Written by Paul J Bucknell on September, 19, 2024

1 John 2:12-14 Three Stages of Spiritual Growth, Part 1

An Introduction to 1 John 2:12-14

This is part 1 of two parts, the second being a full description of the three discipleship stages.

The Purpose

 Discover the path of Christian growth in 1 John 2:12-14! The Apostle John reveals how believers grow from children to young men to fathers in the faith. New Christians experience forgiveness and knowing the Father, young believers learn to overcome trials through the Word of God, and mature believers reproduce their faith in others. 1 John 2:12-14 calls us to embrace spiritual growth, avoid stagnation, and live as strong disciples of Christ. 

This article is designed to help believers understand the three stages of Christian maturity as outlined in 1 John 2:12-14. It aims to assist them in identifying their position on the growth chart, evaluating their spiritual life, and better equipping other brothers and sisters they might be discipling.

The Passage (1 John 2:12-14)

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 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 abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:12-14, NASB).

Thoughts to Ponder

• How do Christians grow? 
• Why do many Christians fail to grow? 
• How does Jesus instruct His disciples to help them overcome this challenge? 
• How can one person assist others in growing?

1. The Three Stages of Christian Maturity from 1 John 2:12-14

People can be funny. Parents spend much more money and energy on a baby's birth than on their upbringing. Once the baby is born, parents often reduce their involvement in their children’s lives. Babies are very demanding, so once their obvious needs are met, parents can quickly lessen the attention they give to their child.

The same is often true in Christian life. Many Christians talk about salvation and make many evangelistic efforts but spend less time following up or caring for new believers. This can be tragic, because they waste many evangelistic efforts without proper follow-up. 

Christian growth patterns resemble human development. Unlike animals, humans spend much of their lives being cared for and instructed. These years of nurturing serve a purpose, as they are designed to prepare them for future responsibilities. Animals only need to focus on physical growth, but humans must also pay attention to their mindsets, attitudes, and knowledge so that their children and youth can function as adults.

John expressed significant concern about this aspect of growth. In the Gospel of John, he discusses the varying degrees to which people believe in Jesus. Jesus also often used illustrations of life and growth to describe the spiritual development of Christians. The message is clear: God’s goal is to bring people into His kingdom and shape them into strong, joyful, and loving representatives. This aligns perfectly with the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples …” (Matthew 28:18-20). We must train those who join God’s family.

God is committed to making His saved children into Christ’s disciples. A disciple means ‘a learner,’ so discipling involves helping someone learn. However, many have not considered what this growth actually looks like—more than just mastering a doctrinal statement or attending church regularly.

Let’s work through a few questions together.

• Do you follow up with new Christians? If so, how? What do you want the new Christian to learn?
• Has anyone spent specific time discipling you when you first believed? Describe that experience.
• How do Christians grow? Do you understand the process of spiritual development?
• How would you explain this process to another Christian?

Only a few churches or Christian leaders have considered these issues. Effective church programs often prioritize the smooth operation of the church over understanding and fostering Christian growth. Certainly, the spiritually concerned hope both are being achieved. For example, many churches have Sunday School, which originated centuries ago in England as a reading class for children who were illiterate. The goal was to teach them how to read the Bible. However, many churches mistakenly believe that today’s Sunday School fulfills the growth needs of their members. Of course, learning the Bible always helps, but we need to be disciples, not just informed believers. (How are these different?)

If not carefully planned, programs like these can cause more harm than good. Why? There are two main issues. First, we provide them only a small amount of what they need currently, resulting in inadequate nourishment. Second, Christian leaders and those in training will believe that this input is all they require to grow spiritually. This leads to undisciplined Christians who produce little or no fruit. The programs lack a long-term strategy rooted in God's spiritual development and His goals for His people.

We need to be more strategic and base our course design on how Christians grow. Let’s use our limited time and resources to achieve the best results; our chances to teach and train God’s people are few. Once we understand how Christians develop spiritually, we can identify specific needs and become more strategic in addressing those needs. 

Reflection

• Take a moment to consider what is the greatest need of the people you serve? Identify one or two of these needs.
• Have you thought of a way to address their specific needs?

Our solutions often conflict with the church’s programs. If we act too quickly, we risk causing friction and resentment among leaders and God’s people. The best way is to develop God’s plan prayerfully, seeking His timing.

2. The 3 Stages of Christian Growth Compared

How does God foster spiritual growth in His people? 1 John 2:12-14 fascinates by describing the three stages of discipleship. 

¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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 abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14)

There are many ways to visualize the process of Christian discipleship besides the one presented in 1 John. Each analogy helps us understand how to care for believers properly. We can picture Christians as sheep and Christ as the true Shepherd. Our goal is to train each sheep to listen to and obey their Master. However, we will focus on this specific ‘growth’ pattern from 1 John 2:12-14. The stages of childhood, youth, and adulthood help us see how spiritual growth reflects physical development.

• The Child: The new believer learns about the Christian life and how to live it.
• The Young: The young believer masters the struggle against the world, Satan, and the flesh through God’s Word.
• The Fathers (the mature): The maturing believer develops a deep and strong faith to carry out God’s work.

The three groups are inclusive. Every genuine believer belongs to one of the three stages of life: child, young person, or adult. John decided to teach more about spiritual life through this picture. We will approach this in two ways. First, we will learn to compare this picture of spiritual growth with how people grow physically. Second, John will offer specific comments regarding each group.

The groupings allow us to address the specific needs of each individual Christian at any stage of discipleship. God guides the specially designed experiences believers require to grow at their particular stage of spiritual life: a child, a father, or a young person. We simply facilitate it.

Spiritual life begins with a spiritual birth.

The spiritual life begins with spiritual birth, just as John mentioned in chapter 4: “…Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). In John 3:7, he describes spiritual birth as being born again or born from above. Through faith in Christ and the Spirit’s regenerating power, God causes us to be born again. “According to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3). We had no spiritual life, but now we do—just like physical life.

An Explanatory Note

What group are you in? Our grouping is not based on physical age but on one’s spiritual maturity. Before explaining each, let me point out a few technical observations. 

First, he addresses each group twice, once in the present tense and once in the past tense. Each description helps us better understand the group’s unique developmental needs. Second, John presents the groups out of sequence twice. We will discuss this later, but for now, follow John’s order below. Before going into detail, we will briefly introduce each group.

Challenges and Needs of Children

Securing trust in the Lord

Children symbolize new believers, and like human growth, it can be difficult to determine when a child is no longer a child. I recall looking at one of our children and suddenly realizing that I couldn’t call our eighth child a ‘baby’ anymore. She isn’t. Although there may be some ambiguity about when the transition begins and ends, these groupings help us monitor the spiritual growth process. 

Children are unstable and need security. John writes about them and the other two groups at different times. I quote from the NASB version.

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (12).

“I have written to you, children, because you know the Father” (13).

The new or very young believer in Christ must clarify the certainty of their relationship with God through Christ and affirm how they now can relate to God as their Heavenly Father. From John’s warnings, we see that the primary needs are (1) to overcome doubts about their salvation that create instability, (2) to reject false ideas or rejection of the true Christian faith, and (3) to connect with God as their Father. Assurance of faith is a vital part of their growth.

Challenges and Needs of Fathers

Fathers have deep questions and must find solutions to their crises as they step closer to the Lord.

“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning” (13).

“I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning” (14).

John repeats the same message to fathers, those who are mature and have been close to the Lord for years. Crises will come and go. Many ‘why’ questions arise from the difficult situations they face. Every answer is found by gaining a deeper understanding of the Eternal One. 

The specific needs of mature believers focus on these life challenges, where they learn how the Eternal One helps them withstand these storms. They need stronger faith to trust in God rather than stay confined within the narrow corridors of pessimism.

Challenges and Needs of Young Believers

Young men encounter specific temptations that must be conquered.

“I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one” (13).

“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (14).

Young men face intense temptations because the evil one tries to weaken them. However, the war is already won. They only need to learn how to trust God in different situations. God’s Word guides them to overcome all kinds of temptations.

Their specific struggles come from their inexperience, unstable faith, and a surge of temptations. Satan tries to cause them to stumble before they can become steady. Nonetheless, the Word of God can guide, keep, protect, and comfort them. They have all they need if they meditate on His Word.

Strategy for Children New believers must be properly cared for by other believers, from whom they can learn through their knowledge and experience. They need to be carefully instructed in three key areas. • The plan of salvation • The meaning of salvation • Their new relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Strategy for Fathers These fathers have come to experience God's faithfulness and sovereignty in their lives. They need to pay attention to the following areas. • Keep a vibrant time with God. • Always keep growing. • Live in hope for God's mercy.

Strategy for Young Men Young believers are battling the world, their flesh, and the evil one. They need to conquer the areas below. • Ins and outs of temptation • The art of scripture meditation • Living by faith Depending on their life circumstances, they need to relearn and apply old biblical principles.

Summary 

A Christian’s spiritual growth can be compared to a person’s physical and social development on earth. What can be observed and experienced helps us understand the unseen. Since everyone goes through different physical stages of life, the specific needs and expectations associated with each stage are generally understood. Therefore, we can identify the needs of a believer at a particular spiritual stage and have a good idea of what they may be struggling with. Moreover, John identifies each group's key encouraging thought(s).

Discipleship emphasizes what the person is learning, not the material itself. Appropriate training materials never serve as a mentor, but rather as a brother or sister. Their attitudes, advice, and caution help believers interpret and apply biblical knowledge, safeguarding them from the devil’s many attacks and providing them with a long-term perspective on their spiritual journey.

Study Questions for 1 John 2:12-14

• What are the three stages of Christian growth that John describes? How do these mirror the physical development of a person?
• What defines each of the three stages of a Christian’s growth?
• What problems or challenges might each group face?
• What does John, the elderly apostle, say to each of the three groups? Make three lists if needed.
• How does what John says in the first section (2:12-13b) differ from what he states in the next section (2:13c-14)?
• What observations can you make about the two sections? What is John’s main point?
• What could happen if Christians do not receive the support they need during these stages? Be specific.

Other References on 1 John 2:12-14

Part 2 of the Three Stages from 1 John 2:12-14

 

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