It is important that as Christians living on the brink of eternity, that we do not buy into the other gospel and the other Jesus that is being peddled today under the garb of Christianity. The purity of the faith once delivered to us has been watered down to the point where there is almost no distinction between the secular world and the Christian, except in name only. And because of this more and more people do not see the need to be converted, for Christians are now found to be living and doing the very same things the secular world does, and in some instances even worse, hence the reason why the apostle Paul warns us of another gospel with another Jesus who will appeal to the popular majority. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
The popular gospel that is being preached today in many Christian circles is one that is void of the basic essentials God has laid down, and teaches its adherents to accept the Lord on man-made terms and conditions, where only a profession of godliness is made, but no overcoming of inherited and cultivated tendencies is required. This other gospel gives Jesus all the praise for His own victories, while we ourselves are exempt from the work of overcoming, and thus a truce between good and evil is accommodated in the lives of many Christians.
But the Bible tells us that no one passes through the pearly gates without overcoming, and therefore it is high time that we awake out of slumber and address the work that has been sitting on the back burner of our own
consciences for too long. In the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, Christ addresses targeted messages to the seven Christian churches, spanning the period beginning from His day, down to our present time, in which the last of the seven churches, Laodicea by name, is found to be living.
At the end of each message to the individual churches, Jesus attaches this brief, candid statement: “To him that overcometh”, meaning that He expects the individual members of the Christian churches to live victoriously, and not form an agreement with the devil and his agencies, by harboring and practicing any known sin in our lives. The whole purpose of the plan of salvation is to bring the entire human family, as many as are willing, back into harmony with our Creator, and therefore the work of overcoming forms an integral and necessary part of our lives, if it is our intention and desire to be saved. That’s why Jesus makes the promise of eternal salvation, not merely to those who are Christian in name only, but rather to those who overcome, not to any other group. Let’s read:
Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
2:4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
What Christ is here saying is that He understands and knows that serious efforts have been made by the Christian church of the Ephesus period, and He commends them for their patience, labor of love, and their intolerance for the pseudo form of discipleship that was now entering the churches. But then Christ points out the areas in which they needed to come up to speed, meaning that He will not be satisfied with a partial form of victory, in which the devil and satanic agencies are given an equal seat at the negotiating table, so that the principles and forces of evil become firmly entrenched in the church. This Christ says will not be accepted by Him under any circumstances. Let’s read:
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
This same pattern of close observation by Christ, and the accompanying promise to those who overcome is repeated to each successive church of the Christian dispensation, and the reason why He continues to make that solemn statement at the end of each message, is so that we may understand that the standard of God’s righteousness will not be lowered with the passage of time for any reason, and thus He implies that we should fall in line with the admonition and warning He is giving. Let’s read:
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan.
2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
2:13 I know thy works and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan's seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].
And Christ continues on with the very same pattern of commendation of the things which are right, and also His disapproval of those which are not, after which He adds that solemn statement: “To him that overcometh”. Finally He reaches the last Christian church of our day, Laodicea by name, and as He looks and inspects it with His all-seeing eye, He has nothing good to say about it, for He observes a lukewarm church that has one foot in the world and the other in the church, and this situation is so nauseating to Him, that according to His own testimony, He is on the verge of vomiting it out. But true to His earlier pattern He encourages rigorous reform and radical changes where needed, then He closes with that same solemn statement: “To him that overcometh”. Let’s read:
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The theological concept that has become so popular in today’s Christian church, that it is impossible for us to overcome inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil, is one of the doctrines of devils that has been concocted in spiritual Babylon, and has proven to be one of the most deadly and spiritually debilitating doctrines ever introduced to mortals. What is alarming is that so many Christians have now bought into it that we have become comfortable with sins that Christ died to save us from, and for this reason many of us are found to be straddling both sides of the fence, by which we hope to gain entrance to God’s kingdom, whilst harboring, practicing, or countenancing the very sins that caused Christ’s death in the first place. But anything short of overcoming amounts to cheap grace, and will meet with signal disappointment when the Son of man is revealed. Let’s read:
1st John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil” ….
1st John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Another poisonous draft from the wine of Babylon is the excuse that “the devil made me do it”, as if we have no choice in the matter of deciding. Resisting temptation by the grace of God is not merely a suggestion, it is a positive command coming from the Lord Jesus to those of us who are His followers, for if we were to buy into this falsehood, we would thereby be literally handing the victory to the devil, for if he cannot be resisted, the next logical question will, be what’s the use of trying anyway? The Bible signally rejects this notion by stating unequivocally that the devil must be resisted if we are to overcome, thus teaching us that we are not to cower in fear of our own faults, but that we should stand firm in the strength of God. Let’s read:
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.
Christ Himself set the template for us who follow in His footsteps, and therefore the work of subduing those tendencies which strive for the mastery can be entirely routed through the grace and power of God. When we give ourselves entirely to Christ, trusting in His promises and trusting in His righteousness, God then makes us impregnable to the assaults of satan, who has no time to waste in futile efforts. This is what Christ did in the war against sin in the desert of temptation, and this is what all true Christians are expected to do by the grace and power of God. Let’s read:
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those
days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he
afterward hungered.
4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
However, the work of overcoming is just as important as the way in which we overcome, for many sincere Christians really desire to live victoriously, but the method by which we attempt to do so will ultimately determine whether will fail or succeed. God has given us clear guidelines in this matter so that none of us need be vanquished in the battles of life. One of the most common mistakes made in the work of overcoming is that of fighting against sin. God’s ordained method for us fighting sin is not with will-power, or by avoiding the appearance of evil, even though these are incorporated into the process.
The main method is by looking unto Jesus, and studying His life, His teachings, and His character on a daily basis, for when this is done consistently every day, an imperceptible change will gradually take hold of us. This sacred truth is alluded to by Christ with the hope that we will finally get the message. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
John 3:8 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.
3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
One of the very worst things we can do is to try to be good without God. There are latent tendencies to evil that are lodged in the dark recesses of our minds which only await the opportune moment or the right triggering mechanism to surface in actions and deeds that will alarm even ourselves. This is why Christ states that without Him we can do nothing. As David pondered his sin with Bathsheba, he was surprised and disappointed that he, who walked so close to God, could commit so horrible a crime. The fact is that David had stopped looking unto Jesus for a while, and then the propensities to evil with which we are all born were fanned into life when the right conditions were orchestrated. Let’s read:
Psalms 51:1 “A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me.
51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.
51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.
51:13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou
God of my salvation: [and] my tongue shall sing aloud of
thy righteousness.
This is why we must of necessity study very closely the history of the Hebrews in the experience of the uplifted serpent, so that we too may be instructed in the work of overcoming. The Jews in Moses’ day had been stung by fiery, poisonous serpents on account of their own sin, and now it was time to “Overcome” and live. The instruction from God at this time was direct and as simple as it gets, for they were not to try to do anything with the poisonous bite. They were not bidden to put any ointment, or to take any anti-venom injections or man-made solutions. All they were asked to do is to look up at the uplifted serpent and they would live. Let’s read:
Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
It is of critical importance for Christians to understand the deep significance of this instruction, for it applies directly to us in the work of overcoming. All have been bitten by the serpent in one way or another. Some of us have been bitten with anger and a hot temper, where we often lose our cool and blurt out sentiments that are withering in nature. Others have been bitten by drug addiction in which the bottle and the needle have exerted their power over us. And some of us have been bitten sexually, where the urge to merge overpowers us to the point where we have done really senseless things.
The recent experience of a local police chief is a prime example, for many people wonder how a married man, with children, and a good paying job, with bright prospects for the future, could do something so non-sensical. The problem is not with intelligence, but rather with those powerful propensities to evil, which when left to run riot without the intervention of God, will lead us to do and say things that will shock our own selves, hence the reason why the work of overcoming is centered squarely in the command to look and live.
As we spend quality time with Christ each day through a study of His word and character, we will partake of His life-giving Spirit, and as we continue to do so, the forces of evil within and without are held in subjection and finally uprooted entirely from our hearts, so that the sins which had previously bulldozed us, fall powerless at the feet of Him who paved the way for us. This sacred truth is embedded in the scriptures with the hope that all who read it may live victoriously from this point forward. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
In our own personal struggles with sinful desires and
divers lusts, let us always remember the instruction of Christ to look and live, for everything else that is involved with the work of overcoming will never be accomplished without this one, singular element. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth to our hearts, and it is the will and purpose of God that every sincere and honest hearted Christian live victoriously each day, for Christ was manifested to save us from our sins, not in our sins. Let’s read:
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!