Never Outgrow the Gospel (1 John 2:12-14)

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:12-14)

John writes to a church that has suffered many things, even a church split (1 John 2:19). There is no pain quite like church pain. As John touches on some serious matters – keeping commandments, loving brethren, abiding in the light, our legalistic bents slyly tend to exercise its focus by saying, “I need to go do.” John reminds us that we must first focus on what has been done. Whereas one may regulate the gospel to an evangelistic sermon or a moment of conversion, John says that we can never outgrow the gospel.

Children, in a day and age where worldly pleasures abound, we must be reminded of the forgiveness of sins. By this chief blessing, we have fellowship with the Father and the Son and new vistas to heavenly joy (Ps. 16:11, 103:1-4). Fathers, when age tempts us to slow down and rest on our laurels, we must remember He who is from the beginning. He who chose us in the beginning has a plan for us, even until the end (Eph. 2:10). Young men, God has faithfully preserved you thus far, building in you a strength and stamina that this world does not know. Now is not the time to turn belly up, now is not the time to lead upon your own strength; now is the time to rest upon the living and abiding Word of Truth – the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As many of us are properly alarmed concerning our current cultural moment, our first and best response is to look back with thankfulness and adoration at the work of the gospel thus far. If this gospel has preserved the church for centuries and our families for decades, today is not the day that we outgrow the gospel. Today is the day that it bears fruit in us.