1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. I. THE SUBJECT PRINCIPALLY SPOKEN OF, the born of God. This doctrine, however ridiculed by some, our Saviour preached with great plainness, as absolutely necessary. To be born of God is to have a supernatural principle of spiritual life implanted by God in the soul. Concerning this principle of grace, whereby a dead sinner is made alive, let it be observed that it is infused and not acquired. The first principle or spring of good actions may, with equal reason, be supposed to be infused into us as Christians, as it is undoubtedly true that the principle of reasoning is infused into us as men: none ever supposed that the natural power of reasoning may be acquired, though a greater facility or degree thereof is gradually attained. Again, as in nature the seed produces fruit, and in things moral the principle of action produces action, as the principle of reason produces acts of reason, so in things spiritual the principle of grace produces acts of grace. And this principle of grace, which is at least in the order of nature antecedent to any act of grace, is the immediate effect of the power of God. But the words here are not whosoever, in the masculine gender, but whatsoever, in the neuter; and so may with as much, or more propriety, be applied to things than persons. They seem to refer to the inward or spiritual embellishments peculiar to the man of God as a soldier of Christ. As the Christian is one born of God, all his graces are born so too. To instance in faith, hope, and love, the cardinal or principle and most leading of them. How little a matter soever some persons make of believing, as if they had faith at their command, or could believe at pleasure, the Apostle Paul says expressly that "Faith is a fruit of the Spirit," so not the work of man. True Christian hope is also of Divine original. "It is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, who giveth us a good hope, through grace" (2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17). And that love is a heaven-born grace nothing can be more clear than what this loving apostle says, "Love is of God, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:7, 16). So that He and His Spirit may properly be called the God, or Spirit of faith, hope, and love. These are a specimen of the rest; for as these, so in like manner the spiritual peace, joy, and consolation of saints, and all their other graces, are born of God; i.e., they receive their birth, rise, and first beginning from Him; and as their first life and all their motion is from Him, He only can put them into motion. Thus the soldier of Christ is girded of God Himself, and furnished by the Holy Spirit with every grace that is needful for his office and exercise. II. To what is said or predicated of the subject of the words — the born of God. IT REFERS TO HIS HONOUR, TO OVERCOME THE WORLD. Neither the gospel of grace nor the graces of the gospel are given in vain to any person or people. The world is the theatre of action, or field of battle. 1. No man, as a descendant of the first Adam, is born a Christian or a saint, but a sinner. 2. Christians are soldiers by their calling, and their life is a continued warfare. 3. It may animate Christians as soldiers of Christ, insomuch as all their armour and artillery is proved, and born of God. His Spirit has formed and fitted it for them. 4. We see here the excellency of spiritual grace. 5. To preserve their humility and heighten their thankfulness to God the Spirit, Christians should always remember that whatever advantages or conquests they gain over their spiritual enemies are not owing to their wisdom, power, and fortitude of mind, as men, but to the instrumentality of their graces. III. HOW OR WHEREBY THE CHRISTIAN'S HONOUR OF VICTORY IS ATTAINED; and it is by his faith — "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." The gaieties, pleasures, and advantages of the present life are the arms with which the world has slain its thousands, and with which it still endeavours to delude and destroy mankind; but faith in Jesus Christ detects its fallacy and defeats its purpose on believers. If hope wavers, love chills and loses its wonted fervour, or patience; faith brings in new succours when it tells them, "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:37). In a word, faith is the enemy's killing and the Christian's conquering grace. (G. Braithwaite, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. |
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