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Jim Kerwin’s Show Notes for Kernels of Wheat Podcast
Episode 015 – Walking into Maturity
Walking into Maturity
Review and Tie-Up of Last Week: 1 John 2:8-11
Three Levels of Maturity: 1 John 2:12-14
- Little children (vv. 12,13)
- “Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake”
- “Because you have known the Father”
- Fathers (vv. 13,14)
- “Because you have known Him Who is from the beginning” (twice)
- Young men (vv. 13,14)
- “Because you have overcome the wicked one” (twice)
- “You are strong”
- “The word of God abides in you”
The Goal of Maturity: Knowing Him Who is from the beginning
- Compare this with “What was from the beginning” (1 John 1:1) — knowing Him who is from the beginning is the same as the fellowship of the Godhead into which we are called.
- DeVern Fromke book — The Ultimate Intention
- [Note: The web page for this book is “broken” as we release this episode. We’ll supply a link once the problem is solved.]
- Where we all start: “Little children” – this is what John calls everyone reading the epistle
- On one level, we never grow out of the relationship of being “little children” before God, even the most mature of us.
- “Except you are converted and become as little children” (Matthew 18:2-3)
The Three Levels and Isaiah 40:28-31
- Why do these three things seem to be in reverse order (going from highest to lowest, fastest to slowest)?
- Mount up with wings as eagles
- Run and not get tired
- Walk and not become weary
- In our own wisdom, we would anticipate that the order should be
- Walking, then
- Running, and finally
- Soaring up, “mounting up with wings”
- These three levels parallel the three levels of maturity John addresses in his letter:
- Little children – mounting up with wings
- The joy of forgiveness and new life
- Being able to call God “Father, Abba.”
- The feeling of freedom after being released from the weight of guilt and sin
- “Would you be freed from your burden of sin?” (from There Is Power in the Blood by Lewis Jones)
- Christian’s burden in Pilgrim’s Progress
- “Sky high” emotions; all excitement, all blessing, the thrill of being a new Christian.
- Young men – running
- Engaging God, the work of God, and the world
- Earthbound, but in the fruitful way a plant is “earthbound”
- Spiritual warfare
- Learning how to overcome temptation
- Intercession and warfare
- Casting out demons
- Fathers – walking and not becoming weary
- John doesn’t talk about soaring in the Light or running in the Light, but of walking in the Light
- The ultimate – to know Him who is from the beginning
- Beulah Land by C. Austin Miles
Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling;
Then I know the sins of earth beset on every hand.
Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling.
None of these shall move me from Beulah Land.
Chorus:
I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky;
I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry.
O yes! I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.
[Link for full Beulah Land lyrics]
- Jesus’ form of exercise – walking
- God in the Garden of Eden — walking (Genesis 3:8)
There is no “finally arrived” in maturity – always ongoing.
- All three areas being developed
- The deeper you go, the more you realize you need to grow – very humbling
- Are you a child or a “young man” or a “father” (“Mother in Israel”)? Eventually you get to the point where you answer, “Yes.”
Related Messages:
- When Is Walking More Than Walking? (a look at 1 John 1:7)
- Waiting on the Lord (in which Percy Gutteridge shares about Isaiah 40:31)
Reminder:
- Read through the First Epistle of John once a week
- Remember to substitute the phrase “the Anointed One” for Christ or Messiah for the next few weeks, to get in practice.
Next Week: If “God So Loved the World,” How Come I’m Not Allowed To?
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More teaching by Jim Kerwin and others can be found on the Finest of the Wheat website.
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