Faith is the victory
We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:2-5
From the text, John provided us an image of what Christians are dealing with in life. It is by our obedience to God and His word that we can ward off the attack of the enemy. Because of the ability and power the enemy has, God wants us to not take him for granted. This is why God demands loyalty to Him by faith for it is the only means that we can attain victory. It is His will that we experience victory. It also proves that we are His children “if we love God and obey his commandments.” We should be totally committed to our relationship with God and the purpose He had set for us. Our love for God is manifested by our willingness to obey His commands. If we do not have a regard to what He tells us to do from His word how can we claim that we love Him? God’s commands are not burdensome. He promised that once we believe Him and place our lives in Him, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). From the outside, it appears that God’s expectations are difficult to fulfill but once we know Him as Lord and Savior, following Him becomes a means to experience joy and His blessings. “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living... They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb” (Psalm 19:7-8, 10). It is not that God changes His standards so we could fulfill them but it is us changing our attitude towards His commands for we find joy in obeying them. The key in our obedience is our faith in Christ that in having Him in our lives provides us the power to resist the lure of the world. Our relationship with God helps us see the counterfeit that comes out from the world. This is how Moses decided to leave Egypt and its pleasures for he found satisfaction in following God. “He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). There is victory that awaits us as we continue to overcome the world. “...it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward” (Hebrews 11:26).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
