From Ian

1 John 2 v.15 – 17

Are you able to say with confidence this modified version of the faith poem from last week’s verses?

My sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

I am strong,

The word of God lives in me

I have overcome the evil one.

I have known him who is from the beginning.

I have known the Father

Let’s take those statements of faith into the daily battles we face in this world.

John writes:  – – Do not love the world or anything in the world.

                         If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Of course John is not writing of the world that God created but the world that various cultures have created – the society in which we live. He clarifies his words with:

  • the cravings of sinful man,
  • the lust of his eyes
  • the boasting of what he has and does

That’s quite a good summary of the greed and arrogance of today’s world. John assures us that all of this – comes not from the Father but from the world. – the origins are to be found in the rebellion. This is the world we face every day and have to confess that there are times when we fall into its traps; those are the situations in which we need to remind ourselves of those statements of faith we started with and humbly reaffirm our commitment to follow him.

Jesus said (John 15 v.33)

“In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world.”

As John writes:

The world and its desires pass away,

but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

In 1 John 5 v.4/5 John writes:

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

It is our faith that enables us to say – I am strong, and that is because – my sins have been forgiven on account of his name. Yes – we are saved by grace through faith.

Prayer: – – Forgive us Lord as we so often do fall into the traps of this world. You said Lord that we are in the world but not of it; we thank you that you have overcome the world and we can walk through this world assured of your presence in all that we do – yes Lord – deliver us from evil.


Category: The Bridge , Thought for the week