What is this sermon about?
The message’s title is a starting point for reading John’s relationship between belief, love, and obedience.
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Reading transcription from the linked historical scan. Consult the scan for original pagination, typography, and any accompanying reports.
1 John 5.
The greatest weakness in the world is unbelief. The greatest power is the faith that worketh by love. Love, mercy, and grace are bound eternally to faith. Fear is the opposite to faith, but there is no fear in love, and those whose hearts are filled with a Divine faith and love have no question in their hearts as to being caught up when Jesus comes. The world is filled with fear, torment, remorse and brokenness, but faith and love are sure to overcome.
“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.” God has established the earth and humanity on the lines of faith. As you come into line, fear is cast out, the Word of God comes into operation and you find bed rock. All the promises are yea and amen to those who believe. When you have real faith in Christ the love of God is so real that you feel that you could do anything for Jesus. They that believe, love.
“We love Him because He first loved us.” When did He love us? When we were in the mire. What did He say? “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” Why did He say it? Because He loved us. What for? That He might bring many sons to glory. (Heb. 2:10.) His object? That we might be with Him for ever. All the pathway is all education for this high vocation and calling. How glorious is this hidden mystery of love to us the undeserving!
“Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” To believe is to overcome. I am heir to all the promises because I believe. A great heritage! I overcome because I believe the truth, and the truth makes me free. Christ is the root and source of our faith, and because He is in it what we believe for will come to pass. No wavering! This is the principle. He who believes is definite. A definite faith will bring a definite experience and a definite utterance. There is no limit to the power that God will cause to come upon those who cry to Him in faith, for God is rich to all who will call upon Him. (Lay in your claim for your children, your families, your co-workers, that many souls may be brought to glory.) As your prayer rests on the simple principle of faith, nothing shall be impossible to you. The root principle of all this Divine overcoming faith in the human heart is Christ, and when you are grafted deeply into Him you may win thousands of lives to the faith. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, the secret to every hard problem in your heart.
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world.” He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, and God confirms this faith in us that we may be refined in the world, having neither spot nor blemish nor any such thing. It is the Lord who purifies and brings to the place where the fire burns up the dross, and then anoints us with fresh oil, that at all times we may be ready for His appearing. God is separating us for Himself just as He separated Enoch to a walk with Himself, and because of a divinely implanted faith, he had the testimony before his translation that he pleased God. As the day of the Lord hastens on, we too need to walk by faith, until, overcoming all things through our simple belief in Jesus Christ our Lord, we walk right into the glory.
Historical source · The Weekly Evangel, August 18, 1917, p. 3 · Open the original scan
Scripture to read alongside the message
- 1 John 5:1–5 · KJV
