Now that we have seen the source, the base, and the way of the believers' growth in life in the writings of John, we want to go on to see its progression. Many immigrants came to the United States from the Far East with their children, and many of their children became bigger than they are. This is because they all drank much of the American milk. Surely that drinking of milk gave them the progression in the growth of their physical life. When you eat and drink, you progress in life.
John said that the young children are those who know the Father (1 John 2:13c) and who have received the anointing to know all things (vv. 18-27). Even though you may be young in the Lord, you know the Father and you have the anointing within. When you say, "Abba, Father," the Spirit as the ointment is moving within you. The anointing is the moving and working of the indwelling Spirit. Every saved one has the Spirit within him. When we cry, "Abba, Father!" the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16).
Eventually, the young children in the Lord grow into the young men. We must remember that our growth is for the building up of the Body of Christ. The young men are those who are strong in the word of God (1 John 2:14b), who have overcome the evil one (vv. 13b, 14c), and who do not love the world or the things in the world (vv. 15-17). In the United States, it is difficult not to love the world because there are too many worldly attractions here. The worldly pleasures, styles, and attractions frustrate us from growing in the divine life. The church needs the young men growing up for the building up of the Body of Christ.
As the young men progress in the divine life, they grow into the fathers, who know Him—Christ, who is from the beginning (1 John 2:13a, 14a). Some among us are older—not only older in age but also older in the Lord. They should be considered as spiritual fathers. These fathers know Christ, who is from the beginning. For the young children to know the Father is easy. But Christ is a mystery, so it is not easy to know Christ. Christ is the mystery of God (Col. 2:2), and He has a mystery called the church, which is the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4). Christ in totality is a mystery. He is both God and man. He is the Father (Isa. 9:6), the Son (John 1:18), and the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17). Because He is so mysterious, it is not easy to know Him. When you know Christ, the all-inclusive One, you are a spiritual father. If the churches do not have fathers, they will not be able to grow in the divine life that well.