Homilist 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 GREATEST CHARACTER. "Born of God." This means a moral generation in men of a Divine character. It implies three things. 1. Filial devotion. 2. Moral resemblance. Like begets like, children are like their parents. He who is morally born of God resembles God in spirit and in character. 3. Glorious heirship. "If a son, then an heir of God through Christ." II. THE GREATEST CONQUEST. "Overcometh the world." The world is here used to represent the mighty aggregation of evil. The conquest of the world includes the subordination — 1. Of matter to mind. The rendering of all material elements, circumstances, and influences, subservient to the elevating of the reason and the ennobling of the soul. It includes the subordination — 2. Of the mind to God. The devotion of the intellect to the study of God; of the heart to the love of God; of the conscience to the will of God. Sublime conquest this! The grand difference between a man Divinely born and others is this, that he conquers the world whilst others are conquered by it. (Homilist.) 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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