First John 5.4, for whatsoever is born of God, overcometh
the world. Here's something to think about.
You either overcome the world or you are overcome by the world. Every believer overcomes the
world because they're born of God. The unbeliever is overcome
by the world. But if you're born of God, you
can't lose this battle. Now, what's meant by the world?
When he says, whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world,
what is meant by the world? Not this planet, not the material
world. You know, I love that song by
Louis Armstrong. I see trees of green, red roses
too. They're all blooming for me and
for you. And I say to myself, what a wonderful world. I think
that too. I mean, the Lord made this place
and there's so much beauty. There's so much to enjoy in this
world. And he's not talking about that. What is meant by the world? Every unbeliever. That's the world. Every unbeliever. The world that has no love for
the living God. That's what he's talking about.
Let me show you this in the scripture. Turn to John chapter seven. Verse seven, John chapter seven,
verse seven. He says to his unbelieving brethren,
the world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify
of it, that the works thereof are evil. John chapter eight,
verse 23. And he said unto them, you are
from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. Turn to John 15. Verse 17. These things I command you, talking
as disciples, that you love one another. If the world hates you,
You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of
the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore
the world hated you. Chapter 17, John chapter 17,
beginning in verse 14. I have given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world." Isn't that amazing? The Lord is not
of this world. Neither are we, if we're believers. I pray not that thou should take
them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from evil.
They are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world
now of means origin. That's what that's a reference
to your origin. All who are eternally united
to the Lord Jesus Christ are not of this world. They're not
part of this world. Turn back to 1 John and look
in 1 John 2. Love, verse 15, 1 John 2, this
is spoken to believers, love not the world. And he's talking
about the maxims and the principles of this world. Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the
world, The love of the Father is not in him. For all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life is not of the Father, it is of the world. And the world passes away in
the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth
forever. Now this is the world which he
who is born of God is not overcome by. I think of the lust of the
flesh, the desire for the pleasure of sinful flesh, the lust of
the eyes, being more concerned about what other think, being
taken up with popularity, being more concerned about what men
think about you than what God thinks about you. The pride of
life, control, the pride of life. You know, the irony doesn't escape
me that the son of God, the creator of the universe, is meek and
lowly in heart. And men, fallen evil men, are
proud and arrogant. It's amazing, isn't it? Every natural man is overcome
by the world. No exceptions. Every natural
man is the slave of pleasure, the slave of popularity, and
the slave of pride. This world, I love what Paul
said, the world, by wisdom, by its own wisdom, knew not God. That is so true. But whatsoever is born of God
overcomes the world. Now, if you're born of God, you
overcome the world. Now, we have to understand something
about what that means, being born of God, to understand why
and how it overcomes the world. So I want to consider this new
birth in light of the similarities between the first birth contrast
to the first birth. Now, I'm no doctor, and if I
say something's wrong, you guys forgive me. I don't know how
to say things right when it comes to births and all that kind of
stuff. But number one, life begins with
birth. Spiritual life begins with birth. In physical life, that life begins
with birth or conception. Somebody say you're talking about
when the conception takes place or when they come out of the
mother's womb. I don't know, both I guess, but life begins with
birth. Spiritual life begins with being
born of God. And a natural birth, a physical
birth, is a miracle. It's a miracle. It's mysterious. Now I realize we can be given
facts and data concerning how it takes place and those things
are accurate, but it still doesn't take away from the mystery of
this, the miracle of this, how life is conceived. There's a
life that was not there before. And the spiritual birth, being
born of God, what a mystery, what a miracle that is. that
somebody like me can be born of God. And all of a sudden,
I'm a partaker of the divine nature. What a mystery that is. Now, in physical birth, that
person who is born was not there before. A year before, there was no such
thing as that person. He was never in the world. Nobody
knew of him. Nobody knew anything about him.
He was never in the world. And now there's a real person
there that was not there before. Same in the new birth. There's
a new man. There's a new creature. There's
a new creation that was not there before. Now, in the new birth,
it's not the old man being changed. It's not the old man being reformed. It's not the old man being improved.
It's a new creation. A person who was not there before. In the first birth, there's always
a father giving his seed. No child has ever been born without
a father. In the new birth, there's also
the father giving his seed, being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever of his own will begat he us. with the Word
of truth. That which is born of the flesh
is what? Flesh. That which is born of
the Spirit is what? Spirit. In the natural birth, there is
a nature that's imparted to that person who is born. Adam's nature. The wicked are strained from
the womb. They go bad as soon as they be
born. Speaking lies. David said, in sin did my mother
conceive me. I had my father's nature imparted
to me. That's why I was born a sinner. In the new birth, there's a nature,
there's a character given to you at that birth. And in the
new birth, there's a nature, there's a character given to
you, a holy nature, the nature of your father. A holy nature,
we're said to be partakers of the divine nature. A holy nature that does not sin. Look in 1 John chapter three,
verse nine. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin for his seed remaineth it. in him, God's seed remains
in him, he cannot sin, he lacks the ability to sin because he's
born of God. Can God give birth to something
that's sinful? No, no. That's the new birth. And in this first birth, and
this is another amazing thing, in the first birth, you're born
complete. If you're born with two ears,
you're not gonna get a third. If you're born with two eyes,
you're not going to get a third. You're born complete. You've
got all your parts. And this complete baby with eyes and nose,
it grows. It grows. In the new birth, you're
born complete. You're born with all the fruit
of God the Holy Spirit. You're born with all you're ever
going to have. And it grows. I don't understand that. But
it was said of the Lord that he grew in wisdom and in stature
in favor with men and with God. He grew. And this which is born
of God grows. But there are some glaring differences
as well. In comparing these two births.
The first birth is corruptible seed. Being born again, not of
corruptible seed. You're going to be evil. There's
no way around that if you're born of corruptible seed. But
the new birth is of incorruptible seed. Corruptible seed and incorruptible
seed. Now, all who experience this
first birth will one day, if that's the only birthday experience,
All who experience this first birth will one day curse the
day they were ever born. You know, Job cursed the day
he was born. You remember that, all the stuff
that happened to him. But he ended up not cursing the
day he was born. All who are of this new birth,
they're gonna praise God for the day they were born. They're
gonna be so thankful and amazed at his grace for the fact that
he gave them this life. The first birth is like the flower
of the field. What to do? It fades away. People can be really beautiful
people. Men, women, give them time. They're not gonna be beautiful
anymore. Nobody will be. Men can be very intelligent.
Give them time. They won't even know their own
name. They won't know where they're at. All that intelligence will
have left. Strength. will be turned into
weakness and feebleness and inability. Give it time. That's the way
this life goes. It goes older and older and more
feeble and more feeble. But in the new birth, the righteous will shine as the
sun in the kingdom of their Heavenly Father. Beautiful. beautiful, eternal. Now the first
birth ends in death, and then eternal death. It's appointed
that the man wants to die, and after that, the judgment. We
all have that coming, death and the judgment. The being born
of God is eternal life, a life that cannot die, and a life that
overcomes. Now that which is born of God
overcomes the world. You see, it must be victorious. It cannot be overcome. How come? Because it's God's
work. God cannot be defeated. What
God does must be successful. And if he has birthed you or
birthed me into his kingdom, we must overcome the world. Now this life is the gift of
God. I love being reminded of that.
It's not something I've achieved. It's something that God's given
me. Now, thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. I love when the Lord said these,
he said, these things have I spoken unto you. John 16, 33. These
things have I spoken to you that in me, you might have peace.
In the world, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Thank the Lord for that. Now,
this victory that the believer has is a continual victory. Turn
with me for a moment to 2 Corinthians, because I don't know how many
times I've had to, I've had to go back to this passage of scripture
because I didn't have anything else. And it's always that way,
whether I know it or not, but I mean, 2 Corinthians chapter Verse 14. Now, thanks be unto
God, which what's the next word? Always. There's never a time when it's
not like this, whatever you're going through. You always. Triumph, win, get the victory
in Christ Jesus, always. Always, you know, all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose. So this victory that overcomes
the world is continual. There's no time in which it is
not in operation. Look in first John chapter four. John is speaking of false prophets. Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits, whether they're of God, because many
false prophets are gone into the world. Hereby know ye the
Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth. This is a public
declaration. Every preacher that confesses
publicly that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. Now, somebody says, that seems
awful simple. Well, think of what you're saying.
When you make that statement, you say he was before he came. He's the eternal son of God. He came in the flesh and he did
exactly what he came to do. He came to save his people from
their sins. And that's what he did. Verse
3. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And
this is the spirit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it
should come. And even now already it's in the world. Ye are of
God, little children, and have overcome them, these false prophets. You're not going to be deceived.
You're not going to follow their message. You've overcome them.
Why? Because greater is he that's
in you than he that's in the world. Now, most religious people,
matter of fact, every religious people, it's a person that is
not truly saved. Here's what they'll say. I've
overcome the world. I've been born of God and I have
victory in my life. I have become more holy. I have
become less sinful. I have risen above the world.
I have become better. I'm pressing on to higher ground.
I'm not living a defeated Christian life. I've got victory in my
life. I'm, by grace, I'm giving God the credit like the Pharisee.
I thank thee that I'm not as other men are. I reckon the Pharisee
was a Calvinist. He gave God the credit. He didn't
give his free will the credit. He said, I thank thee. that I'm
not as other men are. And then he started comparing
himself, but that's the way the religious person will treat this
verse. I'm becoming better by grace. I have more victory in my life.
I've overcome this sin and I've stopped committing that sin. And I started doing this good,
holy, righteous thing. I'm overcoming by grace. I'm overcoming. I'm not living
a defeated Christian life. No, my friend, that kind of language
exposes you as not living the Christian life period. What is the first beatitude? Blessed are the who? Poor in
spirit. You don't have anything. You
don't have anything you can boast in. You don't have anything you
can brag about. You can't look and say, see here, look how God
is blessing me and giving me victory. That's not what someone
who is poor in spirit says. And you never leave being poor
in spirit. It's the first beatitude. And
such thinking is just totally contrary to the gospel. I mean, I think of the church
at Laodicea. Remember what the Lord said to them? You say, I'm
rich. I'm increased with goods. I have
need of nothing. I'm OK. And you don't know that
you're wretched and miserable and naked and poor and blind.
He said, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. You're lukewarm. It takes lukewarmness to have
that view of yourself. And so if I would look at this
passage of scripture and say, well, I've got victory in my
life. I've just missed the spirit and
the meaning of it. And let's look what John actually
says in verse four. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world. even our faith. And we don't have to strain as
to what he means by faith, because look at verse five. Who is he
that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God? Do you believe? Here's a very
simple question. Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is the son of God. Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is the creator? Let me ask you a few questions.
Do you believe? I'm not asking you what you believe
about yourself. I'm asking you what you believe about him. I
want to remind you that faith has nothing to do with what you
believe about yourself. Somebody says, I believe I'm
a Christian. I believe I'm saved. That's not what faith is. It
has nothing to do with what faith is. What is faith? Do you believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second person of
the Blessed Trinity, the eternal, uncreated, only begotten Son
of God? And this only begotten, whatever
it means, is eternal. It's not an event of time. It's a fact, irrespective of
time. He's the eternal Son of God. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that He never had a beginning? Do you believe that He controls
everything? Do you believe that by Him all
things consist? Do you believe that He is the
brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His
person upholding all things by the word of His power? Do you
believe that He is the one by whom all things are created,
created by Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and
by Him all things consist. Do you believe that regarding
Him? Do you believe that He is the One of whom it's written,
in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God? The same eternally was in the
beginning with God. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in His body? Do you believe that? Do you believe
that He is God manifest in the flesh? Do you believe that He
came in the flesh, but He was before He came? He came in the
flesh, and He did what He came to do, exactly what He came to
do. Somebody says, what did Christ do? Well, whatever it was He
intended to do, that's what He did. Do you believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe when He says,
He that has seen Me has seen the Father? Do you say, yep,
I believe that. Do you believe that He is the
Child that was born, but that was the Son who was given, and
the government is upon His shoulders, and His name should be called
Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace? Do you believe? that regarding
the Lord Jesus Christ. The only issue is what think
ye of Christ. That's the only issue. That's
what faith is. Don't mix it up. Don't try to
add anything to it. I love when the Lord said to
Peter, or said to his disciples, whom say that men say that I
am? They say, well, they put you
in some high cot, and some say you're Jeremiah, John the Baptist,
one of the prophets. But whom say ye? that I am. What do you say about the Lord
Jesus Christ? I love Peter's answer. Thou art
the Christ, the son of the living God. Do you believe that? And my dear friend, you've overcome
the world. And the reason you've overcome
the world is because you've been born of God. Only someone who
is born of God can have a faith that simple. You look to Christ
only and you're resting all of your hope of salvation on Him
being the Son of God, therefore being able to save you with no
help from you. Turn with me to Revelation chapter
12. Verse 10. And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation and strength and
the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser
of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night. And let me ask you a question. Would the devil have to make
lies up to accuse you of? Wouldn't everything he say about
you be true? Any accusation he makes with
regard to you before God, would it be an exaggeration? Would
it be untrue? No, no. But look what it says next in
verse 11. Regarding this one who accused them night and day
before God. And they, what? Overcame Him. And how did they overcome Him?
By the blood of the Lamb. That's how. They overcame Him
because all their sins were washed away by the blood of the Lamb,
and they stood before God without guilt. They overcame him by the
blood of the Lamb. And that was their testimony.
How'd you overcome? By the blood of the Lamb. No
other way. That's my testimony. This be
my story, to God be the glory. That's their testimony. And they
loved not their lives unto death. This was a message worth dying
for. They really believed this. This
overcoming by the blood of the Lamb. That is all my salvation. This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Now turn to Revelation chapter
two. He said to each one of the churches, Revelation chapter
two, verse seven. This is what he
says to the church at Ephesus. He that hath an ear, Let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst
of the paradise of God. That's your future. Look in verse
11. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. that overcometh
shall not be heard of the second death. And that's talking about
eternal death. That's what that second death
is. It won't come nigh you. There is therefore now, right
now, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who
walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Look in Revelation
2 17, He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh,
and that's every believer, everybody that's born of God, everybody
that's born of the Spirit, everybody that's been given a new nature.
He that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and
will give him a white stone. And in the stone, a new name
written, which no man knows, saving he that receiveth. You're
going to have a white stone with your new name in it. Jehovah
Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. Your name is going to be changed
from Jacob, heel, supplanter to Israel, a prince with God,
a new name. Look in verse 26 of the same
chapter. And he that overcometh and keepeth,
whose works? My works. my works. My only hope is his works. And
that's what I hold on to. And what does the one who overcomes
do? He keeps his works. He that overcometh and keepeth
my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations,
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a
potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I have received
of my father, and I'll give him the morning star. Look in chapter
three, verse five. He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment. And you know that that is the
wedding garment, the righteousness of Christ, which is the righteousness
of the saints. It says you're going to be clothed
with that white raiment. And I will not blot his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before
my father and before his angels. Now, think of that. The Lord's
going to confess my name. And that's true with regard to
everybody. You know, he's going to speak
for me. You know, when my name is called on judgment, he's going
to say here and account for he's going to speak for me. He's one
of mine. I love what the thief said, Lord,
remember me. when you come into your kingdom.
If he remembers me, what else needs to be said? Then in verse 12 of the same
chapter, him that overcometh, will I make
a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the
name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is
New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. I'll
write upon him my new name. And then look at verse 21, to
him that overcometh, will I grant, will I graciously allow to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down
with my Father in his throne." That one that overcomes, he's
going to be sitting with Christ on the very throne of God. What
better place could there be? Now, that's the future of everyone
that overcomes. And let me remind you, this thing
of overcoming, He's not some kind of strength on your part.
How much did you have to do with your first birth? Absolutely nothing. How much did you have to do with
your second birth? Well, I, no, no, no. He birthed you as an act of His
free and sovereign grace. He birthed you and because you've
been born of God, the reason you were born of God is He died
for your sins and put them away and gave you His righteousness
and He birthed you and that which is born of God overcomes the
world every time. Back to our text, 1 John 5. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world. Don't forget this, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
Lord Jesus Christ, your blessed Son, our Savior. How we thank
you for what he did in our behalf, taking on our sins and putting
them away, and making a way for you to be just and justify that
one who believes Him. Lord, how we thank you for your
Spirit that birthed us and caused us to overcome this world. Lord, enable us to look wholly
to your Son and nowhere else. Bless this message for your glory
and for our good. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.