VICTORY IN TESTING

One of my favorite events in sports history is the USA Hockey Team defeat of the USSR team in the 1980s Winter Olympics. It is called The Miracle on Ice because the odds that the US would win were insignificant.

For one reason, the USSR had won 5 or the previous 6 winter olympics. Secondly, their players had significant experience with international play. In other words, they were experienced players. Furthermore, the Soviet Union had not lost an Olympic game since 1968. And in 1979 the Soviet Union defeated the NHL All Stars 6-0.

Prior to the Winter Olympics of 1980, the Soviet Union met the USA team and defeated them 10-3.

So, here was an experienced, efficient team against a team whose average age was 21, with little experience playing together. It was the proverbial David vs. Goliath. During the age of the Cold War, and on American ice, these two teams met for what would be a slaughter.

The US team tied with Sweden (2-2, thought to be an easy victory for SW), beat Czechoslovakia (7-3, Cz. was favored for the Silver Medal), and then Norway (5-1), Romania (7-2), and West Germany (4-2).

The Soviet Union swept through their opponents: Japan (16-0), Netherlands (17-4), Poland (8-1), Finland (4-2), and Canada (6-4).

In the first period the Soviets scored the first goal, followed by a goal by the US. Then the Soviets struck again, giving them a 2-1 lead. But after a bad missed rebound, the US team tied the score, 2-2.

The second period sees the Soviets taking a 3-2 lead. They outshot the Americans 12-2, which is an enormous difference.

In the third period after a crazy hit, Mark Johnson scored the tying goal, now the game is 3-3. At this point the crowd is going wild. This young, ragtag team is actually hanging with the Soviets. But then the unthinkable happened. At 10 minutes left in the third period, the USA scored a goal, giving them a 4-3 lead.

The Soviets were scrambling, and tried to tie the game shot after shot. The young Americans played tough and consistent, and as the time wore down on the clock, the crowd was unglued. The announcer, Al Michaels, says,

“11 seconds, you’ve got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds lift in the game. Do you believe in miracles? YES!” And with the horn, the game ended. The Soviets, the international hockey team, had been defeated. The USA went on the win the gold medal, but this victory over the Russians will always be a part of our incredible history.

We could describe their incredible victory with one word: overcomers. They overcame the Soviet team through hard work, team play, and intense determination.

While we enjoy living in the greatest nation in the world, we are first and foremost Christians, disciples of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As believers, we are commanded to test the prophets, because there are many in the world.

We have looked at these false prophets and teachers throughout the Scriptures, as well as noted several examples in our present world. And, like Elijah in 1 Kings 19:10, 14, we can give in to those feelings of aloneness, of defeat, and of hopelessness.

In this time of moral decay, where traditions and morality as a whole have been thrust aside, it is easy to given into feelings of hopelessness. Particularly in our American context, we see the traditions that we have loved and enjoyed for so long crumbling at the foundations. Furthermore, we see Christianity attacked all around the world.

This is where the idea of Victory in Testing comes. John reminds us that believers are overcomers. While it seems that we are David fighting against Goliath (the world, false prophets), we are not fighting from behind. We are not the underdogs. We are, John tells us, overcomers.

The US victory over the Soviet Union in 1980 is remarkable, but it pails, and infinitely so, in comparison to the victory of God over all who oppose him. Brothers and sisters, we see Victory in Testing through our passage this morning.

I. VICTORY IN TESTING IS BASED ON THE INFINITE GREATNESS OF GOD- 1 John 4:4

After discussing the command for and method of testing, John transitions to an encouraging message, and one that we all need to hear regularly. The infinite greatness of God comes on two fronts: our relationship to God and our victory through God, with a final comparison of the Infinite greatness of God compared with the antichrists and the world.

A. The Infinite Greatness of God and Our Relationship to Him—You are from God

He begins by saying we are from God, and this calling us back to our birth from God mentioned in chapter three. We are from God. Now, while we are in the focus, we are not the focus. Let me explain. John is encouraging us because we are in the midst of these false prophets, he wants us to remember our relationship to God. We are His children (3:1).

Though we are the focus, God is really the focus. We will talk about this more in just a moment. But take courage in your relationship with God!

B. The Infinite Greatness of God and Our Victory through God—you…have overcome them

The second aspect of the infinite greatness of God is our victory through God. We have overcome the them! That is what John is telling us.

You see, when dealing with testing, it is easy to think we are losing, or that we are playing from behind. It is like the big kid at the playground. Everyone sees them and think they are king of the hill because of their size.

Well, the world and antichrists are the big kids on the playgrounds of the world. They appear to be large and in charge, but the biblical reality is quite different. The biblical reality is that we have overcome them through the infinite greatness of God. It is a fact: Jesus won.

Colossians 2:15 describes “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

Jesus defeated the enemy, the victory was won. And furthermore, this victory is seen as timeless, that is, it spans time. Consider this from Revelation 13:8, which refers to Christ as “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” 1 Pet. 1:20, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world.”

Christ’s victory gives us our victory, we are tied to Jesus Christ. And this leads us to our next focus.

C. Infinite greatness of God compared with the antichrists and the world—greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world

God’s greatness is infinite; it has no bounds. What an encouraging fact of Scripture! He is greater!

Consider the words of Stephen Charnock, who writes about God’s power,

“From this attribute of the infinite power of God, we have a ground of comfort in the lowest estate of the church. Let the state of the church be never so deplorable, the condition never so desperate, that power that created the world, and shall raise the bodies of men, can create a happy state for the church, and raise her from an overwhelming grave. Though the enemies trample upon her, they cannot upon the arm that holds her, which by the least motion of it can lift her up above the heads of her adversaries, and make them feel the thunder of that power that none can understand.”—Stephen Charnock, Works Vol. II, 181

Revelation 19:11-21 paints a graphic picture of the victory of God. However, just consider the last three verses. (Green Tab)

The false prophets are many, but greater is He.

The lies and deceptions abound in our age, but greater is He.

We are prone to deception, but greater is He.

In every way possible, God is greater than the spirit and minions and antichrists and devils of this life.

I. Victory in Testing is Based On The Infinite Greatness of God.

But there is more. Let’s notice, secondly, that

II. VICTORY IN TESTING DEMONSTRATES THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND THE WORLD- 1 John 4:5

The next encouraging point that John makes is that Victory in Testing Demonstrates the Vast Difference Between Believers and the World. John’s epistle teaches us that there is a difference between believers and unbelievers.

In light of recent events in the US, I am always perplexed when I hear Christians say, “How could they do that?” “What happened to morality in the US?” Brothers and sisters, they are of the world, that is how they can do that!

You see, first,

A. Unbelievers—from the world (4:5)

1. Unbelievers are from the world

That is, their origin is from the world, the evil, collective expression of rebellion against God and His Christ. John has been distinguishing the world from believers all throughout this epistle.

Consider these words from the Canons of Dort, an older statement against false teachings,

“Man brought forth children of the same nature as himself after the fall. That is to say, being corrupt he brought forth corrupt children. The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment, from Adam to all his descendants—except for Christ alone—not by way of imitation…but by way of the propagation of his perverted nature.”—Canons of Dort III:2

They are of the world, this source of rebellion and hatred for God and all that is good. And this origin explains why they propagate false teachings.

Which brings us to our second point of focus:

2. Unbelievers speak from the world

These worldly people speak from the world. That is, they operate within the framework of the world. Now, I have used David Well’s definition of the world as the collective expression of rebellion against God, which is the most helpful and concise way of describing the world. We also looked at the three manifestations of this collective rebellion from 2:15-17. This is the meat of their speeches.

Thinking of it on a political level, their speech is their platform, that for which they are running. It is their agenda, their plans, so to speak.

This is important, because this gives us another point by which to discern truth from falsehood. Does what they are teaching come from the Scriptures, or is it based in the love of the world (i.e., lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life)?

Socialism, to offer a political expression of the world, is against the teachings of Scripture. The basis premise is that everything is held in common, that there is nothing own privately. The popular phrase is, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his work.” The problem with socialism is it is inherently immoral. It violates the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not steal.”

Now, this is not a sermon on economics. However, we can see how the world understands material possessions, which is manifested in socialism. Stealing is always wrong, regardless of the motive. Thus, the world speaks. And this is just one example. We could give examples of the roles of government, sexual ethics, and even the value of human life.

The world speaks as from the world. Unbelievers are from the world, and Unbelievers speak from the world, and finally....

3. Unbelievers hear from the world

John tells us that the world listens to these false prophets. They listen and accept the lies. Again, we only have to look at a present predicament in the US to see this to be true. How is it that as a whole our society accepts abortion? One could make the argument not to recently science could not verify if babies were developed enough to experience pain. Though the Scriptures make it clear that life begins at conception, scientists could not verify it. Now the arguments are whether they are persons, and what a person is. The world listens to its own.

Therefore, John writes, on the basis of their origin, their speech, and their acceptance, the world is completely antagonistic against God, in all forms and varieties through which it can manifest itself.

B. Believers—from God (4:6)

The contrast is made once again. Unbelievers are from the world, they speak and think like the world, and they reason with the world.

Believers are from God, we are His children, beloved, writes the apostle John. Believers listen, they hear, they accept, what true teachers of the faith offer because they know God.

1. Believers are distinguished from unbelievers on their acceptance of biblical teaching—he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us

This is evident today in Churches. Once long held beliefs, based on the Scriptures, are being rejected. Views on God’s holiness, the exclusivity of the Gospel, the need for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, are thrown to the roadside in acceptance of ecumenical efforts.

True believers listen, they accept the clear teachings of the Word of God. Unbelievers do not. It is as simply as that. Now, let me remind you there is room for disagreement here. Perhaps a believer has not been trained or taught, or they lack a certain maturity. As a whole, however, believers and unbelievers are distinguished on the basis of their acceptance or rejection of biblical teaching.

2. Believers can distinguish between truth and error—the spirit of truth and the spirit of error

This whole section has been based on testing the spirits, those false prophets attempting to deceive believers.

John says, By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. By listening to God. Brothers and sisters, this is why it is so important to be in the Word of God! Be mastered by the Word of God, and when false teaching creeps in you will be able to recognize it immediately.

Conclusion

The US team overcame the Soviets in 1980 in what is now called The Miracle on Ice. They overcame unimaginable difficulties, defeating a team against which they had no chance.

Believers, we are overcomers. Not because we are smarter, or wiser, or stronger, but because of God.

In the midst of societal decay, God is greater. In the midst of a plethora of false teachings, God is greater. In the midst of your own struggle with truth, God is greater.

Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus Christ (see 3:24)

Therefore, take courage. Do not fear this world nor its teachings. Learn to identify the false teachings accepted by the world. I want to end our time this morning by reading Peter’s takeaway that aligns with John’s thoughts here.

1 Peter 3:13-16 (Orange Tab)