LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Moving towards Maturity
"I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil one. I am writing to you, little children, because you have known the Father" (1 John 2:13).
The fathers mentioned here are the children of God who have reached maturity. A father is one who can beget others in the faith, or who can care for others as if they were his children. Fathers know "him who is from the beginning". Spiritually speaking, they are those who have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God; they have come to have a profound revelation about him.
The young are those who have overcome the evil one. They like to display their strength, to make demonstrations of power, like David, who defeats Goliath. And the little children, what is the first knowledge they have? They have known the Father! What a privilege it is for a child of God to pass from the condition of a child to that of a mature son! Let us look at some keys to this passage from childhood to maturity, which are a sign of sonship.
1º To have a vision of Jesus as King. When someone is in the presence of a king, spontaneously, he bows down. Have we come to see that Jesus is the King, and that before him there is no other attitude than to humble ourselves before his power and majesty? An immature Christian easily refutes the King's orders, expresses his own opinion, follows his own ways. He has not yet seen the King.
2º To be guided by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 says: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God". This verse refers to mature sons. A grown son does not say: "I am going to do this... Next month I will go there... I am going to invest in such and such a business". He does not speak so freely, because he has Another to guide him. He will say: "If the Lord wills... If the Lord permits... If the Lord confirms it".
3º See the hand of God behind every circumstance. For a child of God, things do not just happen. In fact, for all of God's children it is like this; only some perceive it, and others do not. Those who see, bow down before the Lord; those who do not see, complain. The mature son says: "The Lord has put me here; I will wait patiently for him". Faced with adverse circumstances, he will say: "Lord, what are you trying to tell me?
4º Take care of the little ones. The older children begin to take care of their younger siblings. Taking his eyes off his own, a mature son begins to take care of the problems of others, to reach out to others, to cry with those who cry, to suffer with those who suffer.
5º Surrender to the Lord constantly. A mature Christian surrenders again and again to the Lord. A surrendered Christian is one who does not fight against God, one who has already lost the fear of surrendering. He realized that God's will is always good, and that if any pain comes, it is softened by God, and that after that light tribulation -as Paul says- will come a weight of glory.