Three Levels of Maturity

Three Levels of Maturity (Part 1)
by D.J. Strickland (info below)

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:12-14


    All throughout scripture, one of the most common ways God speaks and reveals His ways are through patterns.  In fact, God told Moses to go up on the mountain and follow the pattern that was given (Exodus 25:40).  One of those patterns is the tri-fold nature of things - The trinity, man’s tri-part being, Earth's tri-part core, the sun’s tri-part core, Paul wrote when tongues pass away there are three things that remain (Faith, hope, and love), and even our King died and rose in three days. Those named are just a few of all the examples that could be listed. Ecclesiastes 4:12 even confirms this reality saying “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

    I believe John outlines three levels of maturity in the life of a believer written in 1 John 2:12-14:
Little Children
Young Men
Fathers

The first blog will focus on the first level of maturity one starts at when coming to Christ.  John 3:3 states that one can not see the kingdom of God unless he is “born again”.  When one comes to Christ, he becomes a new creation birthed into a new reality, living in two worlds at the same time.  He is now alive to heaven partaking of the divine nature! John outlines there are two realities in this level of maturity that one passes through to go to the next.

John writes in verse 12 saying he’s writing to them because their sins have been forgiven on account of His name.  The first truth the new Child of God must come to is the forgiveness of their past sin, mistakes, and failures and the washing of their conscience.  This is foundational and crucial for growing and moving further in Christ.  You must disconnect your past identity to what life was before Christ and embrace that all things have been made new! God intentionally forgets your past sin and declares you innocent!  This must become real to you.

The second part that John writes is in saying that they have “known the father”.  If being Born Again means starting over, thrusted into a new world, this means one must also be “re-parented” by God.  Let’s face it, some are blessed with great earthly parents, and some not so much, but even with the best parents, they don’t perfectly represent God.  Much of what shapes and guides people's lives are their experiences and beliefs developed in early life often through their parents or lack- thereof.  Romans 8:15 says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”.  As a child of God we must understand that we have a true Father, perfect in love without a shadow of turning, and then allow Him to re-father us.  We must let go of our pain and feelings toward our earthly parents and invite the Holy Spirit to heal and rewire those parts of us according to the image of the one who created us (Colossians 3:10).