Back to Basics - 1 John 2:12-14 (Sermon 10)
We have been looking at Two of John's Tests of Faith, namely:
· The Obedience Test, or the Moral Test (1 John 2:3-6)
& The Relationship Test, or the Social Test (1 John 2:7-11).
· These Two Tests are given in the form of Two Exhortations to a Group of Believers
whom John describes as his Dear Children & his Dear Friends (1 John 2:1 & 2:7).
· The Apostle exhorted them to Obey God's Commands in a general sense,
He also exhorts them to Obey a Particular Command - the command to Love One Another.

John is about to go on & give another very forceful & striking exhortation, in ch 2 v 15:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world.
If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
· Having exhorted Believers to Love One Another, he exhorts them NOT to Love the World.
However, before John continues with this next exhortation, he inserts Three Verses,
which form an important 'parenthesis' in this second chapter - namely, verses 12-14.
"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven
on account of his name" - and so on.
Why does John write this Parenthesis here?
· I believe that John wrote these verses to Remind God's People that they need to
constantly Go Back to the Basics of the Christian Faith.
· John wants Christians to keep on going Back to the Fundamental Truths,
which he had already outlined in chapter 1:1 to 2:2.
In chapter 2:3-11, John has given these Believers Two Tests of Faith.
He intends to go on & give more exhortations & commands, which may seem difficult to obey.
· So, before John continues, he wants to Encourage Believers, by showing them that
these Exhortations are Not Disconnected from the Basic Truths of the Christian Faith.
· He wants them to know that they can Live up to the High Standards, which he is setting,
because they already possess the Fundamental Truths of the Faith as a living reality.

John tells these believers that he is writing to them on the basis of certain assumptions
· Notice the constant use of the word 'because' in this section:
"I write you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2 12-13).
John is saying:
"When I am giving you Exhortations in this Epistle, these are my Basic Assumptions.
If you are NOT certain about these Basic Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith,
then I am wasting my time explaining anything else to you."
What we have here is what Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes as:
"The irreducible minimum of Christian Doctrine."

Commentaries give various interpretations of the terms 'Children, Fathers & Young Men'
· Different writers have different views, & it is almost impossible to find two who can agree.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues like this:
"What really matters is that clearly the Apostle is telling us that these Truths about the
Christian Life & the Christian Faith must be understood by all of us.
At the same time there are particular emphases that are more important at particular ages
& stages of the Christian Life ."
· For example, Not only 'Spiritual Little Children' need to understand Forgiveness of Sins.
· All Christians need to know this Basic Foundational Truth of the Christian Faith.
John gives us Three Basic Truths in verses 12-14.
· Note how these Three Truths provide a good Definition of a True Christian.
A True Christian is someone who is Forgiven for Christ's sake.
A True Christian is someone who Knows God the Father, & Knows Jesus Christ.
A True Christian has Overcome Satan, & is Strong in the abiding Word of God.
Peter Barnes says:
"It is instructive that many of the Key Verbs in verses 12-14 are in the Perfect Tense.
This tense is used when an action in the past has effects which continue on into the
present. Therefore, from the time of his conversion onwards, the Christian knows abiding
forgiveness through Christ. He also knows - & continues to know - the Eternal Christ
& the Eternal Father. Christ's victory over Satan means that the Christian enjoys the
abiding consequences of that victory in the present."

Firstly: Christians are people who have had their Sins Forgiven through Christ.
"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven
on account of his name" (v12).
John is saying that a Christian may be Defined as someone who 'Knows' he is Forgiven.
· To put this same truth negatively:
A Christian is NOT someone who is merely SEEKING Forgiveness.
A Christian is NOT someone who is merely PRAYING & HOPING to be Forgiven.
A Christian is NOT someone who is UNCERTAIN about Forgiveness.
· Rather, John is saying that a Christian is someone who KNOWS for a
certain fact that he has received Forgiveness.
· John says: "Your sins HAVE been Forgiven … AV Your sins ARE Forgiven."
There is no element of doubt here. You can KNOW that your sins have already been forgiven
John is asking a Fundamental Question here - namely: What is a Christian?
His first answer is this: "A Christian is someone whose Sins have been Forgiven."
Howard Marshall says:
"The Act of Forgiveness (in 1 John 2:12) is expressed by a Perfect Tense; John is
thinking of the Conversion of his Readers … The experience of Forgiveness is the Centre
of the Christian Experience of Conversion. No man can properly rank as a Christian,
in the sense of the New Testament, who has not received the Forgiveness of Sins."
· John is recalling one of the most Basic Truths of the Christian Faith, namely:
It is impossible to be a True Christian, unless you have received Forgiveness of Sins.

The Lord Jesus uses the term 'Forgiveness of Sins' in this Perfect Tense in Luke 7:47.
· A woman who had lived a very sinful life, wept Tears of Repentance as she poured
an alabaster jar of perfume over Jesus' feet.
· Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, who had invited the Saviour into his house:
"I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much." (Luke 7:47).
· Then Jesus said to the woman:
"Your sins are forgiven … Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:48-50).
· The way in which Jesus used the Perfect Tense in these verses left his hearers in no doubt.
These people had been given an Absolute Assurance of Sins Forgiven.
This is the same way in which the Apostle John gives his Definition of a True Christian.
"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven
on account of his name" (1 John 2:12).
The Apostle Paul gives us the same Absolute Assurance of Forgiveness of Sins, saying:
"When you were dead in your sins & in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,
God made you alive in Christ. He forgave us all our sins" (Colossians 2:13).
Note how John tells us that True Born-again Christians possess Assurance because
we Receive Forgiveness in a Particular Way:
"Your sins are forgiven On Account of His Name" (AV For His Name's sake).
John is saying:
"There is ONLY ONE WAY you can Receive Forgiveness of Sins.
There is Only One Way you can continue to have an Assurance of Sins Forgiven.
The only way Forgiveness is possible is On Account of His Name, For His Name's Sake."
This is a truly Glorious & Fundamental Statement.
· The whole of Christian Doctrine is firmly grounded on this very Basic Truth.
· We are Forgiven because of the Perfect & Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To put this point negatively:
· Christians do not have an Assurance of Forgiveness of Sins because of some kind of
vague idea that we receive Forgiveness because God is a God of Love.
· Neither can we receive Forgiveness because of the Merits of our own Good Works.
NO says John - We receive Forgiveness 'On Account of His Name',
· We are Forgiven 'On Account of the Merits of Christ's Finished Work on the Cross.'

Remember why Jesus came into this Sinful World:
· Before Jesus was born, the Angel of the Lord said to Joseph (Matthew 1:21):
"You are to give him the Name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
The Apostle Paul says to the Ephesians (1:7):
"In him (in Christ) we have Redemption through His Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins."
· Redemption through His Blood speaks to us about the Complete & Perfect Sacrifice for Sin.
We are Redeemed & Forgiven by the Blood of the Eternal Lamb of God.
Remember the message of Peter, to the Sanhedrin, in Acts 5:30-31:
"The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by
hanging him on a tree, God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince & Saviour
that he might give Repentance & Forgiveness of Sins to Israel."
· The message is clear again:
"Jesus Died & Rose Again to bring Repentance & Forgiveness of Sin."
This is why John the Baptist said about Jesus:
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

The Apostle John has already given us this Same Basic Truth in chapter 2:1-2:
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin,
we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
(AV We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous).
He is the Atoning Sacrifice (or AV the Propitiation) for our sins."
· This is the Objective Truth upon which all Christians rely for an Assurance of Forgiveness.
We CANNOT plead with God on the grounds of our own good works. Such a plea will fail.
It is God Himself who has provided the Perfect Advocate - Jesus Christ the Righteous.
The Perfect Son of God has become the Perfect Advocate for God's Chosen People.
Ask yourself this vital question:
· Do you believe that you have received Forgiveness of Sins?
Do you know that the Lord Jesus Christ has Borne your Sins on the Cross of Calvary?
Are you relying utterly & absolutely upon Christ, & upon Him Alone, for Forgiveness of Sin?
· John tells you that you can only have One Answer to that question:
"I have received Forgiveness of Sins 'On Account of His Name',
I am Forgiven 'On Account of the Merits of His Finished Work on the Cross of Calvary.'
I am Forgiven through Christ, & through Christ alone."
John gives Three Basic Truths, which provide a good Definition of a True Christian.
Firstly: Christians are people who have had their Sins Forgiven through Christ.
Secondly: Christians are people who know how to Overcome the Evil One.
"I write to you, young men because you have overcome the evil one" (v13).
"I write to you, young men, because you are strong, & the word of God lives in you,
& you have overcome the evil one" (v14).
Take note once again how the Apostle John uses the Perfect Tense.
· John does NOT say that you MIGHT Overcome the Evil One SOMETIME in the future.
Rather, John says, quite categorically: "You HAVE Overcome the Evil One."
What is John talking about here?
· One thing is certain, John is NOT teaching Sinless Perfection.
He is NOT saying that Christians will Always win the Victory over Temptation.
· John has already told us that All Believers are Prone to Sin, by saying:
"If anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One."
Peter Barnes says:
"Christ's victory over Satan means that the Christian enjoys the abiding consequences of
that victory in the present. John is here NOT so much referring to ongoing victories over
Satan's temptations but to the once-for-all victory at conversion."
· It is the VICTORY of Christ in the PAST that is OWNED by the Christian in the PRESENT.

What John is saying is this:
The moment we believe in Christ, we are Conscious of a Victory over the Evil One.
· We become conscious of the fact we are no longer living under the Dominion of Sin & Satan
· We are still aware of our Weakness & Sinfulness.
However, we also aware of a real sense of Victory over the Evil One.
Furthermore, we are Conscious of the fact that Christ has Already Defeated the Evil One.
· We are aware of the fact that we have a Powerful Enemy, but he is also a Defeated Enemy.
· At the Cross the Principalities & Powers were Disarmed by Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:15).
We can be assured of this - Although we may stumble & fall & give in to temptation,
we know that we have the Ultimate Victory in Christ, who has Already Defeated Satan.

In verse 14 John explains two things about the Believer Overcoming the Evil One:
Firstly: We Know that we have been Made Strong, through the Power of Christ.
"I write to you, young men, because you are strong" (1 John 2:14).
· Note that John is NOT saying that Christians are strong in & of themselves.
· Rather, John IS saying: "You have been made Strong IN CHRIST."
The Apostle Paul gives the Secret of the Believer's Strength in Ephesians 6:10-18.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord & in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so
that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (verses 10-11).
"Put on the whole armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, & after you have done everything, to stand" (verse 13).
· In v14-17, Paul commands us to Stand Firm, putting on the Whole Armour of God:
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist"
Put on the breastplate of righteousness; the gospel of peace; the shield of faith;
the helmet of salvation; & the sword of the Spirit.
Geoffrey Wilson says:
"The present picture is not of a march, or an assault,
but of the holding of the fortress of the soul."
· Paul makes it perfectly clear that we CANNOT stand alone against the Powers of Evil.
We must put on the 'Whole Armour of God', which is ours through our Victorious Saviour.
Charles Wesley captures the main point in his hymn, 'Soldiers of Christ arise':
"Soldiers of Christ, arise, And put your armour on;
Strong in the strength that God supplies, Through His Eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of hosts, And in his mighty power;
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more than conqueror."
The Apostle John says: Christians should Know they have been Made Strong through Christ
· We should Know that the Indwelling Spirit gives us Power to Fight against Sin & Satan.

In verse 14 John explains two things about the Believer Overcoming the Evil One:
Firstly: We Know that we have been Made Strong, through the Power of Christ.
Secondly: We Know that the Word of God Lives in us, & helps us to Overcome the Evil One.
"I write to you, young men, because you are strong, & the word of God lives in you,
& you have overcome the evil one" (v14).
The Apostles Paul & Peter tell us that it is God's Word which brings New Life to Believers:
· Paul says: "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard
through the Word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).
· Peter says: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living & enduring Word of God" (1 Peter 1:23).
Furthermore, Paul tells us that God's Word enables us to Maintain our Spiritual Life.
· Paul says that the Sword of the Spirit is a vital part of our Spiritual Armour (Eph 6:17).
It is the Word of God, which we use to Fight against the Enemy, Satan.
Remember how the Lord Jesus fought against Satan's Temptation in the Wilderness:
· Three times the Great Enemy offered temptations to our Lord.
Three times Jesus used a Text from Scripture, saying, 'It is written' (Matthew 4:4, 6 &10).
Bishop Ryle says:
"We shall never fight a good fight, if we do not use God's Word as our Principal Weapon."

Remember how the writer to the Hebrews likens the Word of God to a Double-Edged Sword.
"The Word of God is living & active. Sharper than any Double-Edged Sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul & spirit, joints & marrow; it judges the thoughts & attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered & laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· The Word of God is like a Double-Edged Sword, which Penetrates the Heart.
The piercing character of God's Word is such that it Penetrates the Innermost Depths.
It Penetrates & Judges our Innermost Thoughts & Attitudes, let alone our Outward Actions.
· Absolutely nothing can be hidden from God's Sight. It is impossible to hide our sin.
The writer also tells us that the Word of God is 'Living & Active'.
· Our God is a God of Power, & therefore His Word cannot fail to be Active & Powerful.
Its effectiveness derives from its SOURCE, which is God Himself.
Its effectiveness also derives from its PURPOSE, which is the Will of the Almighty God.
The Word of God has a Twofold Action, just like a Double-Edged Sword.
Firstly, God's Word shows us the Evil Nature of Sin & the Evil Nature of Satan.
· It shows us that Sinners are going to Hell & Destruction.
· God's Word abides in us & causes us to see the Ugliness & Selfishness, & Perversion of Sin.
Secondly, God's Word Drives us on Towards Holiness.
· As we read God's Word the Spirit gives us a desire to Turn our Backs on Sin & Satan.
· As we read God's Word the Spirit gives us a desire a to Seek after Righteousness.
· God's Word teaches us about the Power of Christ & how Christ has Defeated Satan.
God's Word shows us that Christ makes us Strong.
God's Word enables us to become More than Conquerors through the Power of Christ.
John gives Three Basic Truths, which provide a good Definition of a True Christian.
Firstly: Christians are people who have had their Sins Forgiven through Christ.
Secondly: Christians are people who have Overcome the Evil One.
Thirdly: Christians are people who have a Knowledge of God the Father & God the Son.
"I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father" (verse 13).
"I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning"(v13,14)
· John is telling us that there are Two Kinds of Knowledge which Every Christian must possess
Firstly, Every Christian must have a Knowledge of God the Father (verse 13b).
· John is NOT talking about Knowing a certain amount of Facts ABOUT God.
Knowing Facts about God is NOT the same thing as Knowing God HIMSELF.
· Rather, John is saying that we need what theologians call:
'An Experimental Knowledge of God'. We must have a Living Relationship with God.
This is what John is talking about when he says:
"Our Fellowship is with God the Father" (1 John 1:3).
Jim Packer, in his book Knowing God, asks Every Believer an important question:
"How can we turn our Knowledge ABOUT God into a Knowledge OF God?
The rule for doing this is demanding, but simple. It is that we turn each truth that we learn
about God into a matter of meditation before God, leading to Prayer & Praise to God."

Remember how Jesus said that the Father had given him the Authority to Give Eternal Life
· Jesus goes on tell us How Eternal Life Manifests itself, saying:
"Now this is Eternal Life: that they might KNOW YOU, the Only True God,
& Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).
William Hendriksen comments on this phrase 'Knowing God', saying:
"To KNOW God the Father refers NOT to merely to abstract knowledge,
but to joyful acknowledgement of his sovereignty, glad acceptance of his love,
& intimate fellowship with his person."
· Knowing God means to know God as 'Our Heavenly Father'.
· It is to know God as the One who has Loved us with an Everlasting Love.
· It is to know God as the One who Loves us so much that he sent his own Son to Die for us.
The message of the Lord God to the Old Testament Prophets is exactly the same:
"This is what the Lord says (declares Jeremiah): 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who
boasts boast about this: that he Understands & Knows me, that I am the Lord, who
exercises kindness, justice & righteousness on earth, for in these I delight" (Jer 9:23-24).
· What is the best thing in life? What is the thing that brings more joy & more contentment, than anything else? It is precisely this: An Experimental Knowledge of God Himself.
Jim Packer says:
"There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with
Full Assurance that they have known God, & God has known them, & that this
relationship guarantees God's favour to them in life, through death, & on for ever."
This is the peace & assurance which stems from the fact that:
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
This is the peace & assurance which stems from the fact that:
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
This is the peace & assurance which stems from the fact that:
"We are more than conquerors through him who loved us"; & that
"Nothing … in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39).
John tells us that there are Two Kinds of Knowledge which Every Christian must possess.
Firstly, Every Christian must have a Knowledge of God the Father.
Secondly, Every Christian must have a Knowledge of God the Son (verse 13a & 14).
The Apostle John says: "I write to you, fathers, because
you have known him who is from the beginning" (v13a & v14).
This is the Same Basic Truth, which John has expounded from the outset of this Epistle,
namely, the Truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.
· John opens his Epistle with this Fundamental Message:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked at & our hands have touched - we proclaim to you the Word
of Life" (1 John 1:1).
· This is the Life which is described as the Eternal Word of God (1 John 1:2).
This is the Life which was with the Father from Eternity, & has now appeared unto us (1:2).

Having told us that Believers have an Experimental Relationship with God the Father, in v13-14, John speaks about having an Experimental Relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ
· To Know Christ is to Know Him in Person.
This is another aspect of John's Definition of a Christian:
· A Christian is someone who has experienced the efficacy of the Ministry & Work of Christ.
A Christian is someone who Knows Christ in his Office of Sin-bearer & Redeemer.
A Christian is someone who Knows Christ in his Office of Prophet, Priest & King.
John's Definition of a Christian is exactly the same as that given by the Apostle Paul:
· When Paul gives a word of Personal Testimony to the Philippians, he speaks about:
"Considering everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of Knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:8).
· He speaks about the burning desire of his whole life, saying:
"I want to Know Him & the power of his resurrection & the fellowship of sharing his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death, & so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection
from the dead" (Phil 3:10-11).

Paul counts 'everything a loss' because of the infinitely more valuable gain of 'Knowing Christ'
· The emphatic nature of this testimony highlights the Supreme Worthiness of the
One who is the Object of this 'Knowledge', of which Paul is speaking.
· There is no doubt that Paul is talking about an 'Experimental Knowledge'.
This 'Knowledge' is NOT based on hearsay, but on his Personal Communion with Christ.
· Paul also speaks of his Present Interest in Christ in terms of being 'Found in Him' (Phil 3:9).
· He speaks of his Future Hope in terms of:
"Wanting to Know Him & the Power of His Resurrection" (Phil 3:10).
· The Apostle's Present Experimental Knowledge of Christ is the very Foundation of his Assurance concerning his Future Experience of the Knowledge of Christ.
His Basis of Assurance revolves around his Personal Relationship with the Living Christ.

The Apostle Paul leaves us in no doubt about his Definition of a Christian:
· A Christian is someone who understands the surpassing greatness of Knowing Christ.
· A Christian is someone who is to be Found In Christ.
· A Christian is someone who finds himself continually saying: "I want to Know Christ &
the power of his resurrection & the fellowship of sharing his sufferings."
In other words, Paul agrees with the Apostle John that
Every Christian must have a Knowledge of God the Son.

John gives Three Basic Truths, which provide a good Definition of a True Christian.
Firstly: Christians are people who have had their Sins Forgiven through Christ.
Secondly: Christians are people who have Overcome the Evil One.
· In verse 14 John explains two things about the Believer Overcoming the Evil One:
Firstly: We Know that we have been Made Strong.
Secondly: We Know that the Word of God Lives in us, & helps us to Overcome the Evil One.
Thirdly: Christians are people who have a Knowledge of God the Father &
a Knowledge of God the Son.