The confidence of a young faith

1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. 13b. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have chosen to combine the two encouragements John wrote to those he considered children, fathers, and young men. First let’s understand that there’s no reason to think that what John wrote to them is not applicable also to the women. He seems to view the church as comprised of people who are in different stages of growth and development. He first addressed the children, and he used two different words to describe them. Teknia emphasizes a kinship relationship where as paidia (the second use) highlights the relationship of children to parents which involves subordination and discipline. A new believer, someone who has just experienced the new birth, finds great comfort and security in the discovery that God is a forgiving Father. John certainly wanted his readers to connect this aspect of their relationship to God with Jesus who revealed God, the Father, and purchased the forgiveness of sins. They know the Father because they know Jesus. They know they have been forgiven once for all for the glory of God through the work Jesus did by coming in the flesh to bear their sins. They have received Him and believed in Him as John wrote in 1:12-14 of his gospel. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The first two tests of this letter are obedience and love. A child who has been forgiven much, loves much. A child who has been loved much by his father, wants to be attentive to his word and obey. So we can see how this address to those young in their faith connects with what John had said previously. To John, obedience and love are connected because that’s what faith looks like in real life. If you believe God loved you and gave His Son to do the work of redemption so you could be forgiven of all your sins, then you will obey and love Him for His name’s sake and for His glory and joy. This is the motivation behind living to love with Jesus. We are His beloved children and we love who He loves because He is our life. We love His children with Him. It’s why He saved us—so we could glorify God by loving His own until the end of the age. This is our purpose in life as children of God, loved by the Father. We have this purpose as our confidence from the beginning of our faith. Is living to love with Jesus for God’s glory your purpose in life?