In the second chapter of I Peter, John found much encouragement, also in I Cor. 13:11, where he read:  “When I was a child, I thought as a child:  but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  Again he was determined to become a man, and to develop as quickly as possible.  From that time on he availed himself of every opportunity to do good to all mankind, and this was no hardship.  His great whole-hearted nature made him love to do good and to be a help to all who were in need.

At other times John read the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus, and the account of how Jesus thanked his heavenly Father for hiding His truths from the wise and prudent and for revealing them to babes.  John was not long in perceiving the mystery concerning the new birth, for he had gained the experience; and he thanked God that it had been revealed to him.

Once while studying the Word of God, John discovered that the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians teaches that Christian people on the earth represent Christ’s spiritual body.  As the natural body possesses many members—­hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, etc.—­each having its own special work, just so the spiritual body of which He (Christ) is the head has many members to carry on the Lord’s work on the earth.  And, as in the human body, each member has its own work to do; similarly, in the spiritual body, each member has his own work to perform.  Some preach, some teach, some perform miracles, some (perhaps all) pray for the sick, and some do various other things, each as he is directed; but all work in harmony.  The members are all assigned their work and places in the body by the directions of the heavenly Father.

From reading the second chapter of Acts, John found that soon after Christ ascended to heaven God sent His Holy Spirit to the earth to superintend the work of the members of His Son’s spiritual body, or saved people, and that this same Holy Spirit is still guiding and helping them.  He also read in I John 2:15—­“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

By reading further in the apostle John’s epistle, John discovered that there are many false spirits in the world that are trying to deceive God’s people and that it is often necessary to try the spirits to know which is right.  He saw that the test is love.  If anyone loves God and His Son, Jesus, more than anything else in the world, and feels as much interest in his neighbor’s welfare as in his own, that one can be sure that he is God’s own child.  And Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells of an armor that God has prepared for His people to wear that will enable them to overcome all false spirits.