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Those Who Conquer the World
Jan
11
Written by:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Baptism of the Lord
January 11, 2009
Beloved: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and ....whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
John 5: 1-9
Those who have been begotten by God conquer the world. The world that we live in is a real battleground. If you think your life is peaceful and without troubles at the moment, just wait. We all live in a troubled world, filled with challenges! We Christians at times are at war with ourselves as we fight to overcome sins and bad habits; at times with our civilization which is not Christian; and at times even the world itself seems against us! Here is an amazing statistic for you: in the next 100 years, 8 billion people will die. That's right; none of us will get out of here alive. So where's the good news?!
Those who have been begotten by God conquer the world. The scriptures tell us that when a person is baptized and places their faith in Jesus they are begotten by God, actually born again into the place where God dwells, the world that is to come. That is to say, our faith and our baptism open a door for us into the world of the future. Jesus, who himself is the door, has revealed this to us. Knowing that death is not the end, and the kind of world he wishes us to be in, gives us the strength and courage to get through anything that life may throw at us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Those who have been begotten by God conquer the world. We conquer the world when we obey the commandments and follow what Christ says. We also conquer the world every time we repent and ask forgiveness for our sins, every time we go to confession. Following the commandments is the only way we know we actually have faith. When we follow the commandments, we conquer the world. When we don't, the world has conquered us. The world at large does not have faith, it sees no door, it does not believe in Jesus or his promise of an afterlife, and therefore it has no problem with breaking his commandments.
Those who have been begotten by God conquer the world. We conquer the world because Christ has revealed to us that we are now children of God, with all the rights and privileges of inheritance that this implies. Jesus stands in this world to come, calling us toward the door. Of course, we can't see it with our eyes, but the scriptures teach us how to find it: by following Christ, by following his commandments. Christ knows the way because he once came from the future and lived among us. He suffered and died for us: as John says, the water and the blood, his baptism and his death, testify to his love and his presence here. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)
Father Gary
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