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!

Who’s your Daddy

The second determining factor of being a child is knowing who your daddy is.  Many don’t realize the fondness and affection our heavenly Father has for us.  Some see him as some distant deity, way out there and not connected to this world.  Some see Him as a killjoy who will not allow anyone to have fun.  Others have come to a false belief that He is a harsh judge always waiting for us to mess up and then punish us with an ailment or crisis.  These images are not biblical.  To be a child, you need to know who your father is.  You need to know who you are.  It is time to revisit your concepts of who you think your heavenly Father really is.  Perhaps you can begin with Jesus, after all, it was Jesus who said ‘if you have seen me, you have seen the father.  He and I are the same’.

I believe the Child level of maturity means to know your identity in Christ. This is the most crucial foundation for any believer if they wish to truly mature and grow up.  Knowing who you are ‘in Christ’ is critical.  Later as a young adult, you will discover who ‘Christ is in you’, and lastly as an adult, you will discover the deep meaning of ‘oneness with the Trinity’.   This blog series will help you discover who you are in Christ from many unique angles, I trust the Holy Spirit will reveal truth as you read and discover.  Enjoy the ride!!

Mike Zenker

QUESTIONS FOR THE DAY

1. Do you struggle with believing you are forgiven?
2. Do you believe the Bible, if so, it repeatedly reminds you that you are in fact forgiven. Believe it.
3. How do you view your heavenly Father? Is he a harsh unapproachable judge or a dotting daddy?
4. Read through the ‘verse of the day’ today. What is something new you saw?

VERSE FOR THE DAY

1 John 2: (NLT)

2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world…..

7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining…..12 I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. 13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.  14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.  I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. 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.  15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Video Of The Day
My Good friend Art Henkle recommended this video on facebook yesterday, Awesome song!  ENJOY!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orY_OWKTyfU

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, allow me to see and believe that I am truly a forgiven person.  Show me how to walk in that forgiveness each day.  If there is a wrong image in my mind about you, please begin to show me who you really are, my daddy.