Birthmarks of Victorious Faith

BIRTH MARKS OF VICTORIOUS FAITH

Scripture: 1 John 4:20-5:5

GOOD MORNING IT IS GREAT TO BE BACK WITH YOU TODAY!

Let us pray.

If you have your Bibles with you this morning, and I hope that you do. Open your Bible with me to the New Testament book of 1st John chapter 4?

If you are unfamiliar to where 1st John is you can go to the back of your Bible to the book of Revelation, then Jude, then 3rd John and Second then there will be 1st John.

1st John chapter number 4.

Now, John was a disciple of Jesus, He was one of Jesus' best friends, and he loved Jesus. John experienced Jesus' love first hand and was called by Jesus to share it with the world.

Here in this book, John calls on born-again believers to remember who they are in Christ when hard times and problems occur in life.

When you examine a believers faith, what you find at the heart of it, what binds us together with God is that four-letter word- LOVE,

Love is the very essence of God.

John reminds us that God is love and because of His love for us, took the initiative to get us back to Him through Salvation that came at the cost of the Son of God, the perfect unblemished lamb of God. We also learned that God created us with the trait, the capacity to love, and to be loved. God's love is demonstrated to the world through our love for one another.

Remember that Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And this theme doesn't take a back seat in our scripture today. John continues to teach about having victorious faith because of God's love for us and our love for one another.

Well, if you are there in 1st John chapter 4, begin reading with me from verse 20.

"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 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 burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

That brings us to what we call our truth to go:

AND THAT IS:

OUR FAITH DEMONSTRATES GOD'S VICTORY.

Our faith is supposed to be victorious over the world. Yet, many of people who profess Christ, live a defeated life. What I mean by that is that many things can get us down, that defeat us, life has a way of overcoming us, or bombarding us with a bunch of stuff. Right?

There are relationships, and there are health issues, there are family issues, there are financial issues, there are work issues, life, and death issues. Sometimes, it seems like there are issues after issues after problems on top of problems in this world and even in the church. And when all this stuff keeps happening to us, it tends to get us down.

And sometimes, in the troubles and turmoil of life, we can forget about the victory we have, life can roll over the top of us, and we can forget that the battle is raging for our souls and that Jesus paid the price for each of us.

I love that hymn Jesus paid it all. The chorus goes like this: you probably know it:

“Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe, sin has left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”

Folks in this world, there are two entities Satan and God. Evil vs. Good, Unrighteousness versus righteousness. Unrighteousness is a sin against God, but righteousness belongs to God's people who are covered by the blood of the Lamb through the forgiveness of sin.

But Satan uses many methods to get us down and to hold us down one of those tactics is hate. It spreads like a wild fire.

And you know our human tendency is to focus on what is keeping us down in the present rather than focusing on the victory that we have today and for eternity. And listen, we all can fall under this trap.

There is a statistic by the Barnam group, they found that says that 57% of pastors feel discouraged, stressed, and fatigued. Many pastors deal with depression. That’s just pastors, not the congregation.

And that is in today's world!

But imagine for a moment, the primitive lifestyle people had 2,000 years, the hard life they lived, and the new church's problems.

So, John speaks about those problems and says that our faith should demonstrate God's victory. And he gives us three birthmarks of faith that shows God's victory. And I want to share them with you today.

But before we get there I want to ask; did you know that all though birth marks are common, not every one has one? My sister has one in the middle of the front of her neck, our daughter has on on her index finger. It’s estimated that 80% of babies are born with a birthmark but many fade away as they grow.

Birthmarks are usually caused by an overgrowth of a skin-like structure. An overgrowth of blood vessels, for example, causes vascular birthmarks, while an overgrowth of pigment cells causes congenital naevi (Nevus) or moles.

But notice that the Birthmarks come from an overgrowth of skin or an overgrowth of blood vessels?

I believe that we all tend to have some spiritual and physical birth marks as well. But as we grow in Christ they become more apparent to the those around us.

We (Myself, Gayle, Gary and Phi) went at the store on the other side of the pond and Gary began talking to a worker after we talked with him, Gary said I could tell that he was a believer when he began talking. His birthmark was by the he spoke to us.

So here are three Birthmarks of a Born- Again Believers faith found here in our scripture today.

THE FIRST BIRTH MARK OF ONE'S FAITH IS THAT WE LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE.

Look back at verses 4:20-5:1

"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him”

Many call themselves believers yet openly profess that they hate people? There are believers who are prejudice against others. Likewise when John wrote this letter. So, John contrasts those who love one another to those who hate others. Because there were people in those days that hated others for example Jews and Samaritans, Jews and Gentiles.

So, John expresses that loving one another must be characterized by Jesus’ sacrificial love. That type of love allows believers to have confidence before God. John desires that they test the spirits, because the true Spirit (which indwells them and us) confesses Christ came in the flesh. Finally, John establishes that it is God’s love for believers which should motivate their love of others.

Notice with me the words "he has seen" in verse 20. People are in plain sight, while we cannot physically see God. His point here is this; you say you love the unseen God, but the people you hate are right in front of you. So how can you love the unseen God if you hate those right here.

Have you ever met someone and thought one way until they revealed themselves to you?

This is what John is getting at. The inward character of a person is revealed when they lie about their love for God. They declare their love for God, but fail to demonstrate that love through the treatment of fellow brothers and sisters of Christ. People in general.

Folks listen, It is impossible for a person to love God if he hates the people around them. The love for God and the hate for another cannot co-exist in the same heart.

Jesus already made it abundantly clear that the progression of faith is simple:

First, Love God – When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, our love for God is manifested by understanding what He did to bring us back to Him. Through sacrificing His one and only Son, Jesus, to pay for the penalty of sin. In three of the Gospels; Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they describe the moment that Jesus was questioned by a lawyer of the pharisee's who asked him: Of all the commandments, which is the most important? (Mark 12:28) listen to what the Word of God tells us: The Bible tells us in Mark 12:30 that Jesus answered saying:

Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Then Jesus gives a second answer to that question, He said the second is like the first, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

When we come to faith, when we realize the Fathers love for us, we, in turn, we are to love the people who are born of the Father, and One another.

Look back at 5:1 with me:

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him”

Notice with me; God provided a way for us to reunite us through His Son and when we have faith in Christ and become believers, we have been reborn to God.

There are two characteristics are true of every child born. First, every baby is born into a family; it may not be a functional family, but it is a family nonetheless. Second, that baby has specific physical characteristics of their parents. Newborns have characteristics of the family, and they become more pronounced the older they get.

What I am getting at here, is our life of faith is like that. A believer is one who has experienced a new birth. By experiencing the new birth, you have been adopted into the family of God, and you begin to have the characteristics of your Father, of your Savior, of the Holy Spirit within us.

We have a new life, with a new distinction, with a new purpose. No longer are we born of the world, but now we are children of God, born unto Him.

When we understand all that God has done for us, bringing about our redemption, our love for Him is meant to flow out of us. Much like the overgrowth of blood vessels that make a birth mark.

And because we are born of God, according to John, we assume the characteristics of our Father, God.

John said before in 4:16 that "God is Love" and this character trait of love is perfected in us.

Because of this new birth, we love and can set aside the worldly things of this life as we belong to a loving family who should at all times want the best for us.

That is why you cannot love God and hate others. So we as fellow believers are not only have a spiritual requirement to love, but also a command to love God, but also to love others around us.

Now let's get to the brass tacks of the matter- some of us are not always easy to love. Amen?

Some people say they love God, yet they do things that go against the very Word of God, and sometimes it's hard to love those folks. Sometimes people say things about you or gossip, or act mean to you. Some people will disturb you and can be very upsetting, but you are supposed to love them anyway.

Your love for them doesn't give them the right to walk all over you, but you are still supposed to love them.

Remember what Romans 5:8 says "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

If God’s love was demonstrated to us while mankind was doing wrong, then shouldn't we do the same with others.

The Bible tells us that when you show your love for God and others, you demonstrate God's love for the people. Your love for others demonstrates God's love and victory.

THE FIRST BIRTH MARK, WE ARE TO LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE.

THE SECOND BIRTHMARK OF ONE'S FAITH IS SHOWN IN OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

Look back with me to verses 5:2-3

"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 burdensome."

John uses those words again that “BY THIS WE KNOW” OR OTHER VERSION SAY “THIS IS HOW WE KNOW" this provides for us an easy way of understanding if we are doing the right thing.

It helps us understand if we measure up or not.

Look at verse 2. Here is how you know that you love God's Children- if "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.”

Notice that word “KEEP”. If you are going to keep something, it means you already have it in your possession. In the Greek context, it means to watch, observe, to keep your eyes fixed, even to obey.

When I was in the Army, I gave soldiers orders telling them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. But let me ask you; what would you think of a soldier who understood those orders yet failed to carry them out?

In the Army, we are given three general orders. So that in the absence of a leader or further orders, you can always go back to the general orders to guide you. One of the first things people are taught in the Army is the first general order; I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.

In basic training, we performed guard duty, where we would guard certain areas of the military base. And the first general order was vitally important to the mission at the guard post. One night one of the privates decided to go to his parent's house to get something to eat while he was on guard duty, and he got caught. What do you think happened to him?

In the face of his commanding officer, it didn't matter that he could recite the 1st general order. It was a question of whether or not he carried it out, and by leaving his post when he was not properly relieved, these were direct abuses of that order.

Now as believers, we are not just to talk about God's commandments, listen to the preaching and teaching of them. We are not to memorize them or understand them, but like a military member, we are to carry out God's Commandments.

The number one way you can show your love for God is to do what He says. Look at verse 3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments."

I read in one commentary that the highest credential of love is found in obedience. Obedience proves our love to God and to others.

God said it first in 1 Samuel 15:22 in the Old Testament when they made sacrifices to God, but notice what God said; "it is better to obey than sacrifice."

In our context today- obedience is better than preaching about it. To obey God is better than to have a Bible study teaching about it. To obey God is better than giving a tithe or offering to the church. To obey God is to do what He says to do.

And listen to me, God will never go against His own Word, against His scripture. He will never tell you to do something contrary to the Bible. All you have to do is ask yourself am I obeying God. Am I living out His commands?

What is the first command and most important command?

The first commandment is to “love God with your heart, soul, strength, and mind.”

The second commandment is to"love your neighbor as yourself.”

Some people can find these commands burdensome, but John says that if you love God, then His commands are not burdensome.

I had a lady tell me that she had faith in Christ, but the one thing she couldn't do was stop cursing. She would use the Lord's name in vain if you know what I mean. She said it was the one thing she couldn't stop.

She felt like it was a duty to her and her faith was a series of check-marks. If your faith is motivated by a sense of responsibility that you have to force yourself to fulfill, God's commands will be burdensome.

If you feel that you cannot meet the expectations of God's commands, you will always feel like they are tied to your neck, weighing you down. Sometimes we whine about obeying God's commands, and you know it can be hard to do the right thing every time.

I can earnestly say that God's commands are not always the path of least resistance, but that is the great news about being a child of God. We can carry out God's commands because of the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. He can give us the motivation and strength to live out those commands.

No duty is too hard to carry out when it is done out of the heart of love. John's words to the church are simple: you cannot love God or His children if you are not willing to do what He says.

This is a crucial lesson for us if we want our faith to demonstrate God's victory.

You can say I love God all you want, but your obedience demonstrates that love to Him and others.

THE FIRST BIRTH MARK OF ONE'S FAITH IS THAT WE LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE.

THE SECOND WE LIVE IN OBEDIENCE.

AND THEN THIRD BIRTH MARK OF OUR FAITH IS THAT WE LIVE AS CONQUERORS.

Look with at verses 4 & 5

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

John is now bringing to light what our lives should look like to God and others.

We should live as conquerors!

I love action films, whether it is war movies, superhero movies, even westerns – there is always the struggle between good and evil. There is always a battle raging, a fight happening. There is a victor and a loser. And even though I have watched the show several times, I still watch and wait to see who will win.

University of Michigan is where our grandson got treated cancer their motto is "Hail to the Victors."

In today's world, we see the images of the battle that is raging on this earth. Many won't say it, but most terrorism is nothing more than a religious war. What is happening in the Middle East and worldwide is all about; who is our God? Who do we follow? Here is the insight that I received about these two verses is:

You cannot have victory over something without a fight, without a battle.

Notice the words of verse 4

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

WOW, What a statement!

I want to tell you that a greater battle rages daily over our lives and the entire earth. It is an unseen battle that the Apostle Paul best describes to the early church in Eph 6:12. It is a battle of eternal proportions as he tells the church, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The battle raging that we cannot see is for the souls of the people, a spiritual war between the forces of God and the forces of Satan. We are in the middle of it. It is going on right now as you listen to me, it is going on right now in this church.

The truth is we are God’s soldiers battling each day in this war, and John tells us that with our faith comes the victory!

But there are so many living out their days defeated. As if the war has already beaten them into submission.

I believe that there is a great chasm, and it has many people today in it.

It holds all the people who think that they are believers versus what the Bible says who believers are. Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever seen the difference between what who the Bible says we are and what we are like?

For example, in our scripture today, John makes it a point to show us that Faith in Jesus and the new birth are inseparable. Faith in Christ is necessary for the new birth.

Verse 1 "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,"

Many are still living their lives as if there is no God. They never take the new life seriously.

John says that the one who can overcome the world is the one who is born of God that has faith in Christ. It is the new birth through faith that is the victory that overcomes the world.

Faith is not only the component for our eternal future, but it is a component of living this life every single day. Each day we face three enemies, The world, our flesh, and the devil. Our lives in this world can be a constant struggle because of sin.

It lures us in like a fishing lure catches fish. It looks like the real thing, it swims like the real thing, but in reality, it is only an allusion to lure us away from God.

Many of us fall for it and because of it, we live a defeated life when we have the faith that will conquer the World.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33, in the world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

That leads us into the last verse.

Look at verse 5 with me "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Look at that verse; our relationship with Christ Jesus, our faith in Him, our salvation enables us to overcome the obstacles of this world. We can have victorious faith because Christ is victorious over Satan.

I want you to know today that Satan is a bully. He likes to bully Believers. People attempt to bully others into submission. I had a job where my boss knew I was a believer, and it seemed as though it was his job to make me quit. He bullied me each day, and often I would go home wondering if I could make it another day.

Many people are bullied in this life:

Three young men hopped on a bus in Detroit in the 1930s and tried to pick a fight with a man sitting at the back of the bus. They insulted him. He did not respond, they insulted him some more. He said nothing. Eventually, the stranger stood up. He was much bigger than the bullies had estimated in his seated position- much bigger. He reached into his pocket, handed them his business card, and exited the bus. As the bus drove off, the three young men gathered around the card and read the words "Joe Louis, Boxer.” They had just tried to bully and pick a fight with the man who would become the Heavy Weight Boxing Champion of the World, the number one boxer of all times.

What is the key victory that can overcome the bully of this world? It is our faith, our love for God and for others.

In Romans 8:37 the Bible tells us that “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Folks, let me tell you this right now, victory over this life doesn't come from yourself, it doesn't come from church, it doesn't come by a denomination, victory comes only by the Son of God. It is Christ Alone who atoned for us, Christ Alone is where our faith begins and it is Christ who will destroy the enemy.

Christ has already won the victory for each of us at Calvary.

What are the Birthmarks of victorious faith?

That Believers LIVE A LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE.

BEING IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

LIVING EACH DAY AS THE CONQUERS THAT WE ARE.

Invitation.