Published by admin on 04 Oct 2013 at 01:40 pm
WHAT IS AN “OVERCOMER”?
What is an “overcomer”? And why is it so important to be an overcomer? Let’s explore this today. It is written in Revelation 21:1-8;
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
First off, we are told what awaits the overcomer, a wonderful new heaven, and a new earth, and the New Jerusalem, and God shall dwell with men and there will be no more sorrow, death, or pain, for He has made all things new. But they are only for “He that overcometh”. How about for the “rest of them”? Sorry, He said “Overcomers Only”. So there we see why it’s so important to be counted among the overcomers. Who are they? Well, I can tell you what they are NOT, according to verse 8. Pay close attention that God has not asked OUR opinion whatsoever about who is an overcomer and who is not. You can go to church every day for your whole life, and still not be an overcomer. Verse 8 clearly warns us the things we must AVOID if we are to be overcomers. What are we overcoming? Glad you asked.
Once again, our opinion doesn’t matter. What your particular denomination happens to believe does not move God to change His opinion one iota. It’s God’s Kingdom, and God’s rules, take it or leave it. And that’s literally what it comes down to, it’s either God’s way, or your way, and if you don’t want it God’s way, you will NOT be in His Kingdom, period. That sounds kind of rude perhaps, but you must make your choice moment by moment who you will obey. Having just decided years ago to follow God is not sufficient for today. Are you following Him today, this moment? Being an overcomer is a continual process daily, for yesterday’s victories are fine, but they don’t assure you of today’s victory.
I receive MANY questions regarding healing, how to receive it, and how to keep it. Well, first off, being an overcomer is more than just getting healed and keeping it, BUT it is part of it.
Notice the order in which verse 8 puts things in perspective: BUT THE FEARFUL.. That’s the number one disqualifier. Why? Simple, bottom line is, if you don’t trust God to take care of you, then you will always be full of fear, and fear is not of God, for fear has torment. Being timid, afraid to act on God’s Word. Fear will keep you believing the threats and lies of the devil continually, even though God has never lied in all eternity. When the doctors says “You have ____ (you fill in the blank) and you are going to die…”, the fear sets in, displacing the Word of God which says we were (and are) healed by the stripes of Jesus. When fear prevails, faith retreats and shrinks to nothing. It is written “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. So therefore, fearful tops the list here. Fear kills faith.
Next on the list is UNBELIEVING. Without faith, infidel, doesn’t trust and believe God’s Word to the point of acting upon it to the changing of their life. Does that mean if you believe the Word of God you will never have fear? Have you ever heard of “DO IT AFRAID”? Well, put simply, when a soldier goes to war, do you think he ever encounters fear? Sure. But he conquers fear and fights the fight, sometimes even unto death, and yes, some DO die in the fight. But they’re fighting, not hiding in the foxhole. I put it like this, if you know you likely to die anyway, why not go out as an overcomer fighting instead of cowering in a corner? I know people who never received their healing in this lifetime, but they went out overcoming, full of faith, believing unto the end. But the “unbelieving”? they’ve already lost from the very start.
And the abominable.. to be disgusting, to stink, to abhor, detestable.
It is written in Proverbs 6:16-19,
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Enough said there…let the Word of God speak for itself.
And murderers…always criminal or at least intentional homicide, those are they which take lives without cause, wantonly, for their own convenience. Sounds like abortion falls into that category, like above in hands that shed innocent blood. Hey, I didn’t write this stuff, God did, it’s time we pay attention.
And whoremongers. We all know what that is: prostitute, fornicator, no further explanation needed. Again, God sets the standard, not us.
And sorcerers…what is a sorcerer? One who is involved with the occult, an enchanter, a “white witch” as they like to call themselves, one who casts spells, performs witchcraft. The Greek dictionary defines as: pharmakon (a drug, that is, spell giving potion); a druggist (“pharmacist”) or poisoner, that is, (by extension) a magician: – sorcerer.
And idolaters…another biggie to God, so what is an idolater? A servant or worshipper of that which is not GOD, being possessions, or social position, or trust in riches. We are to worship God only, and serve Him alone, not our STUFF! God doesn’t care if you have stuff, but if stuff has YOU, then you’re an idolater. If God tells you to walk away from something, and you can’t, well that means you love it more than God. Idolatry is subtle, but deadly.
And all liars..erroneous, deceiptful, wicked, false, lying. You get the idea here,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
But YOU can be an overcomer, because God created you to be one, and He has given you everything you need in life to assure your success. I saw a man yesterday at McDonalds wearing a tee shirt that said, “Heart is the difference between wanting to, and accomplishment.” That means many people WANT to accomplish something, but heart is what gives you the will and tenacity to prevail and see it through to accomplishment. I see that as a good definition of faith. Everyone WANTS to be an overcomer, or to be healed, but few possess the tenacity to see it through to accomplishment. Every time they are on the way to overcoming, the devil hits them with opposition and they back off and retreat into defeat again. Overcomers OVERCOME, no matter what it takes, or however long it takes. They don’t back down!
Don’t YOU back down, either! Be an OVERCOMER! It’s worth it!