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He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:7) |
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The promises we normally think of as being for Christians are addressed to "him who overcomes." |
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What does it mean "to overcome"? What is it we are to overcome? How do we overcome? |
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To overcome means to conquer an adversary, to conquer someone or something that is seeking to prevent the Christian from attaining his or her objective. The objective of the believer in Christ is to be in the moral image of Christ and to be resting in untroubled union with Christ in God. |
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It is God's will that everyone whom He has called to Himself be in the image of His Son and be at rest in His Person and will. |
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The believer in the Lord Jesus has three adversaries, three forces that strive constantly to prevent him from being in the moral image of Christ and from resting in God's will for his life. |
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The first enemy is the spirit of this present world. The values of the world often are in direct opposition to God's values. Whoever is drinking of the waters of the world will find himself having a difficult time walking in the steps of Jesus and resting in God's will. Let us come out of the world and spend time with God. |
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The first temptation of man has to do with finding survival and security in the world rather than in the Lord. |
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The second enemy is the sin that dwells in our flesh. Satan uses these weaknesses in us as entrances. When we are burning with lust or violence or covetousness we do not behave as Jesus behaves. We refuse the gently flowing waters of Shiloah. There are no green pastures in which to lie down, only the passions of the flesh that give us no rest. |
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The second temptation of man has to do with finding joy and worship in Satan and our flesh rather than in the Lord. Adam and Eve had a problem with this one. |
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The third adversary is our self-will. The only legitimate will in the universe is God's will, His Kingdom. We do not have to create our own heaven and earth. Our task is to find the plan of God for our life. |
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The third temptation has to do with jumping off the gable of the Temple. Are we to wait on God for success and achievement or are we to use the Scriptures to "step out in faith"? |
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How do we conquer the world, our flesh, and our self-will? By seeking God continually. By praying and obeying. By meditating each day in the Scriptures. By entering the Holy of Holies and receiving grace so we may be able to resist Satan and have fellowship with God. |
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God could have made things so we had nothing to overcome. But God is preparing rulers who will prevent future rebellions against His will. By the process of overcoming we develop character—the kind of character that will be necessary if we are to be royal priests during the ages to come. |
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You cannot overcome the three enemies of man by your own strength and wisdom. But you can overcome them through Christ Jesus. Remember that. You can through Christ be more than a conqueror no matter in what condition you find yourself. |
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Through His riches in glory you can overcome! |
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And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26) |
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A Christian by definition is a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus? Am I? |
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What is a disciple? A disciple is someone who views another person as his or her master. The master speaks and the disciple listens and learns. |
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Where the master goes, the disciple follows. |
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The Lord Jesus told us that in order to be His disciples we would have to lay down our life in the present world, take up our cross, and follow Him. |
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What does it mean to lay down our life in the present world? It means to count we have died to all we hold dear and to embark on a quest for another security, another joy, another fulfillment. This is why it is difficult for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God. They find security, joy, and fulfillment by using their money. They have tasted the "old wine" and they do not desire the new. |
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To die to all we hold dear does not mean we neglect our family, our job, or any other responsibility. No true Christian neglects his or her responsibilities. But we must put all on the altar so there are no idols in our life. Only then can we have peace. God gives and God takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. |
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The reason believers have difficulty serving the Lord is they do not have the sentence of death in themselves that they should not trust in themselves but in God who raises the dead. |
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What does it mean to take up our cross? Every would-be disciple is issued some factor in his life that acts as a prison. Usually it is something he wants very badly but in order to get it he has to break God's laws. He thirsts! Sometimes he must continue in a detestable situation he cannot change without breaking out of the Divine incarceration. He is shut up and cannot come forth. |
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He remains off balance all his life because of his cross, the thorn that pierces his flesh. No person can be a disciple of Jesus if he refuses to carry his cross. The individual who makes the best of it, concentrating on the joy that is ahead instead of his pain, will find in the end his self-will has been destroyed and he is at rest in the Father through Christ. |
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What does it mean to follow Jesus? It means to look each moment of every day to the living Lord Jesus, listening for His voice, watching for His Presence. When we do not trust in our own understanding but acknowledge the Lord in all our ways He directs our path. We do not always hear His voice (sometimes we do!) but He directs our path in any case. |
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Are you a disciple? Am I? |
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Are you a Christian? Am I? |
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For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (II Corinthians 4:17) |
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We need to think more about the day of resurrection. What kind of body will we receive? Will our conduct today have any effect on the body we will receive? |
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We know the body we have now will be raised from the dead when the Lord returns. But what about our house that is being prepared in Heaven, the robe we will be given in that day that will clothe our resurrected body? |
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The third chapter of Revelation speaks of our being clothed with a white robe. The same chapter also implies that if we have soiled our clothing we may not be given a white robe when the Lord appears. |
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The seventh chapter of Revelation tells of those who have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The nineteenth chapter of Revelation reveals that the Bride of the Lamb will be clothed with the white robe of her righteous deeds. |
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Paul reminds us in Galatians that we shall reap what we are sowing. |
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In Second Corinthians, Chapter Four Paul describes the renewal of his inner man as his outer man is brought down to death. Then he mentions that his afflictions are producing an eternal weight of glory that far exceeds his comprehension. In the next chapter Paul speaks of his house from Heaven. Since there were no chapter divisions when the New Testament was written we think that by an eternal weight of glory Paul was speaking of his house from Heaven. |
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Paul was saying that the afflictions that came on him were resulting in a resurrected inner man and also a strengthened house from Heaven, a better resurrection. |
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In the same chapter (Five, of Second Corinthians) Paul reminds us that at the Judgment Seat of Christ we shall receive what we have done in our body, whether good or bad. |
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Putting all these ideas together we conclude that what we are doing today will directly affect the kind of resurrection we shall have, that is, the kind of house that will clothe our resurrected mortal body. |
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If we have neglected our salvation, have lived according to the appetites of our body, have not sought out and obeyed the Lord's will, we will be clothed with a body that is neglectful of God's salvation, is filled with the death that always results from living in the appetites of the flesh, and neither seeks nor obeys the Lord's will. |
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If we have worked out our salvation with fear and trembling, being careful to seek the Lord and obey Him, have prayed, meditated in the Word of God, and have kept the appetites of our body under submission to the Spirit of God, then we will be clothed with a body that fears God and keeps His commandments, that seeks the Lord and sternly obeys His will, that loves to pray and meditate in God's Word, and that is able to judge and govern the works of God's hands by the power of incorruptible, resurrection life. |
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All this is to say if we bury our talent we will end up in the outer darkness. If we diligently apply our talent, we will be placed in a position of rulership, receiving the approval of the Lord. |
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Have we cut a straight course in the Word of truth? How do you feel about this? |
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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) |
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What does it mean to be "born again"? This phrase has become common in America and probably in many other countries. People speak of being a "born again Christian." |
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Jesus said we must be born again if we are to see or enter the Kingdom of God. Why is it necessary to be born again? |
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Being born again is necessary because of the nature of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God does not consist of flesh and blood people but of a new kind of humanity—a humanity that has been born of God. People are born from other people. The members of the Kingdom of God have been born from other people but also from God. They have been born a second time. This is not a figure of speech. When we come to Christ, we actually receive the very Life of God into our personality. |
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Let us say God commanded a monkey to play the piano. Perhaps after consuming a thousand bananas the monkey learned to find middle C and to push down the keys of the C major scale. This would be a remarkable achievement and worthy of a job in the circus. But how many bananas would be required if the monkey is to learn a Beethoven sonata? |
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So it is with us. We have been commanded to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. This indeed would be a remarkable achievement but there are not enough "bananas" in the world to do the job. |
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Now let us imagine Beethoven is born in the monkey and each day the monkey nature is being subdued and the abilities of Beethoven are becoming ever more prominent. It will not be long before we are hearing more than the C major scale. All the monkey will need then is a body like that of Beethoven. |
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Does something similar take place when Christ is born in the believer? Each day the Adamic nature is being subdued and the Character of Christ is becoming ever more prominent. What occurs? You guessed it. We begin to see evidences of the Divine Nature here and there. All we shall need then is a body like that of Christ. |
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The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Adamic man has as much chance of gaining righteousness, peace, and joy as a monkey does playing Chopin's Preludes. |
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No amount of religious "bananas" will accomplish our goal. If we are to please God we must be born again of Christ Jesus. |
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Perhaps you are a Christian but have become discouraged along the way. Why not count that your old nature died on the cross with Christ and cultivate your new born-again nature by praying, meditating in the Scriptures, and obeying the Lord diligently in all He commands? |
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You and those around you will be amazed when they see a new personality coming forth. |
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For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:39) |
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We saints need to get a firmer grasp on the calling of God. The royal priesthood is not a randomly chosen group. The members were called of God when the world was created. Each one is a "saint," that is, someone who has been called by the Lord to be set apart for His special purposes. |
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The term church literally means "called out from." |
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We hear people say "I was called to be a mechanic; I was called to be a salesman; I was called to be a housewife." |
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No you weren't. You may have abilities in some areas. God might lead you to be a mechanic or salesman or housewife. But your calling is to be a member of the royal priesthood. |
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There are a variety of gifts and ministries mentioned in the New Testament but none of them has to do with being a mechanic, a salesman, or a housewife. Rather they are Divinely endowed abilities with which we are to build up the Body of Christ so that each member may be perfect as measured by the full stature of Christ. |
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God has tremendous needs. He is calling out of the world a royal priesthood. He needs a wife for the Lamb. He needs living stones for His temple. He needs brothers for His Son. He needs rulers and judges to govern His creation. He needs people who will be expressions of His Person, His will, His way, and His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. |
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It is only as we begin to grow to maturity in Christ that we can serve satisfactorily as a royal priest, a member of the Wife of the Lamb, a living stone in God's eternal temple, a brother of God's Son, an expression of God's Person, will, way, and eternal purpose. |
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If you are a Christian, you have but one calling. Your calling is to be a saint, a holy one, a king, a priest of God. Take your calling seriously. Come out of the spirit of the age, its lusts, its malice, its violence, its covetousness. Ask God to help you purify yourself. You will be a better mechanic, salesman, or housewife if you do. |
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You are God's eternal servant, His witness to His creation. You are being formed now. Although you have a definite purpose in the present world, your fullest witness and service will be given throughout the endless ages to come. This is why it is more critical that you live and minister in integrity now, playing by the rules of the game, than it is that you accomplish some great thing in the church world. How terrible to have a worldwide ministry and then to have the Lord say, "I never knew you"! |
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God has called you to be a royal priest. It is His will that you not disqualify yourself but reach the mark set before you. This you can and shall do because Christ will help you at every point along the way. |
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Go for it! |
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The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. (Psalms 29:10) |
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The floods are coming upon the world, upon the churches, upon families, upon individuals. The waves and the seas are roaring, so to speak. Everything is being shaken. |
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The values and expectations to which we once were accustomed are shifting and changing. Surely the Lord has founded the world and its inhabitants on the seas and the waters, on that which is unstable. |
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Abraham looked for a city that has foundations. How did he know about the new Jerusalem? |
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Thoughtful people, people of integrity, are not pleased with a world that is constantly shifting and changing. They like to have their life, their home, their family, their moral values, solid and unchanging. These are the builders who create and hold the world together so it is not given over to bread and circus, as in ancient Rome. |
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But where can they find a foundation to build on? Utopian dreamers throughout the centuries—philosophers, teachers, statesmen—have advanced plans to bring mankind to security and peace. The Lord Jesus told us we would have wars and other problems. Who has proven correct? |
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Democracy is supposed to be the answer to social oppression. Democracy is producing social anarchy as self-seeking people fill the power vacuum. |
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Today there are politicians, teachers, psychologists who are promising a bright new world. People never seem to learn! Their well-intentioned schemes will lead only to more anarchy, more poverty, more distress and anguish as is true today in so much of the world. |
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Indeed a bright new world is coming but only through Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is at hand. |
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How about you? Has the shaking caught up to you? Are you wondering why your tidy home—perhaps a Christian home—has suddenly been torn asunder? You have been a church attender and have tried to interest your children in the things of God. Now your husband is ready to run off with another believer. One son is living with an older woman. Another son is going to court because of involvement in a gang shooting. Your daughter is on drugs. |
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Your world has come to an end, or so it seems. |
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Listen carefully! The Lord Jesus sits as King of the flood. His power and love have no end. Bring your problems before Him. You do not need to know any religious formulas. Cry out, "Help, Lord!" He—the living God—will bow the heavens and come down. The foundations of the earth will be revealed. The valleys of the sea will be uncovered. The clouds will be the dust of His feet. |
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He will give you peace in the midst of your monumental problems. As you follow Him, He will bring light out of darkness, order from chaos. That which seemed to have no solution will suddenly resolve. Little by little you and your loved ones will be placed on an unshakable foundation. Best of all you will come to know the Lord. And this is the greatest gift of all for you will take that knowledge past the grave into the new world of righteousness. |
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You thought He had forgotten you. But all this has happened that you might pass from the ranks of those who have heard about God to those who know the Lord. |
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But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:10) |
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Two goats were used during the annual Day of Atonement. The first goat was slain and its blood sprinkled upon and before the Mercy Seat to make an atonement for the tribes of Israel. |
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The second goat was "presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him." Notice carefully that the blood of the second goat was not offered. The goat remained alive and yet it was part of the atonement. |
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What is this telling us? |
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The Lord Jesus is the spiritual fulfillment of both goats. The Lord Jesus was slain to make an atonement by the sprinkling of His blood. The Lord Jesus also remains alive and His Life is an important part of the atonement. |
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The first part of the atonement, that of appeasing God's justice by means of the shedding of the innocent blood, has been preached faithfully and clearly throughout the centuries of the Christian Era. |
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The second part of the atonement, the removal of sin from the camp, may not have been as clearly understood. Perhaps now is the time when the second part of the atonement will be preached and experienced. |
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The Lord Jesus has saved us in our sins. Now He is ready to save us from our sins. |
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The Lamb of God has made an atonement for the sins of the world. Now He is ready to take away the sins of the world. |
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Several passages of the New Testament reveal that the program of our salvation is past, present, and future. The Bible speaks of a future hope, a future salvation to come in the last days. We are saved by hope, the hope that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. |
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Christ was offered to bear the sins of many. It is written that He shall come the second time without sin unto salvation. |
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Malachi predicts the coming of One who will purify the sons of Levi, the royal priesthood. |
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It is clear from Scripture that when the Church is presented to the Lamb it will be without spot or wrinkle. We have faith that a glorious Day of Redemption is soon to appear in which we who have patiently followed the Lord will be like Him. |
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We think the coming Day of the Lord is casting its shadow beforehand, that the Lord is ready to help us cast off the graveclothes of sin and self-will so we will be ready to appear with Him in glory. Lazarus has been summoned from the dead still bound. |
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We are not to fret ourselves when we see the maturing of the tares in the world. God will give us more grace and glory, and the tribulations and persecutions produced by the maturing of wickedness will serve to press the believers into the Person and image of the Lord Jesus. Where sin abounds, grace will much more abound. All things are still working together for good! |
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A salvation that forgives the guilt of our sin is marvelous beyond words. A salvation that not only forgives our sins but actually removes them is even more marvelous and beyond all we could hope or think. |
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Be encouraged in the Lord. Forget the things that are past. Confess your sins to the Lord and see for yourself if the strength is there to enable you to turn away from them. |
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You yet will be free from your graveclothes and will dance on the mountains of spices with the Lord! |
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