“Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world!” — 1 John 5:4-5
John links this thought with what he wrote earlier in chapter 2:13-15, where he says that the young people in the congregation have overcome the wicked one and warns them not to forfeit their victory by falling in love with the world.
The wicked one rules the world. To be victorious over him is to be victorious over the world and over all that is in it. All of those victorious over the world have been born of God and they have been filled with a strong spiritual life. As victors they go forth in their victory to trample upon any interference from the world which is opposed to God.
This becomes clearer when we see what this victory is. It is “our faith.” When God beckons us to believe, He is inviting us to be victorious. When He calls forth love from us, this is the evidence and fruit of that victorious faith. Both faith and love show that we have been born anew.
Yet everything depends upon the object of our faith. So many people talk about faith in abstract terms. “You gotta have faith.” Faith in what?
There is only one faith that apprehends the eternal victory, and this is faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. He has fulfilled all for us. He died and rose again for us. We have the victory only through Jesus Christ.
How The Resurrection Changes Our Life
The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of the Christian’s hope and joy. Thus it brought about great changes in the lives of those who lived at the time of the risen Savior.
The appearance of the risen Savior turned the tears of the sorrowing women into great joy; it turned the discouragement of the Emmaus disciples into great hope; it turned the gloom of His followers in happiness; and it turned doubting Thomas once more into a firm believer.
The resurrection of Jesus has also changed many things for us. In His resurrection is the promise of our resurrection, and that gives meaning to our otherwise meaningless lives.
We now have a purpose and a goal to pursue. As Paul writes to the Philippians (3:11-14), the resurrection is the objective toward which we are ever pressing. At the end of our brief earthly pilgrimage, we shall depart this vale of tears and enter the glorious, eternal home prepared for us by our Savior.
In the resurrection we will be raised to a life very different than anything we have yet experienced. Many unpleasant things common to this life shall no longer exist, things like pain and fear and sorrow and crying (Rev. 21:4).
Our bodies also shall undergo a dramatic change in the resurrection. The terrible effects of sin and corruption on our bodies shall be entirely removed. Of this Paul assures us: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Php. 3:20-21). Our bodies shall be renewed to be as pure and perfect and glorious as the risen body of Jesus.
Just as He created all from nothing, and as He fulfilled that which was necessary for us sinners to pass from death unto life, so He is able to raise and glorify our bodies on the Last Day.
Truly, His resurrection has changed our lives!
–Pastor D. Maas and V. Tiefel