Overcoming the World
Topic: Loving God
Scripture: 1 John 5:3,4; 1 John 2:15-17
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Now we could ask many people how do we show love to God. We would get so many answers but today we want the scriptures to tell us how we love God.
1 John 5:3,4: For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith
So to show love to God as a son, we do it through obedience. When we are obedient and in a state of submission we conform to the image of God and this is worship. Not to obey His commandments do not bring grief but peace into the lives of the sons. Remember the result of the Lord's rulership is peace. But this requires you to be rightly-aligned or rightly-positioned with the source of the authority and power (grace) in the Kingdom and House of God. Now watch this. John goes on to tell us that WHOSEOEVER IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMETH THE WORLD: AND THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH. So to overcome the world you must become a son of God. The result of being a son of God is that you have the victory that overcomes the world. Now being a son of God is more than just confession, faith and wait to go to heaven. We discussed in a previous message that when you are born of God, you are an infant and require nourishment and discipleship to grow to maturity to handle the true riches of the Kingdom. Now this means we cannot just sit back and think we are ok because the world will push on you and the devil will make you believe that nothing has changed and you are still a sinner and has not been forgiven. But remember how John started 1 John 2:1 and 12, he told the children that their sins are forgiven. It is the mature sons job to bear up the immature and weak and disciple them to maturity.
This is what God did with us by carrying our sins on Him and pinning them to the cross as a constant reminder that Jesus paid it all with His blood. This is the love of God shown boldly to us. Now we have a responsibility to carry on His Will in the earth and mature the House of God for the return of the Lord. Many people claim to love God but their actions say completely different. God searches the hearts of everyone but our evidence is in the fruit that the person bears. Now if we are discipling in the proper way then the son of God matures understanding this scripture:
1 John 2:15-17: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that love the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not
We know that the world refers to the systems or ways of the world which are controlled by the devil. The sons of God do not lust after the things of this world and the ways of the world but for the love of the Father. In their obedience to the Father they do not make their primary concern provision and protection but the Will of God is their primary concern. Provision and protection comes with being a son in their Father’s House.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
