THE BOOKS OF LOVE: I, II, III JOHN

{Tidbit: the word love is used 38 times in the 3 books of John.}

The Ist book of John speaks on not loving the world, let us love one another, God is Love. In II we are told this is love, and in III your love for the church. Yes the books of John are as Spurgeon said perfumed with love.

Then we get to Chapter 5 verse 4 “ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.” The word overcome in the Greek comes from the word conquest, the means of success-victory; to conquer, overcome, prevail, and get the victory. Let’s go a little deeper and see what Webster’s has to say: to defeat in competition or conflict; to prevail over by mental or moral effort; to overpower, as with emotion; to surmount opposition. And here it is right in the middle of all this love.

Whatever is born of God might overcome the world, someday will overcome the world, might just loose the battle altogether. No that is not what it says. It very plainly says, “What is born of God overcomes the world.” Then it goes on to say “And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.” Our faith is what brings us to a place of overcoming the world.

That is good, but overcoming is not handed to us on a silver platter either. It is a battle. We have to strengthen ourselves in the word of God. We have to pray and fast. We have to stand strong in spite of all that comes against us.

Spurgeon searches out not only the love of the Books of John, but also the sword and warfare. He speaks of “war to the knife”; “fighting with a certainty of victory”. There is a power in this world that is antagonistic to love. There are powers that cannot bear the light, therefore before there can be light there will be darkness. In his own words: “So also, before any great or good thing can have the mastery of this world, it must do battle for it. Satan has seated him self on his blood-stained throne, and who shall get him down, except by main force, and fight and war?”

There will always be a struggle until the day the Lord returns. On that day will be the biggest battle of all. The earth is the battlefield and strength of the Lord is ours. For truth and righteousness to reign there will always be a struggle. The Captain is the Lord of Salvation and the troops are the soldiers of the cross, “and that slender band must fight alone, and yet shall triumph gloriously. Enough shall they be for conquest, and the motto of their standard is ENOUGH.” Enough by the arm of the helping Trinity.

The love is what gives us the strength to stand in faith for the battles that we have to face.

God be with you,
rECj/LJG

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
1Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit (free) you like men, be strong.