#1JohnChallenge : Where is the Victory?

In our church here in Nigeria yesterday we had four new visitors who had never been to our church.  This is exciting, and let me share with you why.  We started Cornerstone Baptist Church about 5 years ago in the orphanage home at A Place of Hope Africa (www.aplaceofhopeafrica.com), and because for the first four years, it was inside the perimeter wall of the Children's home, while we always welcomed visitors, we never really prompted it.  We wanted to make sure the children's home was a safe environment.  This last year we moved the church outside of the home to the third floor of our school and over the last month, we have seen around 15 new faces.  These new faces have been invited by our members (our secondary students), from their school and the village area.  This is an exciting time in the life of our church, but also I believe that our church, mainly made up of youth, has caught the vision of their friends and schoolmates hearing the truth of the gospel and if the Spirit is leading, responding ..... by faith.

There, I said it....faith.  

Where we are in Nigeria, we are in the south, recognized as a "Christian area."  The north is seen as Muslim.  But the danger in classifying the perceived spirituality of these areas is that many who live in the south believe they are Christian simply because they do not live in the north.  Many believe that by default of their location, they are Christian.  This is a dangerous belief and one that could have eternal consequences if this belief is carried all the way to their grave.  

On this the 9th day of my 30-day journey through 1 John, as I have read the entire book daily, John's words from the 5th chapter have jumped off the page.  In this chapter, John begins by encouraging the church there in Asia Minor that but their relationship with Christ, they have overcome the world.  This idea of overcoming the world points to who we must overcome.  He explains that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), and there is a way that a finite human being like you and me can fight the evil one and put him in his place:  our faith.  John writes, "And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith (1 John 5:4).

In the cross-references for this verse, the ESV points to three of John's other writings:

(John 17:3)  And this is eternall life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

(Revelation 3:7)  "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has teh key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 

(1 John 5:11-12) And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son, has life, whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

So where does faith come in?  I can't see God.  I wasn't there like John and the other apostles that listened to teachings, saw the miracles, witnessed his death, and his glorified body after the resurrection.  But I believe that there is an almighty, one true God who sent his son Jesus because he loved his creation and wanted fellowship once again with them.  I believe his Word, his instruction that he has preserved for thousands of years in the Bible, and his Holy Spirit is in me because I have received Jesus as my Savior and Lord.

That is faith.  And that is the victory that has overcome the world.  I'm on the winning side.  What about you?

If you have any questions about faith, salvation, or anything else I have written, I would love to chat.  Email me here.

Pastor Walt
Philemon 6