July 21, 2024 THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD
1 John 5:3-5 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
If we do not overcome the world, it will ‘chew us up and spit us out’ as they say. Even though the scriptures tell us that we are in the world, we are not of the world-that’s a huge difference-in and of. This world is a place where there is turmoil, crimes, murder, addictions, selfishness, pride and arrogance, lying, brokeness, lawlessness, divisions, and in general, godlessness. That’s where we live! Sure, there are some ‘good’ moral people in this world, but they are without God and all about living according to their own dictates. In light of living in this world, we could never underestimate the need for believers to be over-comers in this world. Here is the good news; through God’s power and grace, we can overcome the world-but we cannot do it on our own. What makes it possible for us to overcome the world is our faith-the faith that comes from God. Faith is a word often over used; but faith is a super-powerful word, even for the one who does not know God, faith has a certain amount of power, but faith in the living God is the ultimate all-powerful word. It is through faith in God; faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that God is who He says He is-that He is all-knowing-all powerful-all wise and that He sent His Son Jesus to save us from our sins and to redeem us back to Himself. Just like the word faith, the phrase ‘the love of God’ can become something we take lightly. But, you could say that everything, and all that God is about, is done out of His love; the love of God is central. Also, another word from this passage is often misunderstood; the word ‘commandments;’ that word has a negative connotation in the self-fulfilling world in which we live. HOWEVER: to receive the commandments from God and to obey His commandments IS THE ONLY WAY to experience life to the fullest and to live according to our core design. As in my last blog, we looked at how powerful it is to be ‘born of God.’ Unless we outright resist God and His ways, to be born of God is the kingpin to overcoming the world-being called by God, by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, by having the Son and the Father to make their abode IN US absolutely changes everything! Being born of God insures that we overcome the ways of the world; being born of God insures our victory. Let us not be passive in this life and let us not be squeezed into the world’s mold. Rather, let our hearts and minds grasp and embrace the love love of God; when we live in His love, we will indeed overcome the world and we will find ultimate fulfillment. It’s so simple; if we love Him, the result will be that we keep His commandments.
1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Blessings, Buddy
1 John 5:3-5 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
If we do not overcome the world, it will ‘chew us up and spit us out’ as they say. Even though the scriptures tell us that we are in the world, we are not of the world-that’s a huge difference-in and of. This world is a place where there is turmoil, crimes, murder, addictions, selfishness, pride and arrogance, lying, brokeness, lawlessness, divisions, and in general, godlessness. That’s where we live! Sure, there are some ‘good’ moral people in this world, but they are without God and all about living according to their own dictates. In light of living in this world, we could never underestimate the need for believers to be over-comers in this world. Here is the good news; through God’s power and grace, we can overcome the world-but we cannot do it on our own. What makes it possible for us to overcome the world is our faith-the faith that comes from God. Faith is a word often over used; but faith is a super-powerful word, even for the one who does not know God, faith has a certain amount of power, but faith in the living God is the ultimate all-powerful word. It is through faith in God; faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that God is who He says He is-that He is all-knowing-all powerful-all wise and that He sent His Son Jesus to save us from our sins and to redeem us back to Himself. Just like the word faith, the phrase ‘the love of God’ can become something we take lightly. But, you could say that everything, and all that God is about, is done out of His love; the love of God is central. Also, another word from this passage is often misunderstood; the word ‘commandments;’ that word has a negative connotation in the self-fulfilling world in which we live. HOWEVER: to receive the commandments from God and to obey His commandments IS THE ONLY WAY to experience life to the fullest and to live according to our core design. As in my last blog, we looked at how powerful it is to be ‘born of God.’ Unless we outright resist God and His ways, to be born of God is the kingpin to overcoming the world-being called by God, by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, by having the Son and the Father to make their abode IN US absolutely changes everything! Being born of God insures that we overcome the ways of the world; being born of God insures our victory. Let us not be passive in this life and let us not be squeezed into the world’s mold. Rather, let our hearts and minds grasp and embrace the love love of God; when we live in His love, we will indeed overcome the world and we will find ultimate fulfillment. It’s so simple; if we love Him, the result will be that we keep His commandments.
1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Blessings, Buddy
RSS Feed