A Child's Faith

1 John 2:13 ~ "I write to you, children, because you know the Father."

What a blessing it is to simply know God as our Father. As children, there is a precious recognition that is found when they know their parents. In a crowd, amongst the gathered multitudes of church, I have seen children weave their way through the forest of people to find that one person who they know--their father. 

And here, John writes a simple expression that carries a weight of wonder for all of us. For each of us started in that simple expression--we know our Father in heaven.

The first statement made concerning children in verse 12 states simply, "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake." What a blessed and wonderful knowledge to have, that our sins are forgiven for His name's sake. And that is where it all begins--in the forgiveness of Christ.

Have your sins been forgiven? Do you know the merciful love of the Lord Jesus who died and rose again? He did that all out of love for you. He bore your sins and paid your debt before His Father, zeroed out your negative balance and gave you His righteousness in exchange for your sins.

If you know your sins are forgiven--then the very next drop of knowledge is simply this: you have a Father in heaven.

A child does not know much about their father when they are young. Truly they look to their earthly fathers with a simple view--he is their daddy. He guides and protects them, disciplines and comforts them, provides for their needs and loves them. Jesus, our Lord, said that we must come to faith like a little child (see Mark 10:15). So how wonderfully simple is a child-like faith. 

I recall the story of a young boy who had missed his bus to travel home and he was on the corner, alone, huddled in the shelter of the bus stop. Several strangers offered to help the child find his way home, but his only answer was, "my daddy will come for me." And, sure enough, he did. Rounding the corner, a rickety old truck rumbled up to the stop and with joyful delight the boy jumped up and hurried to his dad.

Do you know the Lord God Almighty as--Father? Jesus said that we must. Even in our prayers we are to pray, "our Father" (see Matthew 6:9). The Lord also said that He was departing to go to His Father--and ours. "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (John 20:17). 

Do not despair, beloved. If your sins are forgiven on account of Jesus, then you have been adopted into the family of God. You have a new heritage, a new lineage, a new family--and a Heavenly Father. And if you are in His family, He will never lose one of His own.

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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