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Sunday, October 11, 2009

I John 5:5

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

For further study - I John 5:1-21

John defines for us who an "overcomer" is in I John 5. He tells us what's in store for those of us who are "overcomers" as foretold in Revelation 2 and 3. I'll get back to you on that in a moment but first to things that we know for sure, as confirmed by this chapter of I John.

Verses 11-13 tell us, on the record, how we can have a "know so" salvation. God, verse 11, has given us "eternal life". This is a gift from God for all of us who recognize that this life is in His Son.

The text tells us "this life is in His Son". The positive and negative are found in verse 12, "he that hath the Son of God hath life," and vice-versa, "he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

The truth is very simple. There is no need to question or worry about salvation, eternal life. In fact, the reason John wrote this book is so that we can "know" for sure that we have eternal life. That's not a feeling, a 'hope so" or a "guess so", but a "know so" salvation.

Then John gives us confidence about our "prayer life", and that confidence is found in the Lord, also. John tells us that if we ask anything “according to His will”, we can know that the Lord hears us.

Then we are told that since He hears us, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him, verses 14-15. You may say, how can we know His will so that we can pray in His will?

The "Word of God" is the "will of God". Know the "Word of God" and you will know the "will of God". But you may say, I can't determine the "will of God" from the Word on a specific matter, that's where Romans 8:26-27 comes into the equation. When we can not determine the "will of God" the Holy Spirit takes over and intercedes for us according to the "will of God", Romans 8:26-27.

There is another "great nugget" for us to take away from our Bible reading today. It's found in I John 5:4-5. John, as I said earlier, defines who is an "overcomer". An "overcomer" is someone who is born of God. That would be someone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God who died for us and rose from the dead.

We must "admit" that we are sinners, in need of salvation. We then "believe" that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was that which our Lord did to take away our sin. After admitting and believing, we then "call" upon Him to save us, Romans 10:13. An "overcomer" is someone who is “born again”.

With this information we can see what is guaranteed to all "overcomers" as found in the “letters to the seven churches” of Asia Minor, Revelation 2 and 3. Common in all of the letters to the seven churches, "he that is an "overcomer", precedes the promise that the Lord makes to all "overcomers."



PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for giving me eternal life by making me an "overcomer". And thank you also for all that is promised in Your letter to the seven churches of Revelation to "overcomers."