"I Have Overcome the World"

In life we all have obstacles. It is hard to imagine life without them. We work and we try and we fight and we struggle - all just to keep our heads above water. There are stresses: time, money, relationships, and responsibilities. We get to the point where we ask ourselves, "Will I ever get everything done?" "Will any of this ever cease?" "Will there ever be peace?"

One thing we need to remember is that we have never been promised an earthly life without trouble. We have never been promised "a rose garden," as the saying goes. If fact, Jesus himself said to the apostles in John 16:33 - "In the world you will have tribulation." When we consider these words from the Lord it should not be any wonder to us that we have times of difficulty. We must understand that some of these struggles are just a part of life.

What needs more emphasis is what else Jesus had to say to His apostles in this passage. He was getting ready to go to the cross. He knew what obstacles were all about. But He was also getting ready to leave all of earth's problems behind and ascend to the Father. That is where true perspective comes in. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (v.33).

What a wonderful statement! What consolation we have in Christ Jesus! When everything seems to be going wrong, and everything is difficult, can't we look to these words and be encouraged? No matter what circumstances come to us in this life, we have a promise from the Savior that we can take courage in the fact that everything will one day be completed, and there will be peace.

This promise comes to us because even though we sometimes fail, and even though we sometimes fall short, Jesus never failed (Heb. 4:15). Jesus overcame the world by enduring all of life's trials and pains, and even a persecution that led to His death. This He did all in love, according to the will of the Father and for the salvation of mankind. He accomplished what Paul urges us all to accomplish - "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." (Rom. 12:21)

The apostle Peter said in 2 Pet. 3:11, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" The point is well made and deserves our attention. Since the second coming is real and final, shouldn't we be getting ready? Since Christ has overcome the world, shouldn't Christians also strive to overcome it? Shouldn't we lose our affection toward worldly things and put all of our trust in God and His saving word (1 John 2:15-17)?

If we can learn to look to Jesus and live for God we will find ourselves doing all of these things (Heb.12:2). Lets' remember what John said in 1 John 5:4,5, and let's take it to heart - "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" Let's work and love the Lord, and most importantly, let's overcome!

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son" - Revelation 21:7