Overcomers In Christ Part III

Overcomers in Christ Part III

Revelation 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.

            “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to his works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 21:10-15.

           Believers in Christ have been delivered from “so great a death,” God has delivered believers by Jesus Christ, through death; as it is written “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doeth deliver: and whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (II Corinthians 1:9-10). Christ Jesus was put to death in the stead of each of His members; Christ died as the Head of His own body which body is the church of the elect of God, whom the Father chose in old eternity to be the spouse of His Son; and “he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (I Corinthians 6:17)

          Those who have union with Christ from eternity have been slain in Him under the sentence of the Law of God and therefore can never be in jeopardy of eternal damnation. For Paul writes “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) and every believer should know that he is also crucified with Christ for the body of Christ is one, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6: that is, all the Ephesian saints and faithful brethren where ever they are, for to such is the epistle written; Ch.1:1: writers parenthesis) and every member of that body is joined to Christ by the everlasting covenant of grace, and by the vital union of faith. It is by the vital union of faith that the children of God know that they are not of this world but that God the Father has chosen them out of the world, (John 15:19; 17:14, 16). In the reckoning of God all the covenant children of God were crucified with Jesus Christ, and therefore “are dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4), “dead to sin” (Romans 6:2; I Peter 2:24), and therefore can never come into condemnation (John 5:24; Romans 8:1) being “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). These are all covenant engagements and established before the foundation of the world in the purpose and grace of God (II Timothy 1:9). Since believers “shall not come into condemnation” (John 5:24) and since believers are justified by the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9), and because believers have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them (Romans 4:24), and since believers are perfectly holy in the holiness of Christ (I Corinthians 1:30) and since believers are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9): death, the white throne judgment, condemnation, hell, and the second death have nothing to do with them, they have no claim on them, for, Jesus Christ, and believers in Him have overcome the world: see the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com To hear a true gospel message by live streaming on the internet go to www.13thstbaptist.org Pastor James Byrd:  click on Live Messages or Recordings, then watch on sermon audio during service times. 

A.J.Ison