Jesus said to his disciples in John 16:33 that "In the world you will have tribulation." They were being prepared for the time when Jesus would be crucified and after his resurrection would ascend into heaven. They would not have his physical presence with them after that time. They were going to be hated, mocked, and dragged into court. They were in for a tough ride. If you did not already know it, let me give you the bad news: This world is full of wickedness and the innocent are constantly being abused. The disciples were going to face a specific kind of tribulation, but we face tribulations and hardships as well. We have not only face physical attacks, people committing all kinds of horrendous acts of violence like rape and murder, but
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We are new in Jesus, born again to live holy and righteous lives. Those who are overcomers are the ones born of God. The ones who have had their very nature changed. We were once like the world and not only lived in the world, but lived like the world. We were ungodly and evil, but Christ changed us. That is what it means to be born of God, we are different. We love as God loves and see things the way he sees things. Those who have victory over the world do so because of what Jesus has done. You and I by ourselves could never defeat this world, could never overcome this world. But Paul says "... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37 ESV). You want victory over this dark world, you want victory over sin and death? You want victory over your own sin? John says, faith is the victory. We are men and women of faith and that faith is our victory. That faith is not faith in "faith", but faith always has an object and Jesus is that object. What does it mean to have faith in Jesus? We trust that Jesus was who he said he was, trust that Jesus died and rose on the third day to pay for our sins, and trust that he will return and change everything, usher in the new heavens and earth. We trust that he overcame the powers of darkness, he defeated sin, Satan, and
We are new in Jesus, born again to live holy and righteous lives. Those who are overcomers are the ones born of God. The ones who have had their very nature changed. We were once like the world and not only lived in the world, but lived like the world. We were ungodly and evil, but Christ changed us. That is what it means to be born of God, we are different. We love as God loves and see things the way he sees things. Those who have victory over the world do so because of what Jesus has done. You and I by ourselves could never defeat this world, could never overcome this world. But Paul says "... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37 ESV). You want victory over this dark world, you want victory over sin and death? You want victory over your own sin? John says, faith is the victory. We are men and women of faith and that faith is our victory. That faith is not faith in "faith", but faith always has an object and Jesus is that object. What does it mean to have faith in Jesus? We trust that Jesus was who he said he was, trust that Jesus died and rose on the third day to pay for our sins, and trust that he will return and change everything, usher in the new heavens and earth. We trust that he overcame the powers of darkness, he defeated sin, Satan, and