Faith As An Overcomer # 2

Faith As An Overcomer # 2

Faith overcomes the world secondly, by obeying the Divine commands concerning it, God has bidden us, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). "Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John 2:15), and warns us that "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world, becomes an enemy of God" (James 4:4). By heeding the Divine precepts, its spell over the heart is broken.

Faith overcomes the world thirdly, by occupying the soul with more glorious, soul-delighting and satisfying objects. We often hear and see 2 Corinthians 4:16 or 17 quoted - but rarely the explanatory words which follow. The daily renewing of the inner man and our afflictions working for us an eternal weight of glory are qualified by: "While we look not at the things which are seen - but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are not seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). The more the substance of the heavenly world engages the heart, the less hold will the shadows of this earthly world have upon it. Thus, faith wrought in the saints of old: "You accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions" (Hebrews 10:34). "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:9-10).

Fourth, by drawing out the heart unto Christ. As it was by fleeing to Him for refuge, that the soul was first delivered from the power and thralldom of this world, so it is throughout the Christian life. The more we cultivate real communion with Christ, the less attraction will the baubles of this world have for us! The strength of temptation lies entirely in the bent of our affections, "for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). While Christ is beheld as "the chief among ten thousand" (Song 5:10) as "altogether lovely" (Song 5:16), the things which charm the poor worldly - will repel us.

Moreover, as faith beholds in the mirror of the Word, the "glory of the Lord," the soul itself is "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). The world gains the victory over the unregenerate by captivating their affections and capturing their wills; but the Christian overcomes the world, because his affections are set upon Christ and his will yielded to Him.

What is the extent of the Christian's victory? Through temporary weakness of faith, he may neglect the means of grace and fall into sin - yet his soul will be so wretched that he will return to Christ for cleansing and fresh supplies of grace.

"Though the conflict of grace with corrupt nature, and the attractions and terrors of the world, is often very sharp, and though regenerate men may be baffled, cast down, and appear slain in the battle; yet the Divine life within him, being invigorated by the Holy Spirit, will again excite him to arise and renew the conflict with redoubled fortitude and resolution; so that at length, the victory will be his decidedly". "The life of faith is a fight" (1 Timothy 6:12), a warfare in which there are no furloughs or vacations, and our success therein depends upon renouncing our own strength, and counting solely on the sufficiency of Christ's grace.

Here - then, we have a sure criterion by which we may determine our Christian progress or spiritual growth. If the things of this world have a decreasing power over me - then my faith is becoming stronger. If I am holding more lightly the things most prized by the ungodly - then I must be increasing in an experimental and soul-satisfying knowledge of Christ. If I am less cast down when some of the riches and comforts of this world are taken from me - then that is evidence they have less hold upon me. If I find the company of the most cultured and charming worldlings have a dampening effect upon my spirit, and I am happy when relieved of their presence - then my faith is overcoming the world.

Yet the tense of the verb must not be overlooked: Faith which "overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4), not which "has overcome." So far from being an immediate achievement, it is a lifelong business, a prolonged and continuous strife.

"O may my heart be occupied,
So wholly, Lord, with Thee,
That with Your beauty satisfied,
I elsewhere none may see."

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)