Greater in You

Mark Dunagan
05/01/11 - Sunday Morning

 

Greater in You

"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; 
because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

I have often pondered the above passage. Some might be tempted to dismiss it or discount it. They might say, "Then why have I seen believers fall away?" or "How can various believers seem to struggle so much with temptation - and this verse be true?". Such are very relevant questions. Note first that the verse does not say that God is able to move people against their will better than Satan. The verse is simply noting that believers have access to a greater resource than do unbelievers. Clearly, God is far more powerful than Satan. Jesus was able to easily cast out demons and Satan was helpless to stop it (Matthew 12:22). Yet how does this verse help me today? What is it that I have as a Christian that is greater than what the unbeliever has?

Greater Foundation

Jesus spoke of people who heard His teaching and acted upon it as similar to people who had built a home on a rock solid foundation (Matthew 7:24). When following God, one of many great advantages that one can see the world as it really is. The reality that the Bible describes is in fact "the real world". By contrast, the world that Satan seeks to sell is an illusion. In fact, the difference is so drastic, that the Bible speaks of it in terms of light and darkness. For anyone who has gone caving or in some other way experienced the confusion that results when experiencing complete darkness, one knows how apt an illustration this is:

• "To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18).
• "What fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14).
• "Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:18).
• "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
• "For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness" (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
• "Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Christ Provides Me with a Mature Taste

There had been a period in Paul's life when a number of more superficial things meant everything to him; they were the center of his life. Yet in becoming a Christian, his preferences, priorities, and passions all dramatically changed.

• "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have 
  counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count 
  all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).

How encouraging, that Paul went from being someone who prized certain earthly things and accomplishments, to a person who could easily live without them. In following Christ we can develop a mature taste, which no longer lives for the moment, or for pleasure, or for mere earthly rewards. I know that unbelievers often marvel as they look at our lives and wonder how we can live without certain sinful pleasures. Paul said that certain things were "gain" for him, but what he truly valued and lived for, was knowing Christ and serving Him. Yes, if there is a temptation that presently you think that you cannot live without, or at last cannot be happy or satisfied without, you can (and must) reach a point that it is no longer the center of your world.

Christ Actually Provides Something

I was thinking the other day, "What does Satan actually provide, what can he do for a person?"

• Satan cannot, nor has interest in helping you.
• Satan has no real hope to offer any person.
• Satan cannot offer you any real, long-term comfort.
• Satan certainly has no truth to offer.
• Satan cannot offer a person any personal growth whatsoever.
• Satan has no encouraging or inspiring thoughts.
• Satan does not have any authentic promises to fulfill.
• Satan cannot give you any solid ground or firm footing.
• Satan cannot offer you stability.
• Satan does not have any solutions what work in the real world.
• Satan cannot help you with issues like morality, honestly, character, and integrity.
• Satan cannot offer anything that will improve your relationships.
• Satan is very one dimensional, he simply lies and tempts and deceives - that's it. What a contrast to God, who has done everything for us. What positive things has Satan as ever done for the human race that they should serve him as wholeheartedly as they do? Neither has he been upfront with us concerning what he is all about. And finally, he has never asked for any communication. God loves our prayers; God wants us to talk to Him, while Satan could care less about our situation, troubles or needs. He deserves not the loyalty paid him.

You Have Seen the Greater

1 John 4:4 is real. It is not a mystery or even a verse that one might say, "I will believe it when I see it". Actually, we have all seen it:

• We have seen people overcome great trials while trusting Christ.
• We have seen people put marriages and other relationships back together, with Christ.
• We have seen people remain hopeful and strong, with Christ, even in the midst of tragedy.
• We have seen young and old people resist powerful temptations, with Christ.
• We have seen people grow tremendously in beautiful virtues, with Christ.
• With Christ we have seen young people resist strong peer pressure.

Now consider the opposite. What have you seen when people either never have tried Christ or have abandoned Him? Have you ever seen a marriage saved when Satan and his values were placed at the center of it?

Greater Confidence

• "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing; but the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1).

We see this passage in real life as well. I remember how before I became a Christian that conversations about death, God, Jesus, the Second Coming, and other spiritual matters made me very uncomfortable. I have observed that they still make unbelievers very uncomfortable. What I have found encouraging is that now I am strong enough to not only find myself wanting to talk about such things, but I seek out such conversations. Instead of avoiding such things, I move toward the conversation and engage it. No longer am I living a life based on the motivation of avoidance and fear. When people say that they "don't discuss religion" it typically means that they are either ignorant of the topic or afraid of it. Not only do I find people wanting to avoid the "eternal" topics, such as the Judgment, Second Coming and Heaven and Hell, I also find that unbelievers are often uncomfortable dealing with meaningful topics that surround actually dealing with and fixing the problems caused by sin.

Boldness is equally seen in not only speaking (Ephesians 6:19), but also by simply living boldly. You do live and face the day differently when you know you are on the right track, verses not being sure where you are at a given moment. Do you know anyone who keeps saying they need to "figure thinks out"? When you see people living in "spurts", first they going in one direction, then another, throwing themselves into this and then that, it becomes obvious they do not have things figured out yet. What a comfort and how encouraging when you do something and can then say with confidence, "That was the right decision" - and it will still be viewed as the right decision 1000 years from now. Isn't it wonderful to say and do things for which we can confidently know, "Time can't touch or change that".

Greater Peace

All of us have some regrets and bad memories, yet the good news is that we do not have a life of regrets. In becoming a Christian, not only have I been forgiven of my foolish and selfish past; but likewise, I have been able to avoid many of life's pitfalls in the years since. I cannot imagine how I could ever live with the guilt of 50 years of bad decisions. What a wonderful reason to commit to God while young (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Instead of looking back on decade after decade of regrets, and all the things you wished you had never done or never said, you only have to think about a brief period or two lived in foolishness.

Greater Motivation

What could be greater motivation and incentive than seeing Christ, being with our Creator in heaven, and being right with Him (Philippians 3:10-14)? Satan does provide incentives, yet they are temporary and often a person outgrows them. In fact, many of the things that you once thought were the end-all, but now shake your head at and wonder what you saw in them, are nothing more than Satan's old incentives.

Greater Strength

When you get older and look back to compare yourself with what you were 20 years ago, and realize you presently have greater endurance, patience, and that things that might have rocked your world in the past, no longer cause you to panic, realize that growth has happened, that God's plan is working, that what He said is all coming true. It always does.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net