(1 John 2:12-14)

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have had victory over the evil one. 14 I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have had victory over the evil one. 

Let's remember that the Apostle John began this epistle with an extensive four verse statement declaring the reasons why his readers joy in Christ should be full. He proclaimed they should be joyful because they had the privilege to hear the message of Christ from firsthand witnesses like the Apostle John (there was no middle man). The Jesus the Apostles were speaking about was the same Jesus they had physically had fellowship with. The thrust of the message about the Lord was that God is light. 

He reminded them there is no darkness at all in God and anyone who says they are having fellowship with God will not walk in darkness. If they do sin, they can confess their sin to God because He is faithful and righteous to forgive them of sin. John says they do this through the Advocate they have in Christ Jesus. Jesus has the right to forgive them of sin because of His death on the cross which satisfied the Father's righteous wrath. And the way to know they are having fellowship with the Father is if they are keeping His Word. One of the main fruits of keeping God's Word is love for one another. That brings us to today's verses. 

In our verses today John is building on what he has just said in the earlier verses. His point here is to remind them of all they have in Christ. But as we study all that John has had to say up to this point, we would almost think that he was dissatisfied with these people. This isn't so. John was simply assuring them that the reason he was writing was because of what they did have spiritually in Christ. So what did John remind them of in these verses that should cause joy and confidence? By the way, these foundational Christian assets should give us joy also. 

Christians should possess joy and confidence because their sins have been forgiven. 

Johns readers knew this because they had heard from their ancestors and experienced this for themselves.

(Psalm 32:1)1 How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! (Isaiah 55:7) 7 Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive. The Apostle Peter said in (Acts 10:43) 

All the prophets testify about Him that through His name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.” 

The Apostle Paul in his writings expresses the same sentiment in (1 Corinthians 6:11) And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Not all the Christians Paul was writing to had been involved in the sinned he mentioned in the two previous verses such as adultery, homosexuality, greed, drunkenness, and swindlers, but he said they were all were ex-sinners. But they had been washed (this is the new life of regeneration), sanctified (Sin's total domination is broken and replaced by a new pattern of behavior; not perfection but a new direction), and justified (their standing before God in which they are clothed in Christ's righteousness) in the name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. This is a reason for rejoicing!

Christians should possess joy and confidence because they have come to know the Father. 

Jesus is the only One who can reveal the Father to us. (Matthew 11:27) All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him. The Apostle Paul said that in God's good pleasure He had hidden the great mysteries of His wise dealings from the wise and learned but had revealed them to little children. This is possible because God the Son and God the Father know each other perfectly. That is why Jesus said (Matthew 11:28) “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

(John 14:7) 7 “If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”