Faith that Overcomes the World!

"This is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God"
1 John 5:4, 5.

What is this faith that overcomes the world? The preface to the verse above is this, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot (God) also loves him who is begotten of Him (Jesus). By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcomes the world-our faith" 1 John 5:1-5.

Faith in Jesus, this is the victory that overcomes the world. Think about it…

Jesus is the Messiah! Matthew 1:18-25; Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7.
Jesus is the Creator! John 1:1-3, 10; Col. 1:16.
Jesus is the Lord of the Old Testament! John 8:58.
Jesus was the Lord that led Israel through the wilderness! 1 Cor. 10:1-4.
Jesus is the Lord! Exodus 6:2-4.
Jesus is the God of all flesh! Jer. 32:26, 27.
Jesus is the Word of God! John 1:1.
Jesus is the bread of life! John 6:35.
Jesus is the light of the world! John 8:12.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd! John 10:11.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life! John 11:25.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life! John 14:6.
Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches! John 15:5.
Jesus is the One who was dead and who is alive forevermore! Rev. 1:18.
Jesus is coming again! Matt. 24:30, 31; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 22:12.
In Jesus Christ, you are blessed!

We are only as strong at that in which we place our faith and trust. We have the opportunity to put our faith and trust in the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth (John 1:1-5, 10, 12-14).

How is this faith demonstrated in the lives of people who seek the presence of Jesus? Jesus shared with His disciples on His last evening with them before His crucifixion. He said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." And He gave them a promise, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" John 14:15-18. Christ's promise is to be present with His disciples of all ages, with those who trust Him and obey Him, through the agency of His Holy Spirit.

This message was so important that Jesus stated it three times during that last supper with His disciples. "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" John 14:19-21.

Judas, not Iscariot - not the betrayer, was confused and asked Jesus, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me" John 14:22-24.

Paul reinforces this faith relationship with Jesus throughout his letters and messages. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3:26.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" Ephesians 3:14-19.

Being filled with the fullness of God starts with putting our faith and trust in God the Father and in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Christ's promise to His followers is, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" John 10:10.

What are these commandments that Jesus asks those who love Him to keep? A scribe came to Jesus one day and heard Him speak of heaven and what it will be like. He asked Jesus a question, "What is the first commandment?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second like it is this; 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these" Mark 12:28-31. Jesus here is sharing with us the principle underlying the original commandments that He gave to the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai. The first four commandments relate to our relationship with God (Exodus 20:2-11). The last six commandments address our relationship with one another (Exodus 20:12-17). Jesus gave the same answer to a lawyer recorded in Matthew 22:35-40, and He further stated, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The foundation of God's relationship with us is love.

When we perceive the love that God the Father has shared with us through all that He has done for us in and through Jesus, we begin to comprehend and appreciate the values He shares with us in the Bible through the lives of those who have put their faith and trust in Him.

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith"

Jesus is worthy of our trust and when we put our faith and trust in Him, He enables us to overcome any worldly concern or care.

May His blessings be with you today, every day, and forever.