" I write unto you, children" [not " little children," but all saints], " because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." It is a settled thing; you are not Christians at all without your sins are forgiven you. The poor jailor wanted salvation and that is what he got. " He cried out, What must I do to be saved?" That is what he wanted. If I come to hear the testimony of God, what I want is to be saved, to get life. Nicodemus came by night with his questions; the Lord said, " You must be born again." " He that is in Christ is a new creation." The jailor did not know what being in Christ meant, but he believed: what is the consequence? He was saved by a work which was accomplished before ever he asked to be saved. If he believed in Christ he was saved; he got eternal life.
There is difficulty now of Christians having peace. Before Christianity became a profession in the world, a Christian was counted and understood to be saved; but now all pretend to be Christians, and they who are really so want to know if they are true Christians; whereby the simple fact of redemption is very much lost sight of; viz., that " your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." God's judgment is passed already on your sins in Christ. If I look to Christ to be saved, as bearing my sins, His judgment is you have eternal life; that is just as much the judgment of God as if Christ had pronounced it on the great white throne. He knows the value of the work of His Son. He is the judge, and not you. " I
write unto you, little children." He can add a great deal to the little children; but to the fathers he has only one thing to say, " You have known him that is from the beginning." Whatever else it might be it ends all in this, " Known him that is from the beginning," that is Christ. If anything is brought to me that is not Christ, I reject it. If I know a person it is himself that I know. I am to know that my sins are forgiven me for His name's sake; but I am to know Him that is from the beginning also. " No man knoweth the Son but the Father."
The apostle distinguishes growth—The fathers have known Christ from the beginning, the true Christ-that guards the soul-knowing him perfectly; no ambiguity, no uncertainty; and all the exercises and experiences of the Christian, which are often so much dwelt on, are but the scaffolding of the soul to get at this-" known him that is from the beginning." The young Christian is full of joy, and is thus taken up with himself; whereas the old Christian speaks less about the joy, but says, " It is Christ Himself possessed that makes me happy." His heart trusts in the Lord. The things of the world, even the things of the Church, do not disturb him; he counts on the love. ever watchful and certain in its eye, and is not afraid at any evil tidings. He knows though heaven and earth were to dissolve or crumble into pieces, and the Church itself (which is impossible), His throne remains. There is a steadiness in the man's soul because he knows " Him that is from the beginning," knows a manifested Christ, One whom he hath " looked upon with his eyes, and his hands have handled." The apostle was speaking of a Christ he had known and seen and handled, and which was from the beginning, and says, There is the fathers' character, and he has nothing to add.
How far have your souls found steady rest in Christ? or, how far are they satisfied with Christ? Forsaken of friends are you still satisfied with Him? Or how far are these things that you crave and have to resist? Have you done with the world? not as tired of its vanities and weary of its pleasure, but because your souls have found something in Christ that satisfies for all? Is He found such a manifestation of God to your souls that you rest in Him? then you can say, " None of these things move me." The two points to young men and children are-first, that they have overcome the wicked one, the prince of this world; secondly, that they have known the Father through believing in Christ, and have therefore the Spirit of adoption, and no doubt of the Father's love. The young men overcoming the wicked one is connected with their having the word of God abiding in them and overcoming the world; " Love not the world," &c. Then the little children are warned against the seductions of false doctrines, &c.; and he adds, " But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."