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1 John 5:4 - Faith of Overcomers.1 John 5:4 (ESV) For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.1 John 5:4 (ICB) Everyone who is a child of God has the power to win against the world. It is our faith that wins the victory against the world. 1 John 5:4 (CWR) Everyone born of God can overcome the world. And this is what gives us victory over the world: our faith in God. 1 John 5:4 (TLB) for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him. INTRODUCTION Jesus never promised that obeying him would be easy. But the hard work and self-discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love him. And if our load starts to feel heavy, we can always trust Christ to help us bear it (see Matthew 11:28-30). [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL Let no one think he can overcome without the help of God. You must have the energy, the strength, the power, of an inner life developed within you. You will then bear fruit unto godliness, and will have an intense loathing of vice. You need to constantly strive to work away from earthliness, from cheap conversation, from everything sensual, and aim for nobility of soul and a pure and unspotted character. Your name may be kept so pure that it cannot justly be connected with anything dishonest or unrighteous... MM144 COMMENTARY Faith Brings Victory Not many people are willing to run a marathon, a 26.2-mile race, but can you imagine running that distance with a 100-pound pack strapped to your back? That's what Collin Harrison of Lincolnshire, England, accomplished at a world-record time of 4 hours and 47 minutes. Ahead of the race, he told a reporter that it would be his last attempt because he was under "strict instruction" from his wife - so he had to get it right. When thinking about trying to obey all of God's commandments, many feel they are carrying an impossible burden. But God never intended His law to be a cumbersome weight: "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). Today's Bible promise explains how the law of heaven doesn't need to be oppressive. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world." The apostle John, in his account of Jesus speaking with Nicodemus, wrote about an essential step in receiving salvation: Christ told the teacher, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). In your own sinful state, you do not have the power to keep God's law. Attempting to obey without being born again through the power of the Holy Spirit is fruitless. But when you give yourself to Jesus and are filled with love for Him, you will find it a joy to fulfill His requests. How do we receive such power? "This is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith." O Lord, I am tired of trying to obey You in my own power. By faith, I choose to turn everything over to You. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] The Weapons of Faith One of Satan's sly devices is to divert our minds from the help God offers us in our struggles against evil, telling us we have to fight the battle alone. But God knows we need His help. The Bible warns, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). What would you do if you met a lion? You'd probably run, and you'd probably grab any weapon you could to fend him off if he attacked. And that is true in our struggles against evil. When evil and temptation stalk us, our first response should be to flee. And when they still attack, we should use every weapon we have to drive them away. The good news is this: God has provided the weapons! His Word, His angels, His Spirit, the encouragement and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ - these and more are "weapons" God provides. We aren't in this battle alone - so why act like it? [Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham] Victory Through Faith During Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf, Americans learned about new technology such as smart bombs with pinpoint accuracy. We heard about missiles with cameras to show whether they hit their intended targets. As we walk with God, the devil fires his so-called smart bombs at us. His flaming arrows are swift and silent. We don't receive advanced warnings of the attacks. They come unexpectedly and at the most inopportune times. They may come in the form of an impure thought, a moment of hatred, or an onslaught of fear and worry. And when we feel guilty for having these kinds of thoughts, our accuser, the devil, moves in for the kill He whispers, "How could you think about something like that? What's wrong with you? What kind of a Christian are you?" We need to understand that this is an enemy attack. It's a barrage of flaming arrows. So, what are we supposed to do when this happens? The apostle Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 6: "In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil" (verse 16 NLT). Notice this is a shield of faith, not a shield of emotions. If we base our Christian life on fluctuating emotions, we will quickly suffer defeat. There will be times when we don't feel God's presence. There will be times when we don't feel that great. It is then that we come back to faith in what God has said and in His promises to us. It is then that we take God at His Word and believe. The Bible tells us, "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith" (1 John 5:4 NLT). Faith is of paramount importance. As long as you believe God, you're raising the shield of faith. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] CLOSING PEARLS Faith Enables Obedience. Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience. {SC 60, 61} Christians are those who overcome the world through their relationship with Christ. [Word In Life SB] SUMMARY STATEMENT The 3 characteristics of an "overcomer"? FAITH IS THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC of an overcomer (v. 1). The term "believes" conveys the idea of continuing faith, making the point that the mark of genuine believers is that they continue in faith throughout their life. Saving belief is not simply intellectual acceptance, but wholehearted dedication to Jesus Christ that is permanent. The object of the believer's faith is Jesus, particularly that He is the promised Messiah or "Anointed One" whom God sent to be the Savior from sin. Whoever places faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior has been born again and, as a result, is an overcomer (v. 5). To be "born of God" is a reference to the new birth and is the same word that Jesus used in John 3:7. The tense of the Greek verb indicates that ongoing faith is the result of the new birth and, therefore, the evidence of the new birth. The sons of God will manifest the reality that they have been born again by continuing to believe in God's Son, the Savior. The new birth brings us into a permanent faith relationship with God and Christ. LOVE IS THE SECOND CHARACTERISTIC of the overcomer (v. 1). The overcomer not only believes in God, but loves both God and fellow believers. The moral test is again in view. OBEDIENCE IS THE THIRD CHARACTERISTIC of an overcomer (v. 2). In these verses, John weaves faith, love, and obedience all together inextricably. They exist mutually in a dynamic relationship - as the genuine proof of love is obedience, so the genuine proof of faith is love. The word "keep" conveys the idea of constant obedience (John 8:31, 32; 14:15, 21; 15:10). [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 John 5:4 - Faith of Overcomers. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210206-0955.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130113-1255.html Matthew 11:28 - The Invitation Of All Invitations. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240705-1424.html Romans 8:6 - HOLY SPIRIT LIVING!!! https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230331-0855.html Philippians 4:13 - Christ; The Key To Doing All Things. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230117-1008.html James 4:7 - How To Deal With Temptation. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230627-0954.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |