by Susan Sampson
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Page 15 in our study Beyond Belief states: “John wants us to have a sure confidence in the Lord, a certainty about His love and His salvation. Such a confidence will enable us to encounter the unexpected with faith, joy, and love and to overcome and not be overcome!”
Two things jumped out at me during the lecture – the first one was actually before the lecture even began. It was in Laurie’s prayer. She prayed “that God’s Word would be the final word!” And then later in the lecture she told us how important it is that I settle this in my soul.
We must stop reasoning things out in our own minds. We must stop relying on our own insight. We must stop allowing our feelings to be our shepherd. God’s Word must be the final word!
Oh how I hate it when my children try to argue with me and want to have the last word! Yet this is what I have been doing with my heavenly Father. I have been allowing Satan to overwhelm me with my feelings and fear and doubts and I have been allowing my flesh to overrule God’s Word.
And the Word tells me “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
God’s Word must be the final word! It is by faith that we overcome! “And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (1 John 5:4b). By God’s grace through faith we will overcome our flesh that overrules, the world that overrides, and Satan who overwhelms us.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:35-37).
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are“ (1 John 3:1a).
This is God’s Word. And it is final.