Christ Overcomes; First John

May the mumbling commence!

Whom do you trust for the ultimate victory?  Who will overcome (in Greek NIKE base word – yes the same name as the shoe company, which in Greek means “he overcomes”) in the end?  The answer is found in First John chapter five.  Read it below from the New Living Translation:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.  We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.  Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult.  For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory.  And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (Verses 1-5)

This passage makes me think of a song that I like.  It goes like this: “If you believe and I believe and we together pray the Holy Spirit must come down and set God’s people free.”  I can see a Jesus Nike slogan – “Just believe”.  Believe together.  Pray together.  The Holy Spirit will respond and set us free. 

(No, I really do not think Nike shoes will get an endorsement deal with Jesus.  That is one call that Jesus will not be answering.  We need ask for things in line with Jesus’ will.  See First John 5:14ff.)

The Holy Spirit sets us free.  That’s a reason to celebrate!  Trust in Christ for the victory, and you will never be disappointed.  It seems simple.  But, in a world filled with so many superheroes and idols, it is never that simple.  It is far too easy to put our trust in something else or someone else other than Christ Jesus.

And the past days, we’ve been thinking some about love.  It, too, is simple; yet quite difficult.  What does loving God look like?  It looks like obedience to God’s commandments.  And the writer of First John tells us that obeying the commandments really isn’t that difficult…

Hold the phone!  Obedience to God isn’t difficult?!?  If I trusted in my obedience to God, I would be hurtling down a swift flowing river, trying to negotiate shallow and narrow rapids, while heading to a steep waterfall WITHOUT A PADDLE.  No, it’s not difficult.  When we come right down to it, it is impossible.

That is why we trust in Christ to gain the victory for us.  And that trust we need not sweat.

How sweet is that?!?  The glory is  thine, O Christ!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out