1 John 5:4 Because everyone who has been born of God is a victor of the world. And this is the victory of the one who is victorious over the world: our faith.
ὅτι πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον· καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν.
As the old hymn goes, “faith is the victory that overcomes the world.” Trust is the open door to the life the Apostle John has been describing in this letter. New birth comes through faith. Faith, as I have reflected this month, is the open door to the life of love. Love is dependent on faith to reach its goal of transforming us and those we encounter through loving actions, into the image of Christ. Faith is the acknowledgement that we are dependent upon God and not ourselves. Faith will lead to the realization that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and cleansing. Faith sends us to God as the one who determines our values. Faith shows us the walk of light and keeps us going down this path. It is by believing in Jesus that we are born to eternal life. Because we have eternal life, we are not bound by this world, its values, or its temptations. But because faith is linked to love, our faith in Jesus will engage us in the world.
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