The criteria for being an overcomer, according to 1 John, is that you must be “born of God.” “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world… Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself...” (1 John 5:10a)
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11)
“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 John 5:18)
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
What exactly does this mean — to be “born of God”?
Those who are “born of God” are those who:
1) First: They are Born of the Spirit. This is the Second Birth, a Spiritual Birth:
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:4)
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)
“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)
“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
This spiritual birth does not give life, but it manifests life; as does a physical birth manifest the life that started in conception in the mother’s womb. Nine months of gestation of being formed, and then the birth of the life that began in conception; or in quickening.
Therefore, in the spiritual realm, a sinner must be quickened by the Holy Spirit from being dead in sins and trespasses, based on the Atonement of Christ for the sinner:
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” (Ephesians 2:1)
The quickening process is the beginning of spiritual life in the sinner. Now he has ears to hear effectually the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and he has eyes to see (or perceive) the Kingdom of God.
Then, he is drawn by the Father:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
And then he is taught:
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45)
Then he comes to repent and confess that Jesus Christ is his Savior:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)
2) Second: They receive the Spirit of Adoption:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:16)
Adoption is literally “son-placing.” It has to do with a position of knowledge given to the quickened sinner when brought to conversion. See verse 15c and 16 above, “whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” It is an understanding that we are indeed, a son of God; and that He is our Father. It is not only Revelation, but a Relationship by Regeneration.
Note in Romans 8:11, 15a; the quickened sinner is indwelt by the Spirit. He comes to live in the sinner. The sinner becomes His Temple.
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear…” (Romans 8:15a)
“To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:5)
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6)
3) Third: They are baptized into the Body of Christ:
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
This is the same as being Regenerated; he now understands that he is a part of Christ’s Body, called the Church. (See Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:1-21; 1 Peter 2:9; etc.)
4) Fourth: They receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit:
It is the same as Regeneration. For the Gift is the Holy Spirit Himself, coming to dwell in the sinner by Regeneration, or by being baptized into His Body. (See Acts 2:38-39.)
In Summary, the overcomer is “declared” to be a son of God; one who has an understanding of:
“And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:24)
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11)
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
The overcomer knows that he possesses Eternal Life, or Christ, Who is Eternal Life.
Therefore, if Christ, Who is Eternal Life, lives and abides in the converted sinner; then that sinner is an heir of God and joint heir of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17a). Therefore, this sinner — who has been made a Temple of God, a member of His Body, the Church — is heir to the Victory of Christ:
“…and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (or The Faith, Christ).” (1 John 5:4b)
“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (or believe Jesus is God in the Flesh; his Representative, his Substitute, Sacrifice and Savior)” (1 John 5:5)
To believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be regenerated, or birthed the second time, and brought to confession that He is the Christ and the Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:3b says, “…and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
Therefore, when the quickened sinner can say that Jesus is the Lord, then he has been regenerated and has received the witness in his spirit that God is his Father and that he is a son of God, indwelt by the Power of God. He is an overcomer by Position and by Possession; of which he confesses this by his mouth and by receiving water baptism in the name of Jesus, or on the basis of His Atonement for the sin of the confessor.
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