Victory

Introduction

Eisenhower Tunnel I-70. The highest tunnel in the US! 1.7 miles.

Started boring on March 15, 1968. Westbound opened March 8, 1973. Eastbound December 21, 1979.

Massive boring machines dealing with fault lines, diverted rivers, high altitude, and difficult terrain.

It took a massive amount of work and resources and time to literally move mountains.

The power to move mountains is contained in our faith:

Matthew 17:20 ESV

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

So much potential contained in our faith!

Are you living a life of faith-fueled power?

John writes to us to encourage us to nourish our faith to grow so you can walk in victory.

Faith Grants Victory

vv. 1-5

It is natural to seek victory. Nobody sets out to lose! From board games to sports to politics...

But, true victory, the only kind that really matters, is found in Christ.

1 John 5:4 ESV

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

What does this faith look like?

Victorious faith in Christ is characterized by Obedience and Love.

Believers experience this in abundance because the transformation that Christ brings in us.

Love and Obedience are intrinsically connected, but they sound contradictory!

Obedience provides protection against living a life driven by emotions and feelings.

Fell asleep in 1996.

Emotions can be like rumble strips. They may or may not keep us on the road.

But, guardrails keep us from going off the road!

Obedience is divine guardrails to keep us moving forward in sanctification.

Obedience is described as not being burdensome, they are actually a blessing. And a low bar!!

But, others have different approaches to the world.

Conquer by their own power (Treat it like a game).

Avoidance of the world (Treat it like a bee).

Blend into the world (Treat it like camouflage).

Those all fail.

Only in Christ can we be truly victorious over the world.

Faith In The Incarnate Son

vv. 6-12

This victorious faith is one that is placed on the Incarnate Son.

Christmas in just a few weeks! Next week we start our Advent Series.

John talks about Jesus coming in the Water and the Blood.

Water represents a spiritual life and Blood represents a physical life.

Jesus is 200%.

He was already 100% Divine. Then, he became incarnate, in the flesh, and took on a second nature.

Hypostatic Union.

The Spirit gives testimony affirming the dual nature of Christ.

Which is a much higher authority than anything man can say! Going to the source!

One of my favorite things that we do with the boys is read at night.

Chronicles of Narnia. CS Lewis one of my favorite authors. Getting Lion, Witch, Wardrobe as a kid for XMas.

Finished A Horse and His Boy this last week.

Sometimes I think about what it would have been like to be there while Lewis worked on these books.

Didn’t do it alone. Inklings in Oxford, England. Met Tuesday mornings at The Eagle and the Child pub.

There he and other members, like JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) would talk about what they were writing and take ideas and critiques.

How much you could learn about these stories as you witnessed yourself their creation by the author.

1 John 5:9 ESV

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

How great that God has revealed to us His Son and called us to place our faith in Him.

“Whoever has the Son has life...”

This faith gives us life!

Quality and Quantity.

Victory In The Incarnate Son

vv. 13-21

Notice that he wants them to be certain! Doubt exists. We can have victory over doubt.

Doubt can be conquered.

The devil uses doubt to delay discipleship.

Ask & Pray for assurance. The context of this passage gives us that as the right response to doubt.

As we pray for assurance, we also pray for others in their victory over temptation.

Victory for our brothers and sisters. When they sin who do you talk to? God! Not others.

“It’s a prayer request.” No…it’s gossip and gossip is a sin.

But, what is v. 16 talking about?

1 John 5:16 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

Two ideas about this (John doesn’t give any more information):

Two classifications in Jewish thinking: Deliberate sin and Ignorant sin.

Mark 3:29 ESV

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

Context of Mark 3.

Whatever John was indicating here, the message is clear.

We are to progress towards righteousness.

Together. With God. Not with the world!!

His concluding verse…seems abrupt. Warning of idolatry. Context = False Teachings.

We can have victory over sin and false teachings.

Conclusion

Matt Cassel - Drafted by the Patriots to be a backup for Tom Brady. Went on to play for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bills, Broncos, Titans, and the Lions.

Drafted in 2005 from USC, his rookie year he threw 24 passes, completing 13 of them, in two games. Two touchdowns and one int. And got a Super Bowl ring at the end of the season.

Can you imagine that? Even the guy who played so little behind one of the, if not the, best players ever. He still got a ring.

Isn’t it great that the battle has already been won!

You get something much more valuable than a ring!

You get eternal life in Jesus.

By trusting in Jesus. Ask Him to forgive your sins. Commit your life to following Him.

Walk as He walked. In Truth and in love.