Sunday, June 6, 2021
Victory Over the World
We study John’s first letter and we see the logic in believing that our faith will help us to move away from the easy commandment the world gives us of taking care of self.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God . . .
We also feel the tug of faith based on Christ, the certainty of hope placed in God and the serenity of love found in the Spirit.
Everyone who loves the father also loves the one begotten by God . . .
Yet still we may struggle with how it is that this victory that John describes – and the victory we want to experience – takes place in us.
In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey God’s commandments . . .
We might look for certain answers to our many questions and ask for more solid information, but this negates the process that John describes of coming to know Christ through faith.
For the love of God is this, that we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not burdensome . . .
If we fight against loving our enemies we must remember that the more we practice interceding for those who harm us the more we find ourselves awaking to God’s Law of Love.
For whoever is begotten by God conquers the world . . .
We need not struggle against exterior forces of darkness; rather, we struggle with our own reluctance to trust God . . . even a reluctance which seems to be founded on logic and prudence.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith . . .
We need not look to others to find happiness and even serenity; rather, we need look only to ourselves and our willingness to love God in everyone we meet, even those who wish us harm.
Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
When we believe that we can find no victory in this world . . . perhaps we might reconsider what kind of victory we seek . . . and if our victory finds it foundation in Christ himself.
Enter the word victory into the blog search bar and consider what victory looks like to those who trust God.
Image from: http://www.pinterest.com/alannadueck/christian-quotes/
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