Faith As An Overcomer # 1

Faith As An Overcomer # 1

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

Four questions call for answer: Why "whatever" rather than "whoever"? What is "the world" which is to be overcome? How does faith overcome it? What is the extent of its victory? The people spoken of are the regenerate, and "whatever" is used because it takes in whatever may be their station or situation in this life. Whoever is born of God, no matter what his rank or situation, "overcomes the world." Regeneration is wrought equal and alike in all, and it produces the same fruits and effects in all - as it respects the essentials of godliness. It is not drawn forth into exercise and act in all alike, for there are particular duties to be performed and particular graces to be exercised - according to such times and places as are personal - but not universal - as, for example, one called to endure martyrdom. But "whatever (person) is born of God (no matter how distinguished from others by His providence) overcomes the world."

The "world" is a term which is used in Scripture with many shades of meaning. Sometimes it means the earth; at others, the Church of Christ; at others, empty professors. When used in an ethical or religious sense, it denotes that system over which satan presides as prince (John 14:30) or as '"god" (2 Cor. 4:4), the supreme director of all false religions. Since there is nothing which the devil hates so much as the Gospel, his main activities are engaged in the corrupting of it, in deceiving souls by plausible counterfeits. But that "faith" in Christ and His salvation - results from a Scriptural knowledge of Him, imparted to the spiritual mind by the light and teaching of the Holy Spirit - sees through satan's imitations. Only by a believing reception of the Truth, can error be overcome. One of the fruits of the new birth - then is a faith which not only enables its possessor to overcome the sensual and sinful customs, and the carnal maxims and policies by which the profane world is regulated - but also the lying delusions and errors by which the professing world is fatally deceived.

1 John 5:4 opens with "For," which intimates the reason why that to the regenerate the commandments of God "are not grievous" (1 John 5:3); so in this verse, "the world" signifies whatever has the effect of rendering the Divine precepts distasteful to men. The "world" is in direct antagonism to God and His people, and we may detect its presence and identify it with certainty by perceiving the effect it produces on our hearts in this way: the world is that which ministers to the carnal nature - be it people or things - and which tends to render obedience to God irksome and unpleasant. Any one or any thing which draws your heart away from God and His authority, is for you "the world." Whatever lessens your estimate of Christ and heavenly things, and hinders practical piety is, for you, "the world" - be it the cares of this life, riches, receiving honor from men, social prestige and pomp, the fear of man lest you be dubbed "peculiar" or "fanatical" is, for you, "the world" - and either you overcome it, or it will fatally overcome you.

Now, the only thing which will or can "overcome the world" is a God-given - but self-exercised faith.

And faith does so, first, by receiving into the heart God's infallible testimony of the same. He declares that "the world" is a corrupt, evanescent, hostile thing, which shall yet be destroyed by Him. His Holy Word teaches that the world is "evil" (Galatians 1:4), that "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father - but is of the world" (1 John 2:16), that "the whole world lies in wickedness" (1 John 5:19) and shall yet be "burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). As faith accepts God's verdict of it, the mind is spiritually enlightened; and its possessor views it as a worthless, dangerous, and detestable thing.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 2)