Being Overcomers Series

1 John 5:3-4

The testimony of Scripture to all who are born of God is that they will have victory and overcome the world.

The reality of the Christian journey is there are times when we feel defeated and we have been overcome.

The contrast between these two outcomes raises some important questions.

If I don’t feel like an overcomer does that mean I am not an overcomer?

If my spiritual transformation is not one of victorious overcoming … am I to take this as an indication that … actually … I am not born of God.

As we work through a biblical response to these questions we do want to recognise that feeling defeated and feeling overcome is an experience that has existed since the days of the early church.

We know this is the case because of the words Jesus inspired John to write to the seven churches in Revelation. With regards to five of those churches this is what John is inspired to write with regards to the outworking of spiritual transformation and obedience that existed in those churches.

To the Church in Ephesus – Revelation 2:4-5

4 I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

To the church in Pergamum – Revelation 2:14

14 I have a few things against you: there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

To the church in Thyatira – Revelation 2:20

20 I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads My servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

To the church in Sardis – Revelation 3:1-2

1 I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of My God.

To the church in Laodicea – Revelation 3:15-16

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of My mouth.

Among these first century churches there is a cold mechanical faith, which has lost the initial love of Jesus. There is a mixing of different religions. People where tolerating untruth and making peace with error. There are spiritually lazy fence-sitters who are on the verge of being spiritually dead. The world has distracted them, or caused them to lose focus, or lulled them into a false sense of security. The hardships of faith were just too much, and some are finding it difficult to count the cost.

That doesn’t look anything like the spiritual transformation of victorious over-coming, does it. And yet this is what Jesus also says to these churches.

To the Church in Ephesus – Revelation 2:7

7 To the one who overcomes

(it is the same Greek word uses by John in 1 John 5:4-5)