The Apostle John has the most profound explanation for what it means to journey into maturity.  He describes it in three different stages, such as Child, Young Person, to Adult.  They are categories that each of us can identify with, after all, we see evidence of them physically all around us daily.  In this particular text he describes two determining factors that define what a ‘child’ level faith is.

• I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
• I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.

Every single believer needs to know and believe these to profound things before they can move on towards maturity.

Forgiven

The first thing to know is that we are completely forgiven.  Why is this so important?  Growing up, I was taught that Jesus only forgives when we ask.  It was ‘conditional’ forgiveness.  It was always up to me to stay forgiven, to make sure I ‘confess’ every single possible sin I ever did.  The rationale implied that if I was driving a long and was suddenly killed in a car crash, I may not make it to heaven because I had ‘unconfessed sin’ in my heart.  The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus took away the sin of the entire world at the cross, once and for all.  If we don’t get this, we will be walking out each day in a very unhealthy fear of our heavenly father.  Our entire focus is not to be on sin, but rather on Jesus.  Sin consciousness will lead you to greater darkness in your mind that you could ever imagine.  Are you a Child?  Do you know your sins are forgiven?  If you don’t believe they are, may I suggest you may actually only be a baby infant, and not even a child yet?  The work of the cross is now finished, now believe it!

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