Are You An Overcomer?
Dear Saints:
We continue to look at the same words spoken seven times by Jesus to the seven churches in Revelation (please read the entire chapters 2-3). We have looked at “I know your works “ and “He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Today, we look at “He who overcomes…” . Overcome or conquer.
Disclaimer: The word overcome/overcomer has been misused to describe some type of super Christians who pray all night and wrestle with God to give them what He did not intend to give them except for their strong prayers. We do not twist God’s hands and force Him to act apart from His established/ordained will. There are no super Christians but rather Spirit filled Christians who listen and obey God’s voice daily. "Overcome" doesn’t also mean good works or working hard to make it into God’s kingdom. You can’t be saved by good works.
Note that in all the seven instances, Jesus follows “overcomes” with a promise of an aspect/description of the everlasting life.
Let’s listen to Jesus speak to each of the seven churches:
"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 (Ephesus Church)
"And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. Revelation 2:26-28 (Thyatira church)
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." Revelation 3:5 (Sardis church).
"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name". Revelation 3:12 (Philadelphia church)
"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne". Revelation 3:21 (Laodiceans church).
The first question is what do Jesus mean by “overcomes”. Our first clue is the promises of eternal life attached to the overcomer. So the one who overcomes enters into eternal life, God’s kingdom starting here and now. The tense is present and continues, “overcomes”.
Then the next question is how do we overcome and keep on overcoming till the very end? First, “Jesus answered them [his disciples], “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:31-33. Jesus is the real overcomer and has overcome Satan and the world.
Apostle John tells us how we overcome in 1 John 5:4-5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Note what is being overcome - the world. We do not therefore fear the life here and all of its tribulations for Christ has overcome for us. We are only by faith trusting what Christ has already conquered and have overcome on the cross.
We have a part to play. The Holy Spirit enables us to continue to believe and trust in Christ without giving up. It’s the same faith that brought us into salvation and relationship with the Trinity that we need and exercise every day. We don’t quit believing and trusting in Christ no matter what. It’s very comforting to know that it’s by grace through faith, so we cannot boast of doing it by ourselves. The same grace will carry us home to meet our Father face to face and be embraced by Him. See revelation 21.
The whole journey is one of reconciliation to the Father and restoration of all things to what He made from beginning and desires for us forever. We are already in the kingdom of God. Hallelujah! You are an overcomer because you trust Jesus.
So we know that this world is not our friend and neither things of the world. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
I have always been puzzled by this statement of Jesus. “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”- Luke 18:8. It’s faith in Christ all the way to the end and forever. So my friend let’s press on by faith to the very end knowing that greater is he that is in us than he that is the world. The victory is secured. We are more than conquerors. We are told to fight on in Ephesians 6:10-20 and using the whole armor of God.
Note that the promise that follow overcoming is to all the churches even in the midst of their problems and need for repentance. Yes, Jesus is cleaning us up before the end. Do not loose heart. We are not overcoming to please God. Jesus has pleased the Father on our behalf. We are overcoming to shame Satan and glorify our Father who is heaven. Fight on saints and share the Gospel with the one who is yet to trust in Christ. Amen
Now for you who have not for the first time believed and have not put your trust in the Christ who died on the cross, buried and rose from the dead, this is your time. You will never overcome in this present life and life to come if you don’t do so now. Translated, you will not enter into eternal life and will be forever separated from God; and that is hell. May God grant you the grace to believe and trust Christ today. Amen
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