15/10/2013 - OUR FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD

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For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

I John 5:4

Hallelujah! The Lord gave us something powerful to overcome the world: our faith. With faith we can subdue kingdoms, practice righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, draw strength from weakness, become valiant in fight and put the armies of hell to flight. Faith is the sign that we are prepared to do what the Word of God declares to be God’s will for us.

Faith is given to us freely when we heed what the Lord speaks to us through His Word (Romans 10:17). The first step is to believe that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever believes in what the Almighty says is born of God, becomes a new creature and, as a result, the old things pass away (II Corinthians 5:17). In saying that everything is new, the Lord is telling us not to accept the weaknesses of the past – such as filthy thoughts – that kept us bound by sin and trapped in the devil’s claws.

The sign that shows that an individual does not truly love Jesus is when he or she is negligent in relation to the commandments given by Him. If you do not give ear to the Lord’s voice nor strive to fulfill His orders, it means you still have not been born of the heavenly Father. He who does not love Christ does not love the Father who begat Him, and therefore does not love the children of God. If your faith makes you selfish, you are not well spiritually.

To say you love the Lord only with words is paying lip service; after all, he who truly loves Him has His commandments and keeps them (John 14:21). If the fate of the lost does not bother you and you do nothing for them to hear the Word, or if you think that because you tithe, sponsor or financially support the divine work you do not need to speak of Christ’s love, your love is not complete (I John 3:16).

God’s children are known for their love to those who still do not know the Truth. It doesn´t matter whether the lost ones live nearby or, say, in Africa, Asia or any other continent. The Spirit of God compels the members of the Body of Christ to fulfill the last order given by Jesus – to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

The Lord’s commandments are not burdensome (I John 5:3). On the contrary, they give us immense joy. Those who have and keep them know that no barrier separates them from God; therefore, they overcome the world (verse 4). However, those who let themselves be defeated prove that the divine love is not reigning in their heart. The true servants of the Most High are known for respecting the faith given to them (Hebrews 13:7).

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares