[1 John Series 7] Growing Up… SpirituallySample

A tremendous battle

What is the best thing about being a little child? It is that the only thing you need to know is that you are a part of a family. You don’t have to do anything but feel safe in your home. A relationship with God the Father through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, will put you in a heavenly home.

We have seen that when there is a fatherless place, problems multiply. When we trust in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, the Father comes to our hearts and this changes everything. We, as little children, can each crawl up in the lap of God and say, “Yes. He’s my Father.”

But it could be a very big temptation to stop there. Many got saved years ago, but haven’t grown spiritually since then. John is not going to let us stay in this childhood stage. He wants us to grow and move towards being young men and women of God. 

Young men and women

Life is a tremendous battle against pride, sin, our own base desires, the devil, and the world. Pornography or anger do not have to be a part of our life forever. But we will not gain the victory through our willpower. We are to fight right. We, as spiritual young men and women, have conquered the evil one. We can be victorious through Jesus Christ. The devil bruised His heel, but Jesus has crushed his head.

The battle requires us to stand our ground in God’s love. The devil and the world use the media to rile us up and make us fall in the way of outrage and hate. Instead of disagreeing in love with others, they want us to hate the very people Jesus sent us to love. We must stand and say, “No. We are going to fight for what is right, but we are going to fight right—in love without hate.”

What gives us the ability to do this? John says, “Young men, you have conquered the evil one.” How? Through the cross of Jesus Christ, we are able to move from outrage, hate, and tension into the love of God. Battling sin is difficult. But here is the great news: You can actually conquer it through Christ; you don’t have to live in that place. You may never be sinless, but you can sin less. You can win.