I John 5:3-5
All month we have been considering the “Church” due to the teaching of Jesus recorded in Matthew 16:18. Yet an interesting fact: the word “church” is only mentioned in the Bible on rare occasions. One exception is in the book of Revelation, chapters two and three. Chapters one, two, and three involve seven messages from Jesus, which were written down by the apostle John, to seven churches, all seven having been in the region which is the modern day country of Turkey. Local churches are the focus.
Then in chapter four, the word “church” ceases to be used until stated one final time in Revelation 22:16 when Jesus is back to speaking of the present time. Starting in chapter four, the narrative takes a completely different focus, a focus on heaven and the spiritual realm, where you have the consummation of Jesus’s Church.
Many students of the Bible think the “rapture” will take place between chapter three and chapter four, since there is such a complete shift. I agree the “rapture” takes place before the period of chapter four, yet the rapture is a whole other subject.
Regarding one of those seven messages to one of those seven churches, in the message from Jesus to the church in Ephesus, Jesus states: “….You have forsaken your first love” (Revelation 2:4).
That first love was Jesus. And by forsaking the love of God, they failed to be loving people.
Sin blocks love.
Yet God did not leave the people of that church to be doomed. They had the opportunity to overcome.
How? By saying sorry to God.
God is Love, and He forgives.
How about today?
Since I was called to vocational ministry more than twenty-five years ago, I have seen consistent sin in churches. And sometimes sincere repentance seems absent. Sometimes it all seems hopeless to me.
The beautiful message in the midst of all the church problems in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation is that followers of Jesus can overcome.
John, the apostle who wrote the book of Revelation on the island of Patmos, wrote in his first epistle how people can overcome.
John states: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only she or he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (I John 5:3-5).
For a person who is a genuine believer in Jesus, he or she will overcome!
The result of believing in Jesus: He or she is loving.
Wow!
Jesus was the One who made atonement on the cross which resulted in the opportunity for you and I to have our sins forgiven, and to gain the righteousness of God.
And for those of us who genuinely believe in Jesus, He is even able to soften our hearts so that we can say “sorry.”
Saying sorry from the heart is a gift of true love.
Jesus is the One who enables a believer to live a life of holiness since the Spirit of Christ lives in the heart of a believer, so that a person can truly love God and truly love people. Reliance on Jesus is our privilege.
Going back to the seven messages to the seven churches, there is an amazing fact. Each one ends with an eternal blessing for the person who “overcomes.” They are truly incredible, and can be found in the following verses:
Revelation 2:7
Revelation 2:11
Revelation 2:17
Revelation 2:26
Revelation 3:5
Revelation 3:12
Revelation 3:21
Here, I will simply address the message for those in the church of Ephesus who desired to overcome near the end of the first century, which really is a promise for all overcomers: “…To he or she who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
God offered Adam and Eve an opportunity to eat from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:16-17).
Thus a person who believes in Jesus as his or her Savior and Lord has the opportunity which Adam and Eve lost due to their disobedience to God. Since Jesus was obedient on the cross, dying for anyone, paradise is available for you and me.
In the meantime, we continue to live in this fallen world full of hurt and suffering. Jesus was straight forward about our journey in this world.
Jesus said: “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
If you and I rely on Jesus, who is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and who is “Love” (I John 4:16), then you and I can overcome with the true love of God.
Now it is a process. One reality is that we “overcomers” still mess up in this rough world. However, Jesus remains with us, thus we will continue to be “sanctified.” Keeping growing in the love of Jesus by relying daily on Jesus.
Hunter Irvine
