"Overcome The World"

  John writes: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world..." (I John 5:4) Really? Jesus in speaking to His disciples tells them: "...but take courage; I have overcome the world." Jesus hadn't died yet and here He speaks that He has overcome. John speaks those born of God overcomes presently. What does it mean to "overcome the world?"  

  How many do you know that are in Christ Jesus and continue to be overcome by the world? To "overcome the world", does it mean a little bit here and there? Does that mean we have a little victory over a particular sin in our lives? Is that what Jesus and John both were speaking about? Sin is a struggle sometimes and when we are taken in by it does that mean we are "overcome by the world" even while we have "overcome the world?" Is "overcomes the world" like a light switch that we turn off and back on, off and back on?

  We look around and see a brother or sister in the act of committing a sin. Could we point to them and say, "they are born of God and overcome the world" or would we say, "they were at one time an overcomer of the world"?

  We need to ponder questions like these and take a deep hard look at ourselves in relationship to Jesus. John speaks that those who trustingly have placed their faith in Jesus the Christ have "overcome the world". Are those just words written on paper or do they mean something profound? Was John just playing mind games? Was Jesus just using the power of positive thinking with His own disciples? We know the Savior and apostle meant something so in relationship to us, what did they mean? That's something to think about!!!