Good Morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that, I wanted to ask you a question.
Have you observed people as they competed in a foot race? During the competition, you watched as one of them struggled very hard to pull away from the rest of the pack, putting forth a strong effort to overcome the others, because of which, they successfully achieved the prize at the end.
This reminds me of the Christian life.
Scripture clearly teaches us that Christians are running a race, only this one is Spiritual. Many earthly coaches will teach students that winning isn’t everything, but in the Christian Life, it most certainly is! In order to inherit eternal life, we must defeat and overcome the sinful deeds of the carnal nature. We must win against sin. Success is the name of the game.
Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
An overcomer is a person who succeeds in dealing with, or gaining control of some problem or difficulty. In the Christian realm, this is about overcoming sin. Like being in a race, we must be victorious over the carnal nature and its desires. God grants us a precious gift of grace in our time of need, but we need to utilize His mercy to free ourselves from the sinful lusts of this world. We must run to win!
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Each of us in the church have to deal with certain struggles or temptations in the flesh, but we can help each other by not being a stumblingblock as we each walk the path to successful Christian living. We must support and encourage each other to abide in biblical truth, and to focus our minds on the Spiritual things of God. This is why it’s so important to surround yourself with people who love and fear God. We must separate from those involved with sin, and join with others who are shunning sin. In order to obtain the crown of life, we must depart from sin.
James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Temptations can be overcome, by simply turning away when the opportunity to sin presents itself, and then, refusing to allow yourself to go any further by committing the physical act. The decision to do what’s right comes down to what you love the most in this life. Do you love Jesus enough to do His will, or do you love sin and the things of this world more? Salvation depends on making the correct choices.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We can know that we are capable of overcoming sin, because God doesn’t allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
To overcome means to defeat an opponent or to prevail and succeed. Some synonyms are to conquer, defeat, or triumph over something through great effort. We must put the death any sinful desires, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Although many people profess to be a child of God, Scripture clearly teaches that true sonship is revealed in those who hear God’s Word with their heart, and obediently follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Those who have been Spiritually reborn through precious faith in our lord Jesus, will overcome sin, that is a fact. Jesus is the perfect, sinless Son of God, and those who truly believe in Him will strive to attain complete freedom from sin.
1 John 5:4-5 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
We can overcome sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, given to those who believe in Jesus Christ and are born of God.
John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Some peoples names that we’re once written in the book of Life, can be blotted out, because they never truly overcame the sinful nature. The eternal security that we can possess in the Christian Life is knowing that we have done God’s will, and kept the faith.
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Overcoming the sinful nature is a requirement of God if you really want to win the prize of eternal life. Failure is not an option. For a Christian, success is…..
…….The Name of the Game
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 