Victorious Faith in Our Overcoming Faith | 1 John 5:4-5

The Faith That Overcomes the World

All right, let's turn in our Bibles back over to 1st John chapter 5. 1st John chapter 5. We'll begin in verse 1 again. 1st John chapter 5. We've been dealing with these verses for a few weeks now, and there's a lot here, a lot of good stuff to uncover.

And so, we're going to be focusing on verses 4 and 5 once again. I'll start in verse 1. 1st John 5 verse 1. Because everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world, our faith.

Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Amen.

So like I mentioned, here in this passage, verses 4 through 5 in particular, are just loaded with more powerful and precious gospel gems and indicatives for us to take in and rejoice in as God's people.

So you can actually... The sermon title is actually, Victorious Faith in the Son of God. Victorious Faith in the Son of God. Or, Overcoming Faith in our Overcoming God. There's a lot of... The emphatic emphasis on overcoming and conquering and victory is here.

And so, we're going to continue to bring that out. As a brief recap from last message, I wanted to remind us of the parallelism that we saw. Of the parallelism that we saw. Where everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, has been born of God.

And likewise, everything that has been born of God, and he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, overcomes the world. So there's a parallel there. And remember also, from last time, that the word world here, that is being referred to, is the evil world.

The evil world. The society and influence of sinful unbelievers and their sins. We see a whole lot of that today. Especially in social media and entertainment and all that stuff. Now, the next question that we need to focus on in verse 4 is, what is this faith?

What is this faith that overcomes the world? What is it referring to here in verse 4? Is it our own personal individual faith? That's being addressed here? Or does it refer to the act of believing? Which is the same thing actually.

Does it refer to the act of believing? Or does it refer to what we believe in? To believing or to what we believe in? Is it, in other words, to the faith? To the objective faith? Or, as the Puritans often called it, to the body of divinity.

The body of divinity. Of theology. Of sound doctrine.

Right?

The systematic teaching of God's Holy Word. The sacred scriptures. Is that what it's referring to? Or is it the act of believing? I want to read 1 John 5 verses 4 through 5 again. For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world. Our faith. The Greek word there is, beastis.

Faith.

Belief. Who is the one that overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. So, seeing here carefully, we find that verse 4 does not actually refer to our own personal individual faith.

That's not what it's referring to. That is actually in verse 5.

Okay?

We'll get to verse 5 a little later. But that's the personal aspect. But in verse 4, it's referring to the faith. To the faith. And if you turn with me over to Jude 3, we will see more of what this faith is referring to in Jude 3.

In the book of Jude, in verse 3, we find, I've made reference to this verse a number of times before, but Jude 3 refers to this faith.

It says,.

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you, exhorting that you contend earnestly for what? For the faith.

Right?

For the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. There you see another reference to the faith. And this is the faith of sound doctrine that is revealed in God's word.

Right?

This is the faith of sound doctrine. The truth of God's word rightly divided and understood. Not twisted and butchered like the unstable men of 1st Peter.

Right?

But rightly understood and handled correctly. And speaking of Puritans and of bodies of divinity, I wanted to introduce us once again to the English Puritan Thomas Watson. He was an excellent Puritan from I think the 16 or 1700s.

He wrote a body of divinity, which is often what it was called back then as a systematic theology. It's a body of divinity. It's actually a series of doctrinal sermons on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Excellent, magnificent work. I highly recommend it to you all. And Lord willing, I'll get a chance to do that someday, to preach through like the Baptist catechism. That would be an awesome blessing to do.

But I want to quote from that book, Body of Divinity. He says there, the second proposition is that the way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. To be settled is to be well grounded. If you continued grounded and settled.

That's Colossians 123. The Greek word for grounded is a metaphor which alludes to a building that has the foundation well laid. Built on the solid foundation rather than on sand, like Jesus also said.

So Christians should be grounded in the essential points of true religion. The faith, in other words. The essential points of true religion and have their foundation well laid. Here, let me speak of two things.

The first one is that we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. The basics, right? The Apostle speaks of the first principles of the oracles of God. In Hebrews 5 .12. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God.

And if you recall from the series I recently preached in the scripture alone, Romans 3 .4 also refers to the oracles of God which the Jews weren't trusted with.

Right?

The Bible, the Old Testament. And the oracles of God. And Watson continues, In all arts and sciences, logic, physics, mathematics, there are some rules and principles which must necessarily be known for the practice of those arts.

So likewise in divinity, in theology, divinity is an old word for theology. There must be the first principles laid down. The knowledge of the grounds and principles of true religion is exceedingly useful.

Is exceedingly useful. Else, we cannot serve God aright. How can you serve God if you don't know Him? If you don't know the basics, right? You can't. This is what 1 John also tells us, right? Loving God means you keep His commandments.

And you need to know Him and His commandments to obey Him rightly. We can never worship God acceptably unless we worship Him regularly. And how can we do that if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of true religion?

We are to give God a reasonable service. Y 'all remember where that comes from? Reasonable service. Romans 12 .1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

That word spiritual is logical, rational, intelligent, intellectual service of worship. A lot of people will falsely separate spirituality with logic and intelligence, intellectual matters. But here in Romans and everywhere else in the Bible, you see that they are one and the same thing.

Worshiping in the truth is to worship soundly, reasonably, logically, consistently with the truth of God's word.

Amen?

This is our spiritual, rational service. Watson continues, If we understand not the grounds of true religion, how can it be a reasonable or rational service? It cannot, obviously. And number two here, he says, Knowledge of the grounds of true religion much enriches the mind.

Right?

Obviously, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ our Lord. It is a lamp to our feet. It directs us in the whole course of Christianity as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key which opens the chief mysteries of true religion.

It gives us a whole system and body of divinity. That's what true knowledge gives us. Exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colors. It helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word.

It helps us to untie many scripture knots, difficulties.

Right?

So what is he saying? That sound doctrine, a body of divinity, helps us, grounds us, and settles us, and prepares us to understand the more difficult parts of scripture.

Right?

It helps us to understand the whole counsel of God. Number three, he continues, It furnishes us with unshakable armor. I love that phrase. Unshakable armor and weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.

Against the adversaries of the truth. Discernment.

Right?

It gives us discernment, a knowledge of truth and error, right from wrong, good and bad. And then number four, to finish up here, his quote, It is the holy seed of which grace is formed. Because God saves us through the gospel.

Right?

The power of God unto what? Salvation. Romans 1 16. Knowledge of the truth is the seed of which grace is formed. It is the seed of faith. Psalm 9 10. Also, it is the root of love. Being rooted and grounded in love.

Ephesians 3 17. The knowledge of the fundamental principles conduces to the making of a complete Christian. Of a complete Christian.

Right?

Much like 2 Timothy says, where the scriptures are inspired and are sufficient. They are profitable to equip the man of God for every good work. Every good work. A complete Christian. So then, the faith that 1 John refers to in chapter 5 verse 4, That overcomes the world is the whole counsel of God.

Rightly understood. The body of sacred divinity. Rightly understood. This is what all of us need. Especially children. Beginning with children. You know, my wife had sent me this study. It says, youth pastor exposes the shocking truth.

Why 73 of church kids abandon the faith. Especially by the time they get to college. And how to stop it. And there's a lot of studies out there. In fact, we have a book back there.

Already gone.

That talks about the same thing. How the majority of kids who grow up in churches today, Abandon their faith. It's a serious problem. And at the core of it is a lack of biblical parenting. And a lack of churches doing their duty to preach the whole counsel of God.

And, but the funny thing here is, A lot of people who discover these things, They try to reinvent the wheel. And they come up with their own little studies of, Here, this is what your kids need. Here's a systematic theology that I came up with.

Or they need some more, you know, coloring books and pictures and stuff. And that's not, this is what gets very frustrating. Which is another, it reveals another symptom that the church is lacking in.

And that is a knowledge of church history. Because the church, historic, is the pillar and buttress of the truth. Like 1 Timothy says, right? The church has already solved this problem. We don't need to reinvent the wheel.

That's exactly what catechisms are for.

Right?

That's why we teach our catechisms. The Baptist catechism. The larger catechism. And the children's catechism. For both little ones and for adults. That's the solution to this problem of a ignorance of the faith.

And there are not, we don't teach kids the principles of religion systematically to defend it also. And they go to college and they end up getting destroyed by, Their faith getting destroyed by the world.

Right?

The world that John warns against. But what helps us to overcome the world is that faith. That body of divinity that is taught by the word.

Right?

That's what we need. We need the whole counsel of God. That's really what the church has answered long ago. Going back all the way to the ancient church with creeds. Which were taught to be memorized.

Creeds and confessions and catechisms. This is not a Roman Catholic thing. This is a Christian thing. A biblical thing. Even the Bible itself contains creeds and professions of faith.

The Shema.

Hear O Israel. The Lord your God, the Lord is one. I mean there's many creeds like that in the Bible as well. So this is what we are taught. We must, what we must do. This is why we emphasize these things.

We emphasize memorizing scripture and catechizing our children as well as ourselves.

Right?

In order to teach our children we have to know these things first. Ourselves. That's the beauty of it. And that's very important for us to understand, beloved. Now let's focus here now a little bit more on transitioning to verse 5.

I want to jump back to 1 John now and read verses 4 and 5 again. And we see that we overcome by believing that Jesus is the son of God. Verse 4. For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world. Our faith. Who is the one that overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

Okay?

So we saw that verse 4 referred to the body of divinity taught by God's word. To the faith.

Right?

Our faith which is the faith. Once for all delivered to the saints. Back then. But verse 5 now gets up close and personal.

Right?

It transitions to individual believers who personally overcome the world by our personal belief.

Right?

To our personal belief that's being referred to. So that's very important to pay attention to. Now look also carefully with me here in verse 5. Pay attention to the verbs.

Okay?

To the verbs and their tenses.

Okay?

Is it past tense? Progressive tense? Future tense? Take note of what tenses are being used here in this verse.

Okay?

Because in verse 5 the verbs in the one who overcomes the world. And in he who believes are actually present participles. Okay? They're present participles. In other words, overcoming. Overcoming and believing.

That's what it means in that verse. A present participle, by the way, is formed from a verb. An action.

Right?

And typically expresses present and ongoing action. Not a one-time thing, but an ongoing, present, sometimes even progressive action. Ongoing. That's an ongoing tense. So, and present participles are words used as adjectives or for verb tenses.

Like here. It's a verb tense. And they end in ing. So, it would be better translated the way Young's literal translation puts it. It actually does a pretty good job of rendering this verse. I'm going to read that version now, starting in verse 4.

Because everyone who is begotten of God does overcome the world. And this is the victory that did, past tense, overcome the world. Our faith. Who is he who is overcoming the world? Present, ongoing tense.

If not, he who is believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Okay, so this is a continual faith. It's an ongoing faith. It's not a faith that you believed at one time and then you fell away from. This is ongoing.

Right?

Ongoing tense. And that's very important to understand as well, beloved. Because this brings me to my first public service announcement for today. Verb tenses are very important in the Bible. We need to make sure that we rightly understand the significance of verb tenses in the Bible.

Because it's the difference between a one-time event or act and something that's supposed to be ongoing.

Right?

This is important in order to maintain the proper balance and distinction between the law and the gospel. The law and the gospel. The imperatives, the commands of God, and the indicatives, the gospel promises of God.

And to further avoid confusing primary doctrinal distinctions. Which is what the faith teaches us. The body of divinity teaches us to distinguish doctrines carefully and rightly. Rightly handling and dividing the word of truth, like Timothy says.

Such as distinguishing justification by faith, which is a one-time act.

Right?

Justification is not an ongoing thing. It's not a progressive thing. Justification was a one-time act. The moment we believe, it is applied to us. It was finished by Christ. And that's a one-time act.

Whereas sanctification, progressive sanctification, that's a dead giveaway, right? Progressive sanctification is ongoing in our lives. It's progressive. It continues to the end until we reach glorification.

Right?

So that's a crucial distinction that many false religions and teachings confuse. They teach that justification is an ongoing process. Like Roman Catholicism or Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses and many others.

They teach that you have to earn your justification and keep it in an ongoing sense. That's not what the Bible teaches us, right? So then, okay. Now, that being said, what, however, is the specific reason given to us here in verse 5 for how or why we overcome the world?

Is it just because we believe? Is it the mere act of believing that enables us to overcome the world? Or is there something else to that? Or is it what we believe, once again? The answer is no, right?

It's not just believing in something. It's the fact that we believe in the truth that what? That Jesus is the Son of God. That's what enables us to overcome the world. That's what saves us. Believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah.

Right?

Our saving belief is a gift of God. Ephesians 2 .8, Romans and several, the Gospels, the Gospels everywhere teaches us that. But it is merely the instrument. It is the bridge that connects us to something.

It unites us to a God in Christ.

Right?

Christ himself is what saves us and what helps us to overcome. He is our overcoming God. He overcame the law for us that we could never keep and that condemns us as guilty sinners.

Right?

So the body of divinity, the knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God, that unites us to God in Christ. To the truth that actually saves us and enables us to overcome. To the objective faith that is revealed in God's Word.

Which includes sound doctrines that are of first importance. Of first importance. Namely, that Jesus is both the Christ. In verse 1, right? 1 John 5 .1. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of his people who takes away their sin.

By bearing them on the cross and that he is the eternal Son of God. Verse 5. These are doctrines that are of first importance because Christ is the central focus of the entire Bible.

Right?

Of the entire Bible. Like Christ himself taught in Luke 24 to the men on the road to Emmaus and elsewhere. This is what Scripture teaches us plainly. The Gospel. The redemptive plan of God. All through a faith, a rightly understood faith in the Son of God.

Jesus Christ. The unique Son of God. So even though there is a personal emphasis in verse 5. Because it's saying, he who believes. So yes, we are all commanded to believe, repent and believe the Gospel.

That we might be saved. But it's not just believing that saves us. It's believing the truth that sets us free. Like Jesus taught us, right? In the Gospel of John. The objective truth of God. And who he is.

And who his Son is. And what he has done for us. Gets all the credit. That's what saves us. And that's what gets all the credit. Soli Deo Gloria.

Right?

The Reformation slogan. To God alone be the glory. To God alone be the glory. Now this brings me to another public service announcement. For today. Believing a lie that contradicts God's truth. Will only do you harm.

Great harm. And potentially damn you.

Okay?

Believing a lie that contradicts God's truth. Anything that contradicts the Bible. The truth of God. Because God is the truth. So if you're contradicting God. You're in a lie. You're in darkness. That's what 1st John repeatedly tells us as well.

Remember?

From the previous chapters. Those who walk in darkness are lost. Condemned. Those who walk in the light. In Christ. The light of Christ. Who is the light of the world. Are saved. They are in the truth.

The lamp of the truth. I want to read it from our good friend again. Thomas Watson. In his body of divinity. He says this. It is the duty of Christians. To be settled in. The doctrine of faith. The doctrine of the faith.

That was once for all delivered to the saints. It is the apostles prayer. May the God of all grace. Establish.

Strengthen.

Settle you. That's 1st Peter 5 .10. Which says. And after you have suffered for a little while. The God of all grace. Who called you to his eternal glory. In Christ. Will himself restore. Strengthen.

Confirm.

And ground you.

Amen?

Amen to that. And Watson continues. That is. They might not be meteors in the air. Just floating around. But fixed stars. Fixed stars. The apostle Jude. Speaks of wandering stars. Those who are lost. They are called wandering stars.

Because as Aristotle says. They do leap up and down. And wander into several parts of the heaven. And being but dry exhalations. Not made of that pure celestial matter. As the fixed stars are. They often fall to the earth.

They often fall to the earth.

Wow.

Aristotle just preached there. And he was a Greek pagan.

Now.

Watson continues. Such as are. Such as are not settled. In true religion. Will at one time or other. Prove to be. Wandering stars. Unsettled. Unstable. Wavering. Straying from. The truth.

Of God.

They will lose. Their former steadfastness. And wander from one opinion to another. Such as are unsettled. Are of the tribe of Reuben. Unstable of. As water. Unstable as water. Like scripture says. Like a ship without a ballast.

Overturned with every wind. Of doctrine. They lack that body of divinity. That stability.

Of.

The whole counsel of God. Theodore Beza. Who was John Calvin's successor. Writes one of one. Belfectus.

Who.

His religion. Chained as often as the moon. That's not a compliment.

By the way.

The Aryans. The ancient heretics. The Aryans and Arius. Who denied that Jesus is the eternal son of God. Had every year. A new faith. They constantly change their. Faith. Their belief. Their convictions.

These are not pillars in the temple of God. But reads. Shaken in every way. The apostle calls them.

Damable.

Heresies. Damable. Heresies. From the words of the apostles themselves. That's why they constantly warn against lies. And against antichrist. A man may go to hell. As well. For heresy. As adultery. And more so.

For heresy. If you can't say amen. You ought to say ouch. That's the sobering truth of God's word. The truth saves. But lies.

Damn.

They damn. Those who hold to them. Especially when they are. Regarding matters of.

God.

Man.

And salvation.

The primary.

Doctrines of.

The Bible.

That is what composes that. Body of divinity. The fundamentals of religion. Are those matters. A right understanding of God. A right understanding of man. That he is a fallen wretched sinner.

And.

A right understanding of salvation. That it is by grace alone. Through faith.

Alone.

In Christ alone. By rightly understanding. The truth of the gospel. That Jesus Christ saved us. He saved us. By grace. And not by our works.

Amen.

That is.

The.

Fundamentals of religion. That Watson is. Explaining to us. In which the Bible reveals to us.

So.

Very important. For us to. Understand.

There.

As well.

So.

Now.

This.

Brings me to something. An important clarification that I want to bring out. That I want to bring out here. Because it is not by might.

Okay.

Our faith. Overcomes. Not by might. Our victory. Our overcoming. Our conquering. Of this evil world.

Is that.

We as believers. Endure to the end. Unto our glorification.

Through.

Our belief.

In Christ. And his word. His doctrine. His teaching.

Right.

Which we. Consequently. Live out.

By.

Also.

Resisting the devil. And putting our sin. And the flesh. To death. Like Romans. Six through eight. Also. Teaches us.

And on.

Galatians five and on. Growing in holiness. In sanctification. By the truth. Not by violence. It's by the truth.

Not by.

Violence. Nor by physical force.

Okay.

This is not Islam. Which tries to conquer by force. That's. That's heathenism. That's. Heathenism. That's paganism. Paganism uses force.

But.

God.

And.

His people. Use the truth. They. Conquered. The world. And lies. With the truth. Of God. Like Zechariah.

Four.

Six.

Not by.

Might.

Nor by.

Power.

But by.

My.

Spirit.

Says.

Yahweh.

The Lord of hosts.

Right.

It's not by.

Might.

Nor by.

Power.

It is by.

My.

Spirit.

Like.

Like.

God.

Also.

Told.

The.

Apostle.

Paul.

My.

Grace.

Is.

Sufficient.

For you.

Because. My. Strength.

Is.

Perfected.

In. Your.

Weaknesses.

Right.

That's.

Why. We. Boast. In. Our.

Weakness.

Because.

In.

Boasting.

In.

Weakness.

We.

Have.

The.

Opportunity.

To.

Boast.

In. The.

Power. Of.

God.

Because.

It's.

Him.

Who.

Saves.

Us.

And. We.

To. Power. Because.

It's.

Who. Saves.

In. The. God.

Power. Because. It's. Him.

Us. And.

We. Saves.

Us.

And.

We.

Saves.

Power.

Nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What did you do. Jesus answered listen carefully my kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be delivered over to the Jews.

But as it is my kingdom is not from here it is not of this world. Therefore Pilate said to him so you are a king you are a king. Jesus answered you yourself said I am a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world.

Though what. In this the world meaning in in the planet earth in contrast to heaven. Why. To bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Right. That's why Jesus came. He didn't come here to conquer with force so that his servants would use force.