Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?--1 John 5:1-5
Dear Mikayla, Anna, Rebecca and Suzanne,
This is what I want for you my daughters. Victory over this world. Overwhelming success. I want you to be conquerors in Him and through Him! John says that whatever is born of God overcomes the world. The victory that has overcome the world is the believer's faith. Believers then are the overcomers! Why? As believers we have been accepted in the Beloved. We are in Christ and thus share in His victory. What is His is ours! Look at the promises to the overcomer spoken of by the apostle John in Revelation. Read Ephesians and see what riches we have in Him!
Revelation 2:7 To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." '
Revelation 2:11 He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
Revelation 2:17 To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." '
Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
An overcomer believes that Jesus is the Christ and thus is born of God. Belief here is not just intellectual assent. James tells us that the demons believe and tremble. John is speaking of a heart belief. When your heart believes something your words and actions will reflect that belief. Your life will be one dedicated to doing the will of God from your heart. Romans 10:10 says it is with the heart that one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Next we note that because he is born again. he will love both God and fellow believers. Verse 2 defines it further and says that a believer will not only love God and fellow believers but he will also obey His commandments. Our love for God then will be expressed in our love for other believers and our desire to do His will and obey His commandments. Faith leads to love and love leads to obedience. The three are linked here beautifully by John.
Verse 3 goes on to say that His commandments are not burdensome. Contrast Matthew 23:4 with Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus is speaking here in Matthew 23 of the scribes and Pharisees.
"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
In Matthew 11 Jesus gives the only autobiographical statement He ever made:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Now sometimes obeying God is not easy. Sometimes, in fact, many times it is difficult. But because I love Him, I delight to do His will. Doing His will is never a burden because it is not me that does the work, but Christ in me. My job is to surrender to His Spirit and stay close.(hang on tight) The more I know Him...the more I trust Him...the more it becomes my delight to surrender and obey Him because I know that He desires the best for me.
Verse 4 tells us that we as believers have overcome the world. The world is passing away. It is an evil system that continually attempts to get our attention with things that have no value eternally. An unbeliever is enslaved to the things of the world and cannot separate himself from it. A believer is set free and can overcome the world through His faith in Christ. The believer separates himself from the world and sanctifies Christ in his heart...giving Him the preeminence always.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.--Galatians 2:20
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.--Colossians 3:1-4
Satan is the ruler of this world. 1 John 4:4 says that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Our hope is not in this world...our home is not in this world. We look past the temporal to the eternal. Our old nature looks to the things of the world, but our new nature looks to the things above. Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulation but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Our victory is in the person of Jesus. It is through Him that we can do all things. As we grow in faith, we grow in love as we grow in love we grow in obedience. As we immerse ourselves in the things of God and look up the things of earth grow dim and we loosen our grip and focus on the temporal and look, like Abraham did, to the reward. Victory is ours in Him.
Read more and be encouraged...
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”--John 16:33
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.--Romans 8:35-37
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.--1 Cor 15:56-58
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.--1 John 2:15-17
He who does the will of God abides forever...
Love
Mom
Monday, March 14, 2011
My Home Away From Home...
Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah --Psalm 61:1-4
Dear Girls,
David is not really that far from home when he is crying out here. He had fled from Jerusalem at the time of his son Absolom's betrayal and rebellion and was probably just on the other side of the Jordan River. What anguish of heart David must have been experiencing at his son's betrayal!
Like David, when our own hearts are overwhelmed, it can feel like help is a million miles away. But God...God is our shelter, He is our resting place, He is our strong tower and as believers He abides in us...In Him we live and move and have our being. We can trust in the shelter of His wings. God is near girls, as close as our crying. The moment we cry out broken and overwhelmed, He is there. He is our home away from home. He is our defense and the rock of our strength. He is our shelter in the storm. David's God is our God. Pour out your heart before Him, girls. He is a refuge for us!
Love
Mom
Dear Girls,
David is not really that far from home when he is crying out here. He had fled from Jerusalem at the time of his son Absolom's betrayal and rebellion and was probably just on the other side of the Jordan River. What anguish of heart David must have been experiencing at his son's betrayal!
Like David, when our own hearts are overwhelmed, it can feel like help is a million miles away. But God...God is our shelter, He is our resting place, He is our strong tower and as believers He abides in us...In Him we live and move and have our being. We can trust in the shelter of His wings. God is near girls, as close as our crying. The moment we cry out broken and overwhelmed, He is there. He is our home away from home. He is our defense and the rock of our strength. He is our shelter in the storm. David's God is our God. Pour out your heart before Him, girls. He is a refuge for us!
Love
Mom
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