The One Who Is from the Beginning

John in his first letter, in verse 2:13, speaks of the Christian life in three stages: little children, young people and parents. The little children are the babes in Christ, those who have just been born again. As little children, we hardly see Christ as a reality in us. We believe that he saved us and that he now lives in us, but this is more poetic than real.

The beginning of the Christian life is a blessed time of knowing the Father, but God does not want permanently infant sons, but perfect men, mature sons, to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4.13). Therefore, after being taught by God, we are led to Christ. But, in order to know Christ, we are engaged in spiritual battles against our adversary, the devil.

Jesus, after his baptism, was led by the same Spirit to be tempted, and so it is with us (Matt. 4:1). He overcame the devil because the word of God was in him, and so it is with every young Christian, that is, one who has passed out of spiritual infancy. Now in Christ, as new creatures, we know Him who overcame death and the devil. However, we have not yet arrived at God's final purpose for us - to know Christ, to know him who is from the beginning.

The child is dependent, the youth is impetuous. But the parents are the perfected saints who do the work of edifying the body of Christ. They are those who have gone through many phases of Christian growth and who can now help the newer ones to run the race with perseverance. A Christian is a father when he is totally Christocentric. Someone who heard and knows the Father, knew Christ in spiritual battles, and now knows the One who is from the beginning.

No one can grow before his time, but time also reveals that it is foolishness if we still need milk (Heb. 5:12-14). As Peter says and also Paul: "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord ... Let us grow up in all things into him who is the head, even Christ" (2 Peter 3:18; Eph. 4:15).

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