Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3071
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 1 John 5:21.
THIS is the conclusion of one of the most mysterious, most simple and yet most sublime of all the Divinely-inspired Books. And we may naturally expect that the closing verse of the Epistle will have great weight in it. This seems to be the practical conclusion of the whole matter upon which John had been writing, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” This Epistle is specially perfumed with love. As you read it, you cannot help realizing that it was written by a very tender, gentle hand and yet, when this loving writer is giving has last words in this Epistle, the admonition with which he closes is this, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” As love thus speaks in its fullness, let us be ready to give earnest attention to the message which it utters. John has, in this Epistle, written much concerning the love of Jesus, as well he might, for he knew more about that love than any other man knew. And yet, when he had written concerning love to Jesus, he was moved to an intense jealousy lest, by any means, the hearts of those to whom he wrote should be turned aside from that dear Lover of their souls who deserved their entire affection and, therefore, not only love to them, but also love to Jesus, made him wind up his letter with these significant words, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
I. My first observation shall be concerning THE TITLE UNDER WHICH WE ARE HERE ADDRESSED—“Little children.”
I do not think that John meant, literally, to address little children. Nor do I think he merely referred to a certain class of Believers who are very little in Grace and, therefore, are called “babes” in contrast to those who are men in Christ. I think he addressed himself to the whole body of Believers to whom he was writing and, through them, that he addressed the whole Church of Christ when he wrote, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
This is, first, a title of deep affection. The Christian Church is the home of Christian love. When it is what it should always be, it is a family—it is “the household of faith,” of which God Himself is the Father, the Lord Jesus is the Elder Brother, and all the members are Brothers and Sisters—all equal, all one in Christ Jesus, all seeking to serve the rest, laying themselves out to be servants to the whole band of Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It seems most appropriate that an aged Apostle, such as John doubtless was when he wrote this Epistle, should have looked round upon the younger members of the Lord’s family and should have called them, “little children.” And when we recollect how much he knew and, above all, how much he had seen of Jesus, how he had fallen at the feet of his glorified Lord as one who was dead, and then had had the pierced hand of Jesus laid upon him to raise him up—when we remember how he had heard the blowing of the seven trumpets and seen the pouring out of the seven vials, how he had beheld a door opened in Heaven, how he had counted the foundations of the glorious City and gazed within its streets of gold, and heard the music of the celestial harps—I do not wonder that such a man with such a mind and heart, so full of God, must, as he looked upon the rest of his brethren, have regarded them, without any egotism, as still remaining as “little children.” It is a familiar, endearing mode of speech such as I think should often be coming from the lips of aged saints. At any rate, if our expressions are not exactly the same as John’s, the love to which the expression was thus given should burn in each one of our hearts. Like as a father loves his children, so should the pastor love his flock, so should the teacher love his class— and he may speak to them in such terms as these, “My little children.”
Mark, next, that in this title there is much that indicates good. John calls those to whom he wrote, “children”— children of God, he means and he calls them “little children.” Now, it is a good thing to be even little children in Christ, for this is an indication that the new birth has taken place! If this is the case with us, we are not now men or women in sin, but children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. What a priceless privilege it is to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit! There is a so-called “regeneration” by a priestly ceremony which leaves the man or the child as unregenerate as he was before the ceremony had been performed! But the regeneration by the Holy Spirit entirely changes the nature of the pea-son concerned and bestows upon him or her a new heart and a right spirit. To have this high privilege is to have one of the choicest gifts of Heaven—indeed, it is that which is essential to the enjoyment of all other blessings! So, however humble the title, “little children,” may be, it is an indication of much good, for it is no small thing to be a little child in Christ Jesus and to be able even to lisp, as a little child might, “Abba, Father,” and to say, with all the rest of God’s family, “Our Father, who are in Heaven.”