Overcoming The Wicked One Through Understanding Your ETERNAL Origin In Christ
Today, we will join our Lord Jesus and His friend as they walk by the sea of Tiberias. Let us listen to their conversation written to us in John 21:15 -17:
(15) When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
(16) He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
(17) He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Three groups
In His private chat with the Apostle Peter, we should most carefully note that The Chief Shepherd divided His flock into three groups: 1. Lambs
2. Sheep
3. Sheep
This division of His flock into three was not arbitrary.
It was also not random.
The division was rational.
It was deliberate.
It was ordered.
And it is of fundamental significance
An Apostle of The Lamb interpreted this division of the flock of God into three groups in his exhortation written to us in 1John 2:12–14:
(12) I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
(13) I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
(14) I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Three stages of growth
In detailing the milestones on our journey of growth to maturity in Christ, twice, the Apostle John revealed the three distinct stages of growth as:
1. Children
2. Fathers
3. Young men
This categorization into three is also intentional and ordered, for it is derived from that given by our Lord Jesus as lambs, sheep, and sheep.
In other words, the Apostle interprets the lambs as children and the first category of sheep as fathers, and the second category of sheep as young men.
Now, we would suppose that we may all agree that the natural order of growth is children, young men, and fathers.
So, why is our growth process ordered by the Apostle as firstly children, secondly fathers, and thirdly young men instead of (1) children, (2) young men, and (3) fathers?
The response to our question is revealed as we see the characteristics of each group.
Stage 1 - Little Children
As infants in Christ, the Apostle John wrote that we are characterized by an initial consciousness that our sins have been forgiven on account of The Name of our Lord Jesus.
This awareness of our justification by faith bears His fruit of peace with God and the joy
of Salvation bubbling in our hearts and souls.
And as we feed on the pure milk of the Word of life, we grow into toddlers, and we become conscious that The God of Heaven is our Father.
By The Spirit of His Son in our hearts, we cry, Abba, Father.
Stage 2 - Fathers
After the toddler stage, the next phase of growth as revealed by the Apostle is the fathers.
The fathers in Christ are not those who have been born again for a long time.
The fathers are not those precious men and women who have functioned in one ministry or the other for a while, regardless of the size of the flock entrusted to their care.
And as witnessed by the Apostle’s letter to the church of God at Corinth, the fathers are not those through whom The Spirit of God is manifest visibly and audibly.
The Apostle Paul wrote that in spite of the maximal manifestations of The Spirit of God among them, the saints of God in Corinth were not spiritual, but he wrote that they were carnal, and were babes in Christ.
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