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© 1997
Christ-life Fellowship
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By Arthur J. Licursi
"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one" (I John 2:12-14).
As I view my personal experience in Christ, I now clearly see three stages in which I have grown in my understanding and relationship with the Lord. The above reference describes these three stages. The child level is when my relationship is as a recipient of the things that God has done for me. The young man level is where I realize also that I have the power of God in me and use that life and power at my will, often out of impure motives. The father level of the relationship is where I know He is in me as both my life and as the Lord of my life. The progression of the stages of our growth draws us away from our self-centeredness to Christ, as the center of all things and all things pertaining to our life.
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At the child level, I've been born again and received what He has done for me. On the child level you know are saved and your sins are forgiven because of what Christ has done for you and you now know you have God as your Father, though He seemingly is quite distant at this time. "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake... I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father" (I John 2:12, 13, italics added).
This is the "getting from God" level. It is Christ for me. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8, italics added). Little children know: their sins are forgiven, they are accepted and who their Father is.
Second is the young man level of relationship. It is when we realize that Christ is in us with power (I Cor. 1:24). We most often mistakenly referred to Him as the Holy Spirit and power. In any case we know that somehow we've come to participate in Him and thereby- are strong to overcome the wicked one in all our "doing." "I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one....I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word [Christ] of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one" (I John 2:13b, 14b, italics added).
The young man level is when we have Christ, but Christ does not yet have us (the young man). It is the level where we often use the life of Christ in us in an impure way. Regardless of our expression, it is only by the Christ-life in us that "we live, and move, and have our being" after we are birthed by our Father (Acts 17:28). As the born-again, we have life by the only legitimate life we now possess, Christ in us, either as an expression of our self or of Christ Himself. "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27, italics added).
"Christ in you, the hope of glory" is the hope of the birthed one's expression of [glory of] the indwelling Christ-life, not to be used as a lawless, expression of our self. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works [works of power]? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you [had a knowing between us]: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [lawlessness]" (Matt. 7:22-23, italics added).
Spoken of here are those, perhaps young men, who know little of obedience to the intimate indwelling "law of the Spirit of life in Christ" (Rom. 8:2). They are lawless unto themselves. This is the often arrogant, lawless and self-serving stage, whereby we may have used the powerful, precious life of Christ in us, and the authority of His name, to serve our own self-interest (though we say the work is all for the glory of God). Paul recommended Timothy to the Philippians saying there was a shortage of those who genuinely cared for the things of Christ's, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (Phil. 2:21, italics added), but Timothy would care for them since he cared for Christ's.
Now, after 30 years, I believe that I have begun to enter the realm of the third level of relationship and understanding: the father level. The father level is a knowing (an experiential, intimate knowing) of Him who is our life in a union, according to Him and His plan from the beginning. "I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning... I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning" (I John 2:13, 14, italics added). Now I understand the Apostle Paul saying, "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel [Christ in you]" (1 Cor. 4: 15). I am coming to know experientially Him who was from the beginning as my very life, my only life (Eph. 1:4). Waning in me is the desire to be strong in myself. In fact, I dare not trust myself. My desire is to be in union with Him, trusting not in myself or my usage of His precious life in me for myself. The government of my life and my living is upon His shoulders (Isa. 9:6). The cost appears great to a self who wants to be a self, who is somebody in themselves. The father level of understanding is knowing Christ in me, as me, while being resigned that "I am crucified."
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me [Christ as a new me]" (Gal. 2:20, italics and author's translation added).
Fathers overcome the wicked one differently from the young man, who thinks it is Christ's life for the young man to use as he pleases. As fathers, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives [psuche, self-life] unto the death" (Rev. 12:11). Fathers have learned to deny and not to trust in themselves. Paul said, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (II Cor. 1:8-9, italics added).
Copyright © 1997 Christ-life Fellowship. The Bible text in this publication, except where otherwise indicated, is from the King James Version. This article appears on the site: http://www.peterwade.com/
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