6/12/2021 Seventh Day BAPTIST Edgewater Pastor Keith “Growing Up In The Lord” I John 2;12-17
The three stages of spiritual growth listed in our text are child, young men and parents. When we come to the Lord as a little child, we don’t stay there but become young adults and then spiritual parents. As children of God, it’s our responsibility to learn, grow and pass on the gospel to others. A Christian begins his spiritual walk as a child. Our heavenly Father wants us to grow as a child of God. The forgiveness of sin is the beginning and it’s what the Gospel of God is all about. Jesus said after His resurrection, in the gospel of Luke, that our sins are forgiven.
Young spiritual men are those who have grown in the Lord and God’s word is in them. As spiritual parents, we are to serve as leaders and reproduce children of God. No matter where we are, there is always room for growth. No matter your spiritual age, you should always seek progress. In our text, John says we are not to love the world or the ways of the world. God loves all of us and sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world. We are not to love Satan’s world or the worldly systems that defy God and stand in opposition to God and His Word. Don’t love the things of the world. We cannot love the Father and love the things of the world at the same time.
In Philippians, Paul wrote that we should not live as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Do not love the world and the things of the world. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life is of the world. Things like food addiction, drug addiction and wearing things to make us look cool. Then there is the pride of life like the sports cars and the big houses which are all things to give us worldly status. Satan uses these things to get us and he started this in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Satan tries to convince us that we don’t need God to do things or have things and that it’s okay to not obey God. Satan uses the lust of the flesh against us and we give into it many times.
Jesus says we should live by every word of God. Jesus used the Word of God against Satan when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus told Satan that we are to only serve God when Satan tried to use the lust of the eye against Him. If we have the Word of God in us then we can be strong and overcome the wicked one, Satan, the devil and Lucifer. We should not be confined to a little place like a little fish in a fish bowl. But we should learn and grow in our obedience and commitment to God and Jesus. He who does the will of God abides forever but the world passes away. Grow in Faith and Grace in the Lord.
AMEN
The three stages of spiritual growth listed in our text are child, young men and parents. When we come to the Lord as a little child, we don’t stay there but become young adults and then spiritual parents. As children of God, it’s our responsibility to learn, grow and pass on the gospel to others. A Christian begins his spiritual walk as a child. Our heavenly Father wants us to grow as a child of God. The forgiveness of sin is the beginning and it’s what the Gospel of God is all about. Jesus said after His resurrection, in the gospel of Luke, that our sins are forgiven.
Young spiritual men are those who have grown in the Lord and God’s word is in them. As spiritual parents, we are to serve as leaders and reproduce children of God. No matter where we are, there is always room for growth. No matter your spiritual age, you should always seek progress. In our text, John says we are not to love the world or the ways of the world. God loves all of us and sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world. We are not to love Satan’s world or the worldly systems that defy God and stand in opposition to God and His Word. Don’t love the things of the world. We cannot love the Father and love the things of the world at the same time.
In Philippians, Paul wrote that we should not live as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Do not love the world and the things of the world. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life is of the world. Things like food addiction, drug addiction and wearing things to make us look cool. Then there is the pride of life like the sports cars and the big houses which are all things to give us worldly status. Satan uses these things to get us and he started this in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Satan tries to convince us that we don’t need God to do things or have things and that it’s okay to not obey God. Satan uses the lust of the flesh against us and we give into it many times.
Jesus says we should live by every word of God. Jesus used the Word of God against Satan when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus told Satan that we are to only serve God when Satan tried to use the lust of the eye against Him. If we have the Word of God in us then we can be strong and overcome the wicked one, Satan, the devil and Lucifer. We should not be confined to a little place like a little fish in a fish bowl. But we should learn and grow in our obedience and commitment to God and Jesus. He who does the will of God abides forever but the world passes away. Grow in Faith and Grace in the Lord.
AMEN