, and whatever stage we are in, some aspect of the truth speaks to us, whether it's a basic doctrine for us all or a special word of encouragement suited to our individual situation. How blessed we are to stand on such solid ground. Knowing the forgiveness of sin and knowing how to overcome it and above all knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. As we close these thoughts, let us remember the 3 basic, 3 great basic truths. The apostle John wants every Christian to grasp about our faith, hope, and endurance. We must be convinced of those things to maintain a healthy spiritual state of mind. First, our sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ's name. We do not stand before God because we have earned His favor or live perfectly. We stand before Him because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. And when we repent, we can trust in God's faithfulness, mercy, and the complete sacrifice of His Son. We must never allow our weaknesses to make us doubt the power of Christ's sacrifice or the promise of God's word. And second, we have the spiritual strength to overcome and persevere through trials and suffering. Yes, the struggle against sin is real. Yes, temptation can be powerful, and yes, there will be times when we become painfully aware of our own weaknesses. But we are not fighting this battle alone. The word of God abides in us, and Jesus Christ has already defeated the wicked one. Our strength does not come from ourselves, it comes from God, who enables us to resist temptation, to reject the world's influence, and to keep growing in righteousness. And third, we have the extraordinary privilege of knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. We have been called into a relationship with the very God who created the heavens and the earth. He is not merely a distant authority whose commandments we must obey. He is our Father who loves us, teaches us, corrects us, and desires that we grow to become like His Son. And as we come to know him more deeply, obedience becomes more than a duty, it becomes the natural expression. Of our love, our trust, and our gratitude toward him. Consider how wonderful these three truths are. We are forgiven for our past, strengthened for our present, and given hope for our future. And when you are a new Christian who is just beginning to understand God's way of life, A younger Christian engaged in the daily struggle against temptation or a mature Christian who has walked with God for many years, these truths belong to you, all of you. Who we all need to, we all need the assurance of forgiveness, we all need God's strength to overcome, and we all need to grow, to grow in our knowledge of the Father and the Son. So do not become discouraged by the distance you still have to travel in your Christian walk. Instead, remember how far God has already brought you. Do not measure your spiritual future solely by your present weaknesses. Measure by the faithfulness of the God who has called you, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the power of God's Holy Spirit, and the enduring truth of His word. John's message is clear. God has not left us without the means to persevere faithfully. He has provided forgiveness through Christ, strength through His abiding word, and the privilege of knowing Him personally. Therefore, let us continue to walk in the light, love our brethren in deed and in truth, resist the pull of this passing world, and remain faithful to the one who has called us. As John exhorts and exhorts us in I John 2 and 28, let us abide in Christ so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. We have every reason to press forward with faith and confidence. He has forgiven us for his name's sake. He can forgive our future sins, transform our lives, and deepen our relationship with God. The victory belongs to Jesus Christ, and through Him we can endure faithfully to the end. Let us never forget what God has done, what He is doing in us today, and what He has promised for our future. Let us remain steadfast in faith, obedient in love, and confident in His promises until the day we stand before Him in His kingdom.
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