“BORN TO OVERCOME”

4 “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

The world has a lot of good things to offer. In fact, we do what we do to have a taste of those good things. But if we’re not careful, we can get caught up in the shine and glimmer of the world and forget about the things that actually matter. How do we avoid this?

Yesterday, we learned that for a Christian, the yoke of obedience is light and refreshing. Obeying God gives him joy, the same way Jesus lovingly fulfilled the Father’s will.

In today’s verse, John makes an encouraging statement: every born again Christian overcomes the world. To do so means to gain victory over its sinful way of life. While overcoming the world is an impossible task for an unbeliever, it is possible for a Christian because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

This victory is the result of faith (pistis), which has two aspects. First, the believer turns from the world to God, and second, the believer relies on God for victory against sin. Overcoming the world is the same as overcoming the enemy, the mastermind behind the deceptive, ungodly system that runs the world.

In and of ourselves, we are feeble and thus can be easily distracted by the shine and glimmer of the world. On the other hand, faith in God gives us the strength and power to resist the temptations of fleeting earthly pleasures and discipline ourselves to seek godly desires.

We live in a day and age where we are empowered to seek temporary things—riches, success, comfort, and power. Running after these things may sound exciting but it only ends in tragedy. Meanwhile, pursuing the Savior ensures a life full of meaning and an eternity of peace and joy.

We only have one life and are given 24 hours each day. How we spend those hours is critical to our eternity. Will we allow worldliness or godliness to take up our precious time?

Pursue the Savior today!