Day 364, Year 1

Spiritual Children Need to Build on Efforts

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.” (1 John 2:12 NASB)

The devotional materials here are suitable for spiritual “children.” Please don’t mind the term “little children” in the verse above, because in the study of Christian faith, those who have not experienced much must learn, regardless of age. Sometimes, those who have been believing in Christ for years, but have not laid a good foundation for their faith, also need to study and experience the basics. Here are three main points.

First, if you have learned very little in the spiritual realm, including those who have newly believed in Jesus, or do not know much about the Bible, you may consider accepting the identity of a “little child,” so that you can learn more with an open heart and mind. Whether you are a spiritual child depends not on how many years you have believed in God, but, as in the scripture, on which stage your spiritual experience is in. So, if you feel the need to continue learning the Bible and improve spiritually, keep on doing it diligently.

Second, to know the name of the Lord is to know all aspects of Jesus. The name “Jesus” means “savior,” especially saving God’s people from sins (Matthew 1:21). In addition, He is called Christ, referring to the anointed King of God. To know the name of Jesus, we need to understand how He saves us from sins, and we also need to make Jesus Christ our only master. Furthermore, the Israelites believed that a person’s name represented all aspects of his or her personality, wishes, likes and dislikes, interests, powers, and goals in life, etc. “For His name’s sake” implies knowing all that Jesus is about, from how to rely on Him to turn away from sins, to entering into His long-lasting, wonderful life.

Third, the forgiveness of sins, that is, the renunciation of all kinds of sins. The Greek word for “forgive” in the verse is aphiemi, which can also be translated “send away, depart, leave, or go away from one.” In other words, forgiveness of sins through Jesus means that we who trust in Him will turn away from sins, or sins will go away from us. If we are in Christ, then we understand His heart and experience His power for His name’s sake. In His name, we will surely win the war against sins. Thus, spiritual children are those who strive to know and experience the Lord Jesus, honor Him as our Lord, and are also serious about eradicating our own sins by His help. After gaining this knowledge and experience of faith, we will continue our faith journey further.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think your faith is at the stage of being a spiritual child? What do you need to learn most about your faith right now?

2) Have the sins of the past already left you because of the Lord Jesus? Or what kind of sin do you still have to rely on the Lord to overcome ahead?