Faith Is the Victory

Partners in a New Creation The Great Hope of the Saints A New Home Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)  1 John 5:1-6 The Voice It's easy to say "I love God," but genuine love reflects God's love. If we belong to God, then we will love each other regardless of how hard love is. 5 Everyone who trusts Jesus as the long-awaited Anointed One is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father cannot help but love the child fathered by Him. 2 Then how do we know if we truly love God's children? We love them if we love God and keep His commands. 3 You see, to love God means that we keep His commands, and His commands don't weigh us down. 4 Everything that has been fathered by God overcomes the corrupt world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5-6 Who is the person conquering the world? It is the one who truly trusts that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus the Anointed is the One who came by water and blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. For Reflection The community to whom 1 John was written was facing a crisis. The believers seemed to have been confused and had difficulty discerning the truth. John reminds the community that Jesus is the son of God. Jesus through his life and agonizing death remained God's son, even after his death. He declares that this is the heart of our faith. God's children triumph not by inflicting suffering on others or by avoiding pain at all costs but by allowing God to work within and through them even in their suffering. The Church triumphs over false teaching, not by force or argument, but because of and through the suffering love of the crucified Messiah.This is the faith that overcomes the world: This is the victory to which we are called: loving God's children and thus living our faith in the crucified, risen Son of God. Pray Pray and let the Holy Spirit drive your life of love and service. Pray and do your part to witness to what love can accomplish. Forward to a friend Sign up for our mailing list!