Little Children

                                                          

In his first letter the apostle John gives us an idea of the maturing process in the new creation man.  He addresses children, young men and fathers.  To children he writes, “that they sin not” (2:1) and that in order to know him, they must keep his commandments (2:3).  He writes to these little children, as they are to know that their sins are forgiven them for His name's sake and that they know the Father (2:12-13).  They are also to be able to discern the last times and overcome the many antichrists that come because they know that “greater is He that is in them than He that is in the world” (2:18) (4:4).   The little children are also to abide in Him, and to have confidence and not to be ashamed at His coming (2:28); the Greek word for coming is “parousia” and one of its meanings is “presence” thus it could read, “not to be ashamed of His presence within them”.  There are a few Greek words that are translated many times as “coming”, such as  “parousia” which is His hidden presence in the life of a believer, but is also used for His future coming.  “To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before Elohim, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all His saints” (1 Thes. 3:13).

“Erchomai” means to come from one place to another, to appear, to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself.  For example “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).

Apokalupsis - holds the meaning of being revealed, or unveiled, manifested, or appearing.  “So that you do not lack in any gift; waiting for the coming of our Messiah Yeshua” (1 Cor. 1:7).  This word could be used to mean, the unveiling of His “Parousia” “ hidden presence”.  We must keep in mind that Messiah has a past coming, present coming and a future coming.  So many times we get our eyes on the hope of a future coming that we miss His present comings  “apokalupsis” in our lives.   Paul the apostle prayed that we may be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation (apokalupsis) in the knowledge of Him (Eph 1:17); this prayer was meant for each believer to know Him in their daily lives.  

Why is this so important to the little children?  Because in order for the children to know who they are and to grow to maturity, they must know who He is, as He is the life and nature of the new creation being.  This is what it means when the scriptures use the wording of “for His name sake”.   Little children your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake and that you have known the Father (2:12-13). If you know the Son, you know that your sins are forgive; if you know the Son, you know the Father.  Yeshua told His disciple “Have I been so long time with you, and yet you do not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; then how can you say: ‘shew us the Father?’.  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?  The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwells in me, He does the works” (John 14:8-10).  Someone else asked Yeshua to shew them the Father, Yeshua’s answer is quite revealing: “You neither know me, nor my Father; if you had known me, you should have known my Father also” (John 8:19).  This knowledge of the Father’s life in the Son is very important for the growth of the new creation child.

 

John goes on to tell the little children, not to let any man deceive them as “he that does righteousness is born of YHVH and is righteous, even as He is righteous.  But he that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  These little children are to know the purpose that the Son of God was manifested, that is that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 2:28; 3:7-8).

John sums up his description of a child of YHVH’s by describing them by their behavior and comparing them to the children of the devil.  “Whosoever does not do righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one that does not love his brother.” (3:10)  The children of YHVH are not just to love in word or with the tongue but they are to love one another in deed and in truth.  Then he tops it off by telling them to keep themselves from idols.

The apostle Paul also describes babes in Messiah, by their behavior toward one another.  He talks about feeding them with milk and not with meat as they are not ready yet for something so strong.  He tells them that their behavior is carnal, because there is envy and strife and division and that they are walking like unredeemed men (1 Cor 3:1-3).

From the above analysis of a born again believer, it would seem that most of us are still in the childhood stages of maturation.  How many of us can claim to be free of sinning by overcoming the power of sin that still works in our members through abiding in Yeshua?  “in Him there is no sin, but whosoever abides in Him sins not.” (3:5-6).   John tells us that the young men have over come the evil one. How? By simply abiding! To “abide” (meno) means to remain, dwell, continue, not to depart, endure. . In other words Yeshua in them has destroyed the works of the devil through the abiding faith of the believer.  Once the believer begins to mature to this degree, he may enter into the fatherhood stage and begin to nurture the children of YHVH in the same way that he himself has overcome. 

Where are we today in the body of Messiah?  Do we hold a form of godliness but deny the power? (2 Tim 3:5).  Have we matured beyond being babes, can we even claim to be children, let alone young men.  I don’t think we can even mention fathers yet.  Because of the strife, envy, and division in His people, YHVH speaking through His prophet Isaiah,  prophesied what would happen, “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them; and the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable” (Is. 3:4-5).

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God… Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear (phaneroo: to make known that which is hidden or invisible), we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure” 1 John 3: 1-3).

Ephraim                July 18, 2003