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 tell you a little story.
I can remember as a small child when the students from our classroom would go outside onto the playground for gym. We will take some athletic equipment from the storage bin, so we could play basketball, softball or kickball. After assembling in a long line, each student was picked to be on one of the teams. After taking our places on the field, the instructor would blow their whistle, and the game was afoot. In any athletic competition, if you really want to win the game, you must strive for it. You must aggressively make scores for your team, yet at the same time you want to make sure that you don’t commit any errors or fouls. In any type of athletic competition, it’s going to require diligent effort to eventually defeat your opponent.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
In order to win the prize of eternal life, we must be capable of defeating our opponent, the carnal nature. We must overcome the desire for sin, and become victorious conquerors over the flesh.
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Revelation 21:7
We must be able to bridle any weaknesses in the flesh by bringing them into complete subjection by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. As a child of God, one must completely vanquish and conquer sin in their lives. It must be eradicated, because sin is opposed to everything that God is. We are to shun the sinful activities committed in the past, and refocus our hearts and minds on perfect obedience to God’s will.
“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:” 1 Peter 1:14
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2
Eternal life will be granted to those who have become pleasing unto God. This means that we must succeed and prevail over all of the temptations of this world, completely escaping its grasp.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4
James 1 ¹² 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.
As an apostle, Paul endured many temptations.
Acts 20 ¹⁸ And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹ Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
“And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.” Galatians 4:14
Sinful activity can only be committed if one gives in to temptations. This is because God doesn’t allow us to be tempted above that which we are capable of defeating.
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.
Temptations are a test of our faith. The more of them that we overcome, the stronger that we become.
James 1 ² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Sinners need to be transformed into saints by departing from iniquity.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
Those who do, will be rewarded by God.
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3:21
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Revelation 3:12
“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.” Revelation 2:11
The sinful nature must be overcome, because those who continue to walk in the flesh will die. Sin resulted in being separated from God In the garden of Eden, and those who don’t get rid of it now while they have the opportunity to do so, will be cast away from God’s presence at the judgment.
Romans 8 ¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The true followers of Christ will yield themselves to God, rather than the carnal nature.
Romans 6 ¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
To keep your name written in the book of Life, you must overcome the world.
“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.” Revelation 3:5
1 John 5 ⁴ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Like a tennis match, each of us is involved in a one-on-one competition against sin. It is a battle against the carnal nature. To win, you will need to strive to completely defeat it. No matter what the temptation may be, count it all joy, because each time that we overcome a temptation, brings us one step closer to eternal life. Heaven will be a place that is filled with overcomers. Wouldn’t you like to join them, and become a part of…..
….. The Winning Team
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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