World Overcomer

[1Jn 5:1-5]

I hope you will open your Bible and read it. It’s so important that you know what your Bible says to you, and about you. It is the word of God, and it’s not good enough just to say, “well my pastor said this” or to say “well you know I heard this podcast,” or “you know what what I think this means.”

When it comes to final decisions in our life, we must allow God’s Word to have final authority. It really doesn’t matter what your pastor said about it and it doesn’t matter what I say about it. It doesn’t matter what you or I think about it! It makes no difference what anything says about it, except the Word of God.

You need to stay in your Bible until you are convinced in your heart of what the Bible is saying to you. Oftentimes, when I don’t understand a scripture, I ask Holy Spirit, “What did you have in mind when you wrote this verse?” And He tells me! He is a person, and He lives in me.

1Jn 5:1-5 (ESV) – [1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. [4] For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

I remember years ago, as I was reading and studying this. I began to realize that I was already, (according to the word of God), a world overcomer, but at that time I was not overcoming much of anything!

You are an overcomer, but you may not be overcoming. You are, according to God, if you’ve made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you are an overcomer. Right now many Christians are not overcoming things. In fact, they are being overcome by things of the world. And it’s a shame to be overcome, when you are the overcomer!

Notice the word, whosoever. John uses this word several times in his writings. John, “the beloved” was the one that said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). Now the point I want to make is this: If we believe the whosoever in John 3:16, then we have to believe the whosoever in First John 5:1.

This makes me think of the song, “Whosoever” Meaneth Me.¹ I used to listen to the Blackwood Brothers sing “Whosoever” Meaneth Me. And of course my Grandma sang it too.

[v.1 KJV] Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Or the ESV makes clear, “everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him”

[v.2 KJV] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

v.4 now notice the fourth verse, whatsoever, I love it.

[v.4 KJV] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Now, just in case you didn’t get it, the Holy Spirit says (v.5), “who is it now that overcomes the world…?”

[v.5 KJV] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Everyone who loves the father, loves whoever has been born of Him. So if you love the Father, you love your brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you believe that Jesus is the Christ then you are born of God. Some might say, “well I don’t know whether I’ve ever been born again or not.” Well, do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?” Oh yes, with all your heart, yes!” Well then you are born of God according to this scripture, praise the Lord. Don’t ever doubt it again.

Some may say, “I believe Jesus is the Christ, and I believe that I’m born again. But I don’t believe I’m a world overcomer.” Don’t argue with the Bible.

You may not be overcoming yet, but that’s what we’re working on here. That’s where I’m going with this. I want to bring you to a place to where you are overcoming! As a world overcomer, in your everyday life, faith, and walk.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s the storms of life, or whatever it is you ought to be overcoming. Everything the world system throws at you, you ought to be overcoming, because you believe that Jesus is the Christ. And if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, then you’re born of God, and whatsoever is born of God is world overcomer.

You need to know how to overcome, and you need to know what your overcoming weapons are.

You need to know the process of living an overcoming life in this world. It is a nasty place to be, but we are stuck here until Jesus comes. And you have a job to do. If you don’t know how to live in Christ Jesus, by faith, you’ll have a lot of trouble in the world.

The Word of God is something that you can’t argue with. You can’t negotiate with it. It is fact. Truth. It is absolute truth, immovable truth. So we might as well agree with it, instead of trying to arguing with it. The Word of God will not change, so we must. Let’s just believe it, and prove that it is true.

This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

God bless you my friend,

— Dwight Hammond

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¹“Whosoever” Meaneth Me – Blackwood Brothers. Composed by James and Mary McConnell, 1910. The manuscript was purchased and copyrighted in 1914 by Charlie D. Tillman.