I this piece I will be bringing an exposition to us; we will be looking at Spiritual Evaluation, that’s the core of what we will be looking at and our focus will be an exposition on the letter to the little children, young men and fathers so that it doesn’t sound cumbersome in writing, you can title it Spiritual Evaluation.
The focus this article is an exposition into the letter John-the-beloved wrote to the little children, young men and fathers. So, this is the focus of what our conversation will be about as the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit teaches us. So, let us start by looking at 1 John chapter 2, I am sure we are familiar with it but I just want to really dwell on it.
We are going to read the entire chapter but I will break it down. We will first read verse 1 to verse 12. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” I want us to pay attention to the conversation and to the word. The first category of people that is being evaluated here, are called the little children. We are going to be considering these three different categories; little children, young men and fathers. So, the first category we want to pay attention to is little children. So, that’s how the writing started in 1 John chapter 2. It says; “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
I want us to take a pause in verse two and see the language and the communication here. It said little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. So, the first thing that we notice from the conversation with the little children is that the focus of the writer is on their conviction, their faith. It is like somebody beginning a walk and you are telling the person; see! As you want to start walking, truly at this time you should be walking but in case you fall, don’t give up on walking. Get right back up and walk again.
So, this exposes us to the kind of people he is calling little children. Let us start with understanding who are the little children. The little children here are new believers; so that when we start reading down, we will see the focus. We will evaluate this category and see why He is speaking to them in this wise. Little children are new believers, new converts, we can call them babes or children in the kingdom. They are at the entry level.
In a school, there is something called preparatory class or the early years in some schools under different curriculum. When a child enters the early years or the preparatory class, you don’t expect the child to understand the things that those that have been in the school for years understand. But there is a caveat; when we are looking at this different spiritual state, it’s not about the number of years, it is about the learning. So, if a child learns A to Z and can write one to hundred even if the child is 2-year-old, you will promote the child to the next class. Even though in our clime we give age to classes, but it’s not so in the kingdom.
In the kingdom, it’s about what you have learnt and what you know. So, when we are talking about new believers here, we are not talking about people that actually just gave their lives to Christ, we are talking about people that have refused; some people have actually just given their lives to Christ, some people refuse to learn what is in the preparatory class. So, they are called new believers. I want us to see a Scripture that better explains it to us in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 13. “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.” Who are the little children? They are those that are unskilled. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. So, this is the definition of little children. They are those that partake only of milk. Milk is not bad, even as adult we still partake of milk, but do we partake only of milk? So, little children are those that partake only of milk and are unskilled in the word of righteousness and they are babes. So, let us go back to 1 John chapter 2 to see what John was communicating with them.
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” You have been used to sin, but now that you have come into the kingdom, you should not sin because you are born of God. “But if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
So, Apostle John is introducing them to the basic principles of the oracles of God. He is starting by introducing them to the basic principles of the oracles of God. He starting by introducing them to the first elementary principles. That you have an advocate. That’s the conversation with little children. Verse 3 says; “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 [b]Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.”
Now, the conversation he is having with the little children is about their conviction. He conversing how they can quickly get out of condemnation, He is talking to them about their identity, he is talking to them about their disposition to the word. More or less, he is encouraging them to be steadfast in the faith. That is the conversation with the little children. This is John writing to the little children. And these are the conversations of the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit and throughout the word retreat it has been really emphasized that in this kingdom, our teacher is the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit. whether you are in the preparatory class or you are in the nursery class, or you are in the primary class, or you are in the secondary class, or tertiary, the teacher does not change. It’s the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit.
But what kind of conversations will the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit be having with this category of people called the little children that we call the babes, that we call men and woman that are unskilled. It’s not about their chronological age, it’s not about when they came to the earth in the flesh, it’s about their progression in the Spirit. What kind of conversations will the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit be having with them? Conversations around what we have read in 1 John 2 verse 1 to 12. So, if the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit is still having conversations of condemnation with you, don’t feel condemned, don’t be condemned, He keeps saying this is who you are in Christ Jesus, don’t forget who you are, don’t lose out on your identity, this should be your disposition to the word of God, our conversation considers that category as little children.
But what should happen to little children, when they realize they are in this state? We must realize that in the kingdom of God, there is room for growth, that’s why the Bible says; where the Spirit of God is there is liberty. You have liberty to learn, you have liberty to be trained. When you are a child, you remain as a child. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians He said when I was a child, He said ‘when’ so it’s about time. When I was a child I talked like a child, I spoke like a child, I behaved like a child. But when I have come of age, when I become a man, I put away childish things. How do you put away childish things in the kingdom? By training!
You don’t just wake up one morning and say from today I put away childish things, no! I grow out of being a child. I want us to see a Scripture in Proverbs 22 verse 6. See what the Bible says; “Train up a child, you don’t condemn a child to childishness.” And this does not just happen in the earthly realm, it also happens in the kingdom. God does not abandon the child to childish ways, there is training. What makes you leave one spiritual state to another is training. Train up a child in the way he should go, there a way, the Bible says there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end is the way of death. Train up a child in the way He should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from the training. So, if you realize you are a child in the kingdom that the conversations the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit is having with you is as to little children, you don’t say that’s where I am, there is nothing I can do about it. No! there is something you can do about it.
There is something to be done, it is for you to submit yourself to training. When you train up a child, the child will transit from one state to another state. See what it says; train up a child in the way he should go, did it say and if he is old, is that what is in the Bible? It says; and when he is old. It’s a matter of time. There would be a change of state. It’s a matter of time when he is old. Because, he won’t remain a child forever as long as he is undergoing training. The only reason why a person will remain a child forever is because the person has abandoned training. When he is old, he will not depart from it. So, who are little children? They are spiritually immature, they are spiritual infants, they are spiritual children.
Romans 8; we are still considering little children. Verse 16 to verse 17. It says; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then; did we see that being a child is a state. If we are children then we must progress to being heirs. The Bible says; as long as the heir is a child, He is not different from a slave, but what happens when the heir is not a child? He becomes a true heir. It says and if children then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” So, God is not expecting us to plateau, if you are in that state remain in that state forever, no! but the focus of this piece is to evaluate ourselves, which state are you in? 1 Peter 2 verse 2. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, so, little children have a desire. You can’t have a desire contrary to your state. The reason you are in that state is because of your desire. If you change your desire, your state will change. As new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. How the little child grows is by his or her desire.
Imagine a child that has no desire for food, how will the child grow? So, when you are in this state and you recognize that you are in this state of being a little child, you must have a desire, there must be a craving. If you check yourself that you have no craving, then you know that there is no growing taking place in your life. When you see a man that has an appetite for something, you can almost predict how the man will look like or what the man will look like. Jesus had an appetite; He had a desire. Did He say do you know what my milk is? He said do you know what my meat is? Jesus was communicating something to us, He was a Son. His desire was not for milk. He said my meat; he is telling the kind of desire He has. He said my meat is to do the will of the one who sent me. So, His desire was for meat not milk.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk that’s their desire, that’s why their state is what it is. So, as little children, what should be your desire? To grow. When we see a person in the state of little children, what are the characteristics?
Number One: The person is inexperienced. If you ask the person, have you released your faith for healing before? The answer will be no. have you released your faith for deliverance from this habit? The person will say no! inexperienced. They are not experienced in Gods way. Little children are like the children of Israel, when the Bible says God revealed His ways to Moses and His acts to the children of Israel. So, little children are those that see the acts of God, they don’t know the ways of God. They enjoy and partakes of the acts of God, they see the red sea part, they see, Jordan part, they see Jairus daughter come back to life, they are not partakers of the ways of God, they are partakers of the acts of God.
Number Two: Little children are dull and sluggish in discernment. They can’t discern properly. Why? Because they have not learnt the truth.
Number Three: Little children are sensual. They still operate in their carnality. And that’s why you will see in 1 John 2 when he was writing to them, he says; I write to you so that you may not sin. ‘And if you sin’ they are sensual.
Number Four: They are not yet pierced by the revelation of righteousness. The revelation of righteousness has not cut deep into their spirit.
Number Five: They are slothful in achieving spiritual insight. What does it mean to be slothful? To be weak. They are lazy in receiving spiritual insight. It takes time for them to obtain a spiritual insight.
These are the characteristics of little children. So, when you find any believer in this state, that is the state of little children.
The next state we are looking at is Young Men. So, let’s go back to the Scripture we are considering, 1 John 2 from verse 12. “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.” I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. “I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”
So, who are the young men? Young men are those who are growing in spiritual maturity. So, what’s the conversation that John was having with them? He was talking to them about their privileges, their benefits, their victory in Christ Jesus. You can see that the conversation is different. Who are the young men? I want us to see Hebrews 5 we read that before, but this time we will read verse 12. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Now, I want us to examine this verse 12 very well, he is speaking to some people, he said by now, by the reason of the trajectory of your growth, by now there is an expectation, you should be teachers.
So, for young men, the expectation is that young men should be teachers. But he said you still have a need of someone to teach you again. That means you have passed the stage of being little children, you should have learnt the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk instead of solid food. So, it is expected that young men are feeding on solid food. But this position is dicey why? I want us to see a scripture in John 6, we are looking at spiritual evaluation, so what the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit is just doing for us is to help us X-ray ourselves and know where we are standing and where we should transit into.
John 6:68-69. Something happened here, and let me just give a brief summary of what happened; the disciples of Jesus were following Him and He was teaching them about eating his flesh and drinking His blood, and from that time many of His disciples that are supposed to be young men, they went back and walked with him no longer. So, we are looking at two different categories of people here, some people turned back, those that turned back said Jesus you are giving us solid food, we still need milk. For some He offered them solid food and they received it. How did we need know they received it? See what Simon Peter said; then Jesus asked them in verse 12, do you also want to go away? Do you also want to abandon this meal? Then Simon Peter answered and said Lord, to whom shall we go? We can’t go back to where we started from, we are making progress with you. To whom shall we go, you have the word of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe; I want us to note that statement in verse 69, this is the definition of young men. We have come to believe, and know that you are the Christ. So, they have been pierced with the revelation of righteousness.
We have come to believe, we don’t just believe, we are convinced, we know that you are the Christ. The son of the living God. These are young men. So, what is he speaking about? These are people that have chosen to grow in spiritual maturity. When Jesus was asking His disciples, who do men say that I am? Some said you are Jeremiah, some even said you Elijah, some said you are John the Baptist, so many people said a lot about you. Then He said; who do you say that the Son of Man is? Before Peter spoke, I am sure there was silence. So, who is Jesus, who are you? You are our master. Then Peter spoke up; you are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus said flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. You did not get this from interaction in the flesh, because interaction in the flesh would mean that you are a little child, you have gotten this revelation by interaction with my father in heaven.
So, who are young men? Young men are discerning. They are those that have had interaction with the truth. They are learning the truth. Because if you will ask, Simon Peter at this point has not attained. But he was attaining. So, young men are men that are discerning. Those that are learning the truth, those that understand and can teach. This is how young men are different from children, they understand and they can teach the first principles of God’s word. So, look at the state you are right now, can you teach? Do you understand? I am not saying do you know? Knowing is one thing, understanding is another. Do you understand the first principles of the oracles of God? Do you understand the principles of God’s word? Do you understand it? And can you teach it? Then you are a young man, you are growing in spiritual maturity.
So, the interactions of the Holy Spirit on CentreNDL”>Holy Spirit with you, His disposition to you, His speaking to you is about your benefits and privileges in Christ Jesus. He is communicating to your spirit, your current standing as heir of God and joint heirs with Christ a little child does not understand it. How can I become the heir of God and joint heir with Christ. This thing is too deep. So, if you go back to 1 John 2, he said I am speaking to you young men because you have overcome the wicked one. You have scaled that hurdle. But as a little child you are still confronted, you are still fighting, you are still battling with the devil, why? You are still in the flesh. Its important we understand this.
Lastly, Fathers. Who are the fathers that he was speaking to here? We are going back to 1 John 2 and I want us to read where he communicated to fathers. In verse 13 it says; “I write to you, fathers, because you have known–you are not knowing, you have known Him who is from the beginning. And if you go to verse 14, it says; I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him; he repeated it again; who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”
When he was writing to young men, he said I write to you because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. You may want to ask how do you overcome the wicked one? We overcome the wicked one by the blood of the lamb and by the words of our testimony. So, the word is in you. So, for the fathers, he said you have known. You are not just interacting; you have gotten to the realm of fellowship where you have become one with the father. Jesus said I and the Father, we are one. Abide in me and I in you so that you will bear fruits and your fruit will remain. So, when he was speaking to fathers, he was speaking to spiritually mature believers.
You have known the one that is from the beginning. You have come to know the Lord. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, the life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I have been crucified with Christ. I live with Him, I know Him, I have interacted with Him. That’s the state. And this state of fathers, your focus is on who Christ is. You are not looking at the world, you are not moved by those things. If you read verse 15 of that chapter, it says do not love the world nor the things of the world, he said if anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in Him. The fathers he is communicating to here is for those who the love of the father is in them. They are not concerned about the things of the world.
They are not moved by carnality. In fact, they are have died to self. Self has been crucified; Mr. flesh no longer controls them. Their spirit is more powerful than their flesh. Those are fathers.
Why do we say that those are spiritually mature people? Because, their identity has been formed. For you to call somebody a father, the person is not struggling with identity. His identity has been formed. The person is not trying to say oh this is how I look like. You know who you are and you know whose you are. Your faith is steadfast. You are steadfast, unmovable. When you speak to a child and you speak to a point, you can deceive a child. Fathers can’t be deceived. They have experience.
Who are fathers? I want us to see Hebrews 5 verse 14. It says; “but solid food belongs to those who are of full age.” Fathers are of full age. I.e., those who by reason of use, they are not just learning they have gone into practical. They are not just acquiring wisdom that puffs up, they are applying, they have wisdom. They are not just having knowledge that puffs up, they are applying wisdom. They are those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Those are fathers. Fathers have a stand and their stand is unmovable. They take a stand and they stand on their stand. They stand on what they are standing on. Their ground is not shifting, they are not shifting grounds. Children can shift ground; they follow because of what they can get but not so with fathers.
That’s why little children are susceptible to deceit, if you are in that state, it is easy to be deceived. If the devil dangles it for a while, you will fall. For a young man, it takes young man’s determination and focus not to fall, but for a father, the person is standing. Fathers don’t fall because they are experienced, they have been there, they have seen it all, they are experienced by reason of use. So, fathers are sharper in discernment. Young men are discerning but fathers are sharper in discernment, they are full grown men, they know the truth. They are not trying to learn the truth. Young men are learning the truth. Fathers know the truth; they are able to perceive heavenly matters.
Their spiritual senses are sharp; they see, they hear. Why? By reason of use. They are spiritual. Young men are in-between carnal and spirituality, it depends on their focus. Fathers are spiritual, they are skilled. This spiritual evaluation we are looking at is for us to determine the state that we are in. Fathers are those that can talk about the deep things of God. Before Apostle Paul departed, He had entered into this realm of fathers. We are using the concept of this letter. When he started speaking about deep things. Why? Because of experience. He said I know a man, whether in the flesh or out of the flesh I do not know, I was caught up into the third heavens why? Their spiritual senses are sharp. John the beloved entered into this phase. He said and I was in the island of Patmos in the Spirit on that day, and he was caught up. And he started seeing. He said some things his eyes saw they are too wonderful; he could not write.
And God is expecting all of us to get into that state. The state of a perfect man. The state where we are have come of age, experienced and spiritually sensitive. The devil cannot dangle anything before you, and you are deceived. The Bible says that in the last days, there will be so much deception that even the very elect. Meaning that the elect are the fathers, they are not supposed to be deceived. But they could be deceived, if their standing is not correct.
And that is why it is not then that you will start to see Christ correctly, it’s now so that your standing can be correct, so that you will be in the right state. If you are a little child, give yourself to training. If you are a young man desire to be of full age. Desire to be full grown. Sharpen your discernment, and that happens to you by reason of use-experience. And for many of us we are in the state of young men and you are wondering how do I move? Put the word to work. You don’t have experience on nothing. If you want to apply for a job, they will ask you what is your job experience? Meaning that where have deployed your skills, where have you put it to work? Many employers don’t want to employ people that don’t have experience. Same in the kingdom.
Somebody was saying something, that the reason why it is impossible for sinners to go to heaven is because when you get to heaven and Jesus passes will you be able to recognize him? Do you know Him? Imagine you are in heaven and you don’t know Jesus, how do you want to enjoy the place? That’s why you must know Him, and that’s why the life that Jesus gave to us is eternal life. If you know Him here, you will know Him there. You will recognize Him and say this is Jesus that I have been following. He said; you who did not see yet believe, He said blessed are you. Then imagine the joy in your heart when you now see Him. Imagine the excitement, that’s why heaven can never be boring. Because, the kind of excitement that will be there? If we are excited here yet we have not seen Him, then imagine when we see Him, I don’t know about you but I would be supper excited. Because, immortality would have swallowed up mortality. I would have taken up another form.
That’s why as believers, when we are talking about our growth, it is not just for now, it is for eternity. You are not growing so that you will be earthly relevant and heavenly useless, it is so that the life you have gotten from Christ here, you will take it with you when you see Him. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be like, but when He our life is revealed, we will be like Him, we will share the same life. But if you have not had the life with Him here, which life will you have with Him there? And that’s why the entry point into the kingdom is salvation. Accepting the Lord Jesus as your Lord and savior believing Him in your heart and confessing Him with your mouth. And being saved is the entry point. Then you start your work with God as a little child. You will fall and rise again, following Him, but your focus is on Him. And as you are following Him, you are growing, giving yourself to training, you are moving to become a young man. And as you are in that state of a young man you are telling yourself I must be of full age; I must grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
And as we transit to that place, Bible says we are heirs of God. We enjoy the inheritance of God, and we are joint heirs with Christ. How many of us are excited about that?
