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Sermons from 1 John |
A Nike Salvation |
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Other sermons from 1 John
Sharing The Word Of Life (1:1-3) |
One of the most popular symbols in our culture is the “Swoosh,” and one of the most popular slogans is, “Just Do It.” You see the “Swoosh” and hear the words “Just Do It” and you think of Nike. A former middle-distance runner at the University of Oregon, Philip Knight turned a tiny company called Blue Ribbon Sports into the multibillion dollar Nike Corporation. He has made more money off sports than anyone. With a net worth of $5.3 billion, Forbes lists Knight as one the America’s richest men. Sales of Nikes in 2002 exceeded more than $10 billion dollars.
John describes the Christian as a possessor of a Nike salvation. In verses 4-5, three times he uses the word “overcometh” and once the word “victory.” The word “overcometh” is the Greek word nikao, which comes the Greek word nike which is the word “victory.” The word “overcometh” means “to conquer, prevail, get the victory.” The word “victory” speaks of “conquest, being an overcomer.”
In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. John is not speaking of a god in mythology, but a reality in the life of a Christian. The Christian life is to be a victorious life. The life of every Christian ought to bear a spiritual “Swoosh.” Instead of being a victim, we are to be victors. As John describes, we are to overcome the world, not be overcome by the world.
Let’s notice verses 4-5, and victorious life that could and should be true of every Christian. First, in John’s words we are reminded of:
1. OUR SPIRITUAL BIRTH
Once again John speaks of those who are “born of God” (5:4). This is a description of the Christian that is particularly dear to John. It is only found in 1 John and that on six occasions (3:9, 4:7, 5:1,4,18). It is an expression we have considered earlier and speaks of our new birth.
To be “born of God” means that we have received:
A) A New Life
The word “born” tells us that we have been given life – spiritual life. The Bible describes how that even when we were alive physically, we were dead spiritually. Twice in Ephesians 2, the Bible speaks of how we were dead in “trespasses” and “sins” (2:1,5). Colossians 2:13 also describes how we were “dead in sins.” The word “dead” speaks of a corpse. We were spiritual corpses.
When a condemned prisoner is escorted from his cell and led to the place of his execution, oftentimes the words are shouted, “Dead man walking.” Before we were saved we were all dead men walking. We were alive, but not alive. We were physically alive, but spiritually dead.
Yet, when we were saved we were given spiritual life. We were as John described, born spiritually, or “born again.” We have been as the Bible declares “quickened” (Cp. Eph. 2:5). We have been made alive or given life. As we were given life at our physical birth, we have been given life at our spiritual birth – spiritual life.
Thorwaldsen, the artist, who is said to have been born in Copenhagen, was questioned as to his birthplace. He replied, “I don’t know; but I arrived at Rome on the 8th March, 1797.” He dated his birth, as it were, from the commencement of his career as an artist. As a Christian, we date our new life to the hour when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour. I was born the first time on March 23, 1956. On April 2, 1972 I was born a second time. It was then that I was born of God.
To be “born of God” also means that we have received:
B) A New Lord
We have been born “of God.” Paul described how before we were saved we served the god who controls this world. He stated in Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Now that we are saved, we serve the God Who created this world. Salvation not only gave us a new life, but also a new Lord.
It was God Who gave us new life. He is the giver of our new life, and as giver of life, He assumed His rightful place as the God of our new life. He is in charge of our life! He is in control of our life! He is the One we now live for and give honor. We are no longer slaves to sin and Satan. We are now the servants of God.
John declares that we have been born of God! We have been given new life and a new Lord!
We also see that John not only declares our new birth, but he also describes:
2. OUR SPIRITUAL BATTLES
Once again John speaks of the “world.” In our earlier studies we saw how he called for the Christians separation from the world. We noticed 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” There is to be a separation from the world. A Christian can’t love God and the world at the same time.
In earlier studies, we considered what John meant when he talked about loving the world and overcoming the world, but let me refresh your memory. When the Bible speaks of the world it can be describing several different things. In fact, John himself used the word to speak of a variety of things. In John 3:16 he used the word to speak of a world of people. In John 17:24 he used it speak of the created world. In John 17:9 he spoke of unsaved people that oppose believers as the world.
The Greek word is comos, which means “adornment.” We get our word “cosmetic” from the word. It refers to the orderly arrangement of the universe. In 1 John 2:15 and 5:4-5, John uses the word to describe the whole evil system that is opposed to God. This system involves the attitudes and actions of the world around us. In attitude there is no place for God in life, and in action, there is opposition to God.
Once again John speaks of the world, and as he does so, he reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle. Our opponent and opposition is the world. When he speaks of our overcoming, it is the world that it we are to overcome. We are once again made aware of:
A) Our Presence In The World
As Christians, salvation did not remove us from the world. The Biblical description of believer’s being pilgrims and strangers remind us that we are not of this world, but still we remain in this world. As Christians, we are surrounded by a system (or society) that for the most part, has no place for God in their life. They do not want anything to do with God in their personal life and in our public life.
The world is in opposition to God – His Word, His commands, His plans and purposes. That is why in this country God, and anything to do with God, is daily and continually being removed from our public life. Ephesians 2:2 speaks of “the course of this world.” The world is going in the opposite direction of God and opposed to the direction God is going.
As Christians, we think differently about things. We interpret things differently. We judge things differently. We see things from a Biblical and eternal perspective. The Bible – God’s Word – is our guide. On the other hand, the world sees things from an earthly point of view. It does not consider things from God’s point of view. In reality, the course of the world is a course that is violation of God’s plan and purposes of man.
You could call it the world of the world. It is a world in which we live as Christians. Because we live in such a world, there is:
B) Our Problems With The World
It is the problems that we have with the world that John is thinking about. The world not only is going in the opposite direction of God, it has the objective of pulling us into its direction. As Christians, we are going in the opposite direction – God’s direction – and the world is doing everything it can to turn us in its direction. It opposes God, therefore, it opposes us.
In this system of things we call the world; there are many things that appeal to our flesh and its lusts. There is a constant pull on us by these things to embrace them and accept them. There is a daily battle going on to keep from being pulled in by the world and into the world. The world wants us to accept its way of thinking and living.
In 1 John 2:16, John spoke of “all that is in the world,” and summarized all that is in the world as the lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Our flesh is drawn to the world. What we see appeals to our flesh. The tendency to want do our own thing (the pride of life) is an invitation to the world to appeal to the lusts of our flesh and lusts of the eyes.
It is the appeal to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that gives us a problem with the world. It is a spiritual battle that is waged daily.
I recently read that up to 1914, the world had never been free from war, but on the other hand, war had never been universal. But from 1914-1918 total war was waged, and then from 1939 to 1945. In the latter, only 12 small nations were not actually or technically involved. Since then, wars have occurred in Indo-China, Korea, Congo, Cuba, Vietnam, Nigeria, Middle East, India-Pakistan, Ethiopia, Angola, Nicaragua, Iraq, and the list goes on. It is estimated that over 100 million people were killed in wars on earth since the 19th century began.
In the spiritual war, it is a war that has raged from Adam and Eve, and there has never been a ceasefire. It is a war that will be fought by every believer until the day God takes them home. Unfortunately, there have been many casualties. It is the prevention of these spiritual casualties that John has in mind when he speaks of our overcoming the world.
He describes our victory over the world as:
3. OUR SPIRITUAL BIRTHRIGHT
The victory that John describes is the spiritual birthright of everyone that is “born of God.” As Christians, we do not have to live defeated lives. We do not have to be a victim. We can be a victor. A victorious Christian life is our spiritual birthright.
As we look at John’s words we see:
A) The Source Of Our Victory
John says in verse 4, “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” He explains that our faith is the source of our victory. Or to be more precise, our faith connects us to the source of our victory. John is not saying that faith in itself is the source of victory, but the object of our faith is the source of victory.
I came across an article on the web page of “Atheism Awareness.” It was an article entitled, “Atheists Have Faith, too.” The writer wrote: “This is something I usually hear as a debate is winding down. The debate has placed the theist in an ideological corner and they have to find something to associate atheism with their own belief. This allows the public to see them as equal. It is an attempt to justify theism through mutual acceptance - that by arguing for atheism and granting that there is atheistic faith - that their faith is equally justified. Unfortunately, the argument holds no merit – even if the public falls for it. Faith is belief in something without evidence or contrary to the evidence. Do you believe in unicorns even though the evidence is largely conclusive that they don't exist? To believe in unicorns it takes faith. That is what religious faith is: belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. No matter how much the theist protests – they cannot prove their gods exist – they have no evidence and there is a lot of contradictory evidence, in both the physical and philosophical realms. There is another definition for faith and it is the one more commonly used by people when they are talking about "atheists have to have faith". Faith is also the confident belief in the value or trustworthiness of a person or thing. In this sense it is absolutely correct that as an atheist I have faith. I have faith that my car will start each morning when I go to work. I have faith that my loved ones will continue to love me and give me their support. I have faith that my children will grow up to be responsible and moral human beings. I have faith that humanity will ultimately overcome the evils of this world and that basic human rights will triumph over oppression.”1
First, I strongly disagree that religious faith does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. Furthermore, there is much evidence that God exists, and the contradictory evidence is only in the minds of those who choose to create the contradictory evidence. Enough said, for that is a different subject. But, as for atheists having faith, yes it is true they have faith, or at least a certain form of faith.
The faith that John describes as the source of our victory is not primarily in our faith, but in the object of our faith. What is that object? He says in verse 5, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.” It is not a matter of having faith in faith, but faith in Jesus the Son of God. The source of our victory is Jesus, the object of our faith.
The faith that John describes is the faith we have placed in Jesus the Son of God. By faith, we accepted Him as Saviour. We have placed our faith in Him to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Our faith has connected us to the source of our victory over the world – Jesus the Son of God.
I love Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…” He also declared in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Jesus is our source of victory. I have heard it said many times, “I just can’t seem to overcome my problem.” The “I” part is the problem. I can’t overcome. But victory is not in me or in you. It is in Christ! It is as we depend on Him and draw strength from Him that we are victorious.
I think of, “The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol
— that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
There is a principle sprinkled throughout these 12 Steps that is absolutely critical to be victorious, whether it be getting victory over a drinking problem, or dealing the world. That principle is that victory lies outside ourselves and lies in the only One who can give us the victory, and that is Jesus the Son of God. As John describes, it is by faith that we are brought into a relationship with the One Who can give us victory.
James Stewart said, "….We are more than conquerors, not through our own valor or stoic resolutions, not through a creed or code or philosophy, but through him who loved us – through the thrust and pressure of the invading grace of Christ” Jesus is our victory!
Secondly, John not only describes our source of victory, but in His words we also see:
B) Our Standard Of Victory
As you consider carefully what John says, you find that overcoming the world is more than a suggestion or recommendation. It is the standard of the Christian life. John says in verse 4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.” John is very clear and plain in what he says. One that has been born of God will overcome the world. It is not a maybe, but will overcome. The tense of the words indicates that there is a continual overcoming of the world.
Victory is something that is expected in the Christian. It is a Watchman Nee called, a normal Christian life. To live a defeated life and continually overcome by the world is an abnormal Christian life. I once heard someone say that we live such subnormal lives that are abnormal that it has become normal. Being conquered by the world is not normal. Being conquerors is normal. It is the standard of the life we have in Christ!
Victory is our spiritual birthright. All we need for overcoming the world we have in Christ. The question is, are we drawing from this resource and resting in Christ for victory? As John reminds us, victory is the standard of the Christian life. Remember, we have a Nike Salvation.
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