Tuesday 31 March 2020 1 John 5:1-21
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. -1 John 5:4,5
John plainly states that the believer overcomes the world. But it doesn’t seem to harmonize with the defeated lives of many of God’s children. Many around us declare positively that they believe in Christ the Saviour, yet they are living defeated lives- a life without any fruit or power. The defeated life has no positive influence, no purpose and direction towards the Lord. The defeated life is dominated by the world, the flesh and the devil— three enemies who work for the constant defeat of a Christian.
God wants us to be victorious! Satan wants us to be defeated!
Victory over the world is expected
1 John 5:4 says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world.” The unsaved person feels at home in the world and his fallen nature readily accepts the fine offer of the things he likes. The world often masks its satanic nature behind smiling faces, pleasures, prosperity, and power. It is a total system that offers culture, religion, philosophy, art, science, organization- there are lots to choose from. It can be noble, inspiring, and attractive or else it can be base, disgusting, and cruel. But that is all the unsaved person has.
Those "born of God" belong to another world with their citizenship in heaven. They are “in this world but not of this world” (John 17:16), here as ambassadors for Christ. This world is not their home. Like Abraham, they are aware of "a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" and have become "pilgrims and strangers" on the earth. God does not allow us dual citizenship. This world killed His Son, and God calls us to overcome the world regardless of whether it turns toward us a smiling face or a scowling face. The new nature in the child of God helps him to have victory over the world which is opposed to God.
Victory over the world is explained
The ongoing “FAITH” in Jesus Christ as the SON OF GOD who is enthroned in our hearts will change our attitude toward this world. We can see the world as He saw it. “Faith” in the Son of God will keep us steady and unmoved in the midst of this dark world. Not only does it keep us unmoved but moves us out and win others to our side. It is not the faith that we once exercised when we first became a Christian, but faith in the life of Christ present in and at work in us now.
Hebrews 11 is the great New Testament chapter on faith that overcomes. It begins with…
Abel, who overcame the pride of this world by offering all his hard work on the altar.
Enoch overcame the progress of this world.
Noah, by faith, overcame the pollution of this world.
By faith, Abraham overcame the prospects of this world.
By faith, Sarah overcame the paralysis of this world.
Isaac too overcame the passions of this world.
Jacob overcame the perspective of this world.
The parents of Moses overcame the prince of this world by faith.
Moses overcame the power of this world by refusing a worldly reputation.
Lastly, Rahab overcame the punishment of this world. ∼Expository Commentary by John Phillips
They all caught a glimpse of the Son of God which gave them the grace and power to overcome the world.
Are you a Victim or a Victor? Being an ‘OVERCOMER’ is habitual and ongoing. We are permanently conquerors. The victory can never be taken from us. We may fail along the way; we may fall victim to the enticements of the world here and there. We may lose some battle, but the great war has been won. That is a settled fact forever, never to be altered.
Think on:
“We have been forever delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son.”
(Colossians 1:13)
Listen: ‘Victory in Jesus’