Survivors

Thursday, September 3

Survivors    

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. I John 5:4

As we continue to live through the national pandemic of COVID-19, I began thinking a lot about those who were hospitalized, treated and then released from the hospital; the survivors. According to the dictionary, a survivor is defined as someone who survives, especially a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died. When we place this into its proper context, we know these individuals could have died like the thousand others, but God intervened.

Oh the story of the survivor and the testimony they now have to share about overcoming the odds of this virus. Similar, the testimony of the believer who has overcome despite the odds. Let me remind you that in this life we will face powerful opposition. We will face powerful spiritual warfare. We will face tribulation. Jesus promised it. This is what C.S. Lewis says, ‘It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.’ The truth is that it is the difficulties in life that give us the opportunity to experience and understand what victory really means.

Fortunately John says we have some resources if we want to be over comers (1 John 5:1-6). First, in verse four he tells us it requires a new birth. We must be born of God, as Jesus told Nicodemus as John reminds us here, we must be born again. Born of water. Physical birth. Born of blood. Spiritual birth. There is not a single lost person who can say that they live a victorious life today because they lack this ingredient. John is not saying that just knowing Christ will automatically fill your life with joy but he is saying it is the starting point. Without him our lives are running on empty.

Secondly, verses 4-5 John tells us it requires a belief. You do not become an overcomer by trying. You become an overcome her by trusting. By exercising faith. We must trust that God knows all things and has the answer. The promises become reality when I trust that God will do what He has promised.