1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (NKJ)

This message was preached July 14, 2002 at FBC Toulon, by Albert Harmon. See it at toulonbaptist.com  

In our passage today John brings it all together. We have talked about faith, love, and obedience but not he brings them full circle. He connects them in such a way as to show us that they are like different sides of the same triangle. You cannot do without any of them and if you take away anyone you do not have a believer. John is not telling us that you must have these three things before you are saved, but rather those are saved will have these three things. When we have these three, we will have victory over the world.

You must not forget that we are in a conflict with the world, just as our Savior was. The world did not receive Him and it will not receive us. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. And he tells us that these things are not of the Father but of the world.

1. The nature of our victory.
   1. Our victory is a spiritual rather than a physical victory.
   2. Because the spiritual realm is the real battle field.
   3. Because our victory is related to faith.
2. The means of our victory.
   1. Faith
      1. What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Heb 11:1 (NLT)
      2. Our faith holds on to the testimony of God's Word.
      3. Our faith rests in all that God has revealed to us.
      4. Our faith looks to Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God.
      5. Believing that He is, we seek after Him
      6. We worship Him.
      7. We pray to Him.
      8. We long for a relationship with Him.
      9. We long for His approval above all others.
         1. This point often sets the true believer apart from the mere professor.
         2. If God is not as real to us as our friends, then we have a tendency to follow them rather than God.
   2. Obedience
      1. By obedience He delivers us from the pitfalls that so often entrap the multitudes.
      2. He saves us from emotional, spiritual, as well as physical pain.
      3. He leads us as we follow and as we follow, He leads us farther along.
      4. These three are tied together as we see by the fact that if we do not have faith, we will not obey or love.
      5. God disciplines us when we go astray.
      6. His purpose is not to be a cosmic killjoy but He watches for our spiritual well being.
   3. Love
      1. Love does not take a backseat to the other two.
      2. "The greatest of these is love" Paul said.
      3. If we have a tendency as faithful obedient followers of Jesus it is to leave our first love.
      4. But you see love is the power that makes the other two work effectively.
      5. A genuine love keeps us walking in the will of God.
      6. A genuine love cause us to want to do His will, not for fear but from loyalty.
3. The evidence of our victory.
   1. Faith
      1. To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the only way to God.
      2. To believe the Word of God that He has given us in the Bible.
      3. To follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
      4. To believe the promises God has given to us.
         1. Of forgiveness of sins.
         2. Of eternal life.
         3. Of our adoption as children of God.
         4. Of God's providential working in our lives.
   2. Obedience
      1. To obey is better than to sacrifice.
         1. Saul felt that to sacrifice was better than obedience.
         2. Saul though that he could willfully disobey God and then later bring a sacrifice and it would make it all better.
         3. God has no pleasure in such shallow dedication.
      2. Obedience is tested where our will and God's will collide.
      3. A Joyful obedience.
         1. We seek to know His will.
         2. We desire to please Him.
         3. His commandments to us are never burdensome.
      4. To us, this is a more accurate measure of our victory.
         1. More than faith for only God can measure that.
         2. More than love for only God know the sincerity of our love.
         3. But also only God knows the joyfulness of our obedience.
   3. Love
      1. Do you see how John has made us to see that each of these is critical to our victory.
      2. Each of these is dependant upon the other and makes the other two work.
      3. Without any one, we would never have victory over the world.
      4. Therefore we are commanded to love one another, and remember His commandments are not grevious.