Scripture reading: I John 5:5
I John 5:4 speaks of “Whatsoever is born of God” as the overcomer of the world, but let us look at verse 5 which speaks of the WHOSOEVER:
I John 5:5a, “Who is he that overcometh the world?”
This question in itself is a challenge. Do we know him? Are we also overcomers of the world? He said, “The prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me.” Is Satan finding something that belongs to him in us? Let us look at the rest of the verse:
I John 5:5b, “—but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Many of the things some of us do convince me that we do not really believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I am sure this sounds very strange to the reader, but if you just look with me for a while at some practical examples: If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, then we must also realize that He is here with us and that He knows our thoughts; that in the privacy of our very souls there is nothing hid from Him. How then could we live day after day and go to prayer, some of us even preaching to others, without repentance before Him, of attitudes and thought of others which are not apparent but secret. Every work shall be brought into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.
Do we really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Then we are overcomers of the world system. When we fear the high and mighty hierarchy of man and cower before his power; when we have to go to politics for our deliverance, then we are denying the power of Christ and we deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Once Jesus visited me in my room, just after I had gone to register for bible school. His eyes were ablaze as if a fiery steam issued from them; He pointed His finger in my face and said, “If you go to bible school, you will be rejecting me as your teacher.” I had no such intention, nor would I ever consciously reject Him as my teacher, but by the act of TAKING ANOTHER TEACHER, I was automatically rejecting the one I had. When we accept certain things or do certain things, we automatically reject other things. Could it be possible that some of us are denying Christ by accepting some other thing or person? Let us walk circumspectly before God so that we can be numbered among those who overcome the world.
(Excerpt from The Omega Message, May 1986)
Thought for today: If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, then we must also realize that He is here with us, that He knows our thoughts and that there is nothing hid from Him.
Sonlight Devotional 