Overcomers In Christ Part I

Overcomers In Christ

Part I

John 16:33

These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

          Should Christians be of good cheer, as the subject verse indicates, because Christ has overcome the world and therefore Christians should be able to overcome the world,  should we expect that we will be able overcome the world in our own strength? Or is there something in Christ having overcome the world that freely gives Christians victory over the world?

            Regarding the first supposition, that since Christ has overcome the world, we shall be able to overcome the world in our own strength, it is false; for it is as Martin Luther, the great reformer wrote(1483-1546): A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. In the natural man there is not strength to overcome the world, nor Satan who is in the world.

             The second supposition: that there is something in Christ having overcome the world that gives Christians victory over the world: that is true. For Christ Jesus was not present in this world as a private individual at any time; but all He did, was as the Mediator of the everlasting covenant of grace with all His members in Him. (I Timothy 2:5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23) In His office of Mediator He stood a substitute for His people, His life was lived to their credit, and He died in their stead. In Christ all His members lived a perfect life under the law of God, for Christ as the covenant head of His people and in covenant union with them lived a perfect life being “made of a woman made under the law” (Galatians 4:4). The Word (the Son of God) was made flesh (John 1:14) in order that He, the God-Man and Mediator of His people might bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10) the many son who are to be brought to glory “are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” (Acts 3:25). “They which are of faith, (those who seek to be justified by faith, writer’s parenthesis) the same are the child of Abraham.” and are “the Israel of God.” (Hebrews 2:16; Galatians 3:16, 29; 6:16). These are they who have overcome the world in Christ; for it is written “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth the Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:5). Question: but someone may object, saying, but what if one of these who have interest in the covenant of grace does not believe? Answer: faith is the covenant gift of God, and it is “the fruit of the Spirit” as it is written “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:22-24). Where the Spirit of God is the fruit which is “of the Spirit” will be also, and faith in Christ as the Son of God is of that fruit. Belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God is not left to the province of the choice of man, but is of the revelation of God “for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) and “No man can come to me, (to come to Christ is to believe on Christ as Savior, writer’s parenthesis) except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44). It is manifest that they who believe that Jesus is the Christ are the spiritual seed of Abraham, and the eternal children of God according to the eternal purpose which God purposed in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:11).

 We have established who has covenant interest in Christ; and that is believers in Christ as the only “Savior of the world” (I John 4:14) that is, Savior of that world whose sin the Lamb of God has taken away (John 1:29) which is the world of God’s elect, for it is written “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:3-7).  It is believers who “have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, and they have that redemption, the forgiveness sins, because they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world; not because of a choice they made while in this word. There is no scripture to give validation to the current error and false teaching that God chose His people according to the choice which He knew men would make in time. God chose His people and “predestinated them to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of His will” and not prescience of their actions and decisions; as it is written “And he said, (the Lord said, writer’s parenthesis) I will make all my goodness pass before thee, name I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19). The Apostle Paul brings this truth into the New Testament in this way “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” (Romans 9:15-18). The children of the covenant are saved because God breaks up their hard and stony heart and gives them a heart to believe the gospel (Ezekiel 36:26) others God gives over to themselves and allows them to walk on in their rebellion against God; God gives men up to their own uncleanness and to vile affections, (Romans 1:20-32). Therefore the saved, are saved, by the sovereign mercy and grace of God; the damned, are damned, because of their own sin, with no one to blame but themselves. (Proverbs 1:24-33). The saved are overcomers in Christ; and to them “it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” (Philippians 1:29). And though the believer’s portion in this life is sometimes to suffer, yet this world is not the believer’s final portion; for the believer looks for a city to come, whose builder and maker is God. See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com      

A.J. Ison