Quote:
Originally Posted by NeitherFirstnorLast
We will Overcome! Yea, by the Blood of the Lamb, AND the word of our Testimony ( Revelation 12:11). Praise the Lord, who Alone is Worthy! To know You is to love You, Lord Jesus!
" Overcome" |
Good morning friends,
It's been a while since I've been around again, and just wanted to share a little from what's new in my life. The past number of months have been full of too much "work" - labor at the office as I struggle to keep up with the amount of business with which I've been, "blessed"?
Lord, You have blessed my family - but don't ever let me forget that the real blessings that come from You are those that lead back to You and bring You Glory!
In any case, apart from work I have had the opportunity to enjoy real Bible Study with a group in town on the Book of Revelation. This is a deep two-year study, going not through commentaries by any author, but the actual Biblical text both in common literal translations (NASB, ESV), but also in the original Greek and through authoritative secular histories (Josephus, Eusebius).
The first four months of our study has been about the letters to the seven churches, and last week we touched on the Overcomers - who are they? This is what I want to share. Let's consider what promises are made to the Overcomers, to determine who they are:
1)
The Overcomer will be granted to eat of the Tree of Life, which grows in the Paradise of God (Rev 2:7) Eating of this tree will grant the Overcomer life forevermore (
Genesis 3:22).
John 3:16 (and many other verses) teach that
whomsoever believes in Christ will not perish, but have life everlasting. This promise applies to ALL believers in Jesus Christ, and not an exclusive set of super-spiritual believers.
2)
The Overcomer will not be hurt by the second death (Rev 2:11). As above, the believer will not perish.
3)
The Overcomer will receive the hidden manna, and a white stone with a new name written on it which no one knows but him who receives it (Rev 2:17). Christ Himself is the hidden manna, the bread from heaven supplied by God which (who) gives life to the world (
John 6:31-40). What the Overcomer receives therefore is Christ Himself, and
everyone who receives Him receives eternal life (
John 1:12). The white stone may be a mystery (see "
Got Questions" for possible answers to what it
might signify), and I would suggest that a "new name" is due any "new creation in Christ", for old things have passed away... (
2 Cor 5:17). God gave new names to his saints of Old (Abraham, Sarah, Israel, etc), and specifically named John & Jesus (both through His messenger, Gabriel), Peter and Paul(?) in the New Testament. These promises are not unique to a special class of believer, but can rightly be claimed by all who come to the saving Faith.
4)
The Overcomer will receive authority over the nations, to rule with a rod of iron, and will receive the morning star (Rev 2:26-28). If we died with Him (if we are "crucified with Christ"), we also live with Him, and if we endure, we reign with Him (
2nd Tim 2:11-12), just as prophesied by Daniel in the Old Testament (see
Dan 7:18, 22 & 27). Christ Himself is the "Bright Morning Star" whom we receive (
Rev 22:16), and just as God said to Abraham "I AM your exceeding great reward" (
Gen 15:1)...
5)
The Overcomer will be clothed in white garments; and his name will not be erased from the book of life, and his name will be confessed before God the Father and His angels (Rev 3:5). The white garments are the righteous acts of the saints (
Rev 19:8), which were prepared by God for those who have been saved to do (
Eph 2:10).. those Saved ones whose names God wrote in the book of life from
before the foundation of the World (
Rev 13:8,
Eph 1:4) - those who don't deny Him before men, whom He promises not to deny before His Father and the angels (
Mat 10:32).
6)
The Overcomer will be made a pillar in the Temple of God, not going out from it. He will have God's name, the name of the city of God, and Christ's new Name written on him (Rev 3:12). Christ'sBody is the Temple (John 2:19-21), and We who are born again of the Spirit, the Church, are His Body (1 Cor. 12:27 & Col 1:18) - and upon our hearts He promises to write His Word (Jer 31:33 & Heb 10:16), and is not Christ the Living Word of God (John 1:1-14)?
7)
The Overcomer will sit down with Him on His throne (Rev 3:21). As pt 4, we who are alive in Christ will rule and reign with Him.
My point? My point is that the Overcomers are not an elite class of believer, they are simply true believers... found in every one of the seven churches, regardless of it's condition. When the LSM hymnal asks if we will be an overcomer (see
Hymn #894), it makes that a "choice" a Christian must make. It focuses the believer on himself, and not on God, and teaches him to rely on his strength and wit to do what is required of him... Is that right?
Christ is the Overcomer. And that is why we are told that we will Overcome, by
the Blood of the Lamb (
Rev 12:11) which washes the crimson stains from our garments, our filthy rags, and makes them white as snow (
Isaiah 1:18);
and the word of our testimony (the truth and reality of the life-changing experiences worked in us by the Holy Spirit, not our regurgitation of others teachings, be they true or false. For this reason, I commend again this song "Overcome" - because it reminds us from the Word of God of how we who are in Christ have Overcome, and it gives Him, and not the individuals in a particular church, the Glory. I would like to commend also "
Jesus Paid it All"*, for indeed, ALL to Him we owe!
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*The words to the song "Jesus Paid it All" were written by Elvina Hall (1822-1889) in 1865. Elvina was a member of the Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. The Choir Director of the same church was John Thomas Grape (1835-1915). Unaware of Elvina's composition, Grape composed a tune he called
All To Christ I Owe.
The pastor of Monument Street Methodist Church, Rev. George W. Schreck heard the music written by Grape and immediately thought of the verse written by another of his parishioners, Elvina Hall. At the pastor's suggestion, Hall's lyrics and Grape's music were combined, and then sent to Professor Theodore Perkins, publisher of the periodical
Sabbath Carols. The hymn quickly became a favorite and has been published in and sung from hymnals across America ever since.
(history of this song courtesy of Share Faith)