CONSIDER THIS THOUGHT MAY 2002
Posted by: griffingene <griffingene@...>
P. O. BOX 1492, EASLEY, SC 29641
EMAIL: [email protected]
GENE GRIFFIN, EDITOR
A Bible study publication desiring to glorify God and
be a blessing to His servants.
MAY IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2002
THE OVERCOMERS REWARD
Rev. 21:7
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son."
This is a glorious promise that comes from the Lord in the next to last
chapter of the Bible. The word "overcomer" means, "to conquer or prevail
over." The words "shall inherit all things" translates "kleronomeo," and
means, "to receive the portion assigned to one, receive an allotted portion,
receive as ones own or as a possession."
Every Christian is saved by grace but when he is saved he is a changed
person. God regenerates him, seals him with the Holy Spirit as the earnest
of salvation, and promises him an inheritance in the eternal kingdom.
1 Peter 1:3-5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time." In these verses the inheritance is
reserved and the believer is kept.
But our text goes beyond anything that might seem to be small. John says,
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things. At least a part of the "all
things" are the things just mentioned.
Matthew Henry comments: "The new heaven and the new earth will not be
separate from each other; the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies,
will be heavenly. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will
have passed away. There will be no sea; this aptly represents freedom from
conflicting passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from
whatever can divide or interrupt the communion of saints. This new Jerusalem
is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant.
Its blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him. The presence of
God with his people in heaven, will not be interrupted as it is on earth, he
will dwell with them continually. All effects of former trouble shall be
done away. They have often been in tears, by reason of sin, of affliction,
of the calamities of the church; but no signs, no remembrance of former
sorrows shall remain. Christ makes all things new. If we are willing and
desirous that the gracious Redeemer should make all things new in our hearts
and nature, he will make all things new in respect of our situation, till he
has brought us to enjoy complete happiness. See the certainty of the
promise. God gives his titles, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End,
as a pledge for the full performance. Sensual and sinful pleasures are muddy
and poisoned waters; and the best earthly comforts are like the scanty
supplies of a cistern; when idolized, they become broken cisterns, and yield
only vexation. But the joys which Christ imparts are like waters springing
from a fountain, pure, refreshing, abundant, and eternal. The sanctifying
consolations of the Holy Spirit prepare for heavenly happiness; they are
streams which flow for us in the wilderness. The fearful durst not meet the
difficulties of religion, their slavish fear came from their unbelief; but
those who were so dastardly as not to dare to take up the cross of Christ,
were yet so desperate as to run into abominable wickedness. The agonies and
terrors of the first death will lead to the far greater terrors and agonies
of eternal death."
How does this overcoming take place? Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they
loved not their lives unto the death."The overcoming is by "the blood of the
Lamb," which speaks of positional truth. Man is saved because he is in
Christ and he is made holy by the doctrine of imputation. 1 Corinthians
1:30-31, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
The power of overcoming is also found in 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."
How blessed we are by the grace of God bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Hebrews 1:3 states it correctly, "Who being the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;"
May we all recognize that the power to overcome is not in us. We overcome
through faith in His blood. He finished the work of redemption and sat down
on the right hand of the majesty on high. May the Lord bless these words to
our heart. Dr. Earl White
OUTLINES ON 1 JOHN
by Dr. Harold B. Sightler
Faithful and Just
1. How is it that He is faithful?
A. His nature.
B. His Word.
C. His love.
2.. How is it that He is just?
A. Because of Calvary.
B. Because of the Law satisfied.
C. Because He come to do just that.
D. Because we ask.
Sin
1 John 5
1. The Fact.
2. The Fountain.
3. The Folly.
4. The Force.
5. The Fatality.
6. The Forgiveness.
7. The Forsaking.
Blessed Assurance
How?
1. By my desire to keep His commandments, 2:3.
2. By my attitude toward the world, 3:15.
3. By my righteous life, 2:29.
4. By my attitude toward sin, 3:8-9.
5. By my love for the brethren, 3:14.
6. By my faith, 5:1.
7. By my overcoming, 5:4
8. By the witness of the Spirit, 5:1-10.
Three Great Words
1. Come, Matt. 11:28.
2. Became, Jn. 1:11-12.
3. Overcame, 1 John 5:4.
EXPOSITION OF 1 JOHN
CHAPTER 5:6
In this section, we have ample testimony concerning the person and work of
Christ. Several witnesses are presented and set forth unquestionably the
fact that Jesus is the Son of God.
Verse 6 - the first witness is external and declares Christs righteousness
and His perfect redemption. This is he that came by water and blood. There
has been a great deal of discussion regarding this passage. There are
several views flowing from these discussions. Some feel that the water and
blood refer to that which flowed from the Saviors side on Calvary (Jn.
19:34. Still others suggest that the water refers to the Holy Spirit and
that the blood refers to the blood shed upon Calvary. Still others feel
that the water and blood refer to the natural birth and indicate the
Incarnation of Christ.
A fourth consideration is worthy of thought. The Gnostics in Johns day
denied the eternal existence of the Son of God - that namely Christ came
upon Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His passion, in particular the
Garden of Gethsemane. Basically, they were saying that Christ, the Son of
God did not die on the cross, but Jesus as man did. It is this heresy that
John is seeking to combat. It is a heresy that robs the work of Christ of
any atoning value for the sins of men. John is using water here as an
emblem of the baptism of the Lord Jesus, and blood as a symbol of His
atoning death upon Calvary. John declares that these are inseparable. Not
by water only. Our Lord was just as much the Christ when He died on the
cross as when He was baptized in the Jordan. John is declaring that the
Lord Jesus Christ is Perfect Man and Perfect God, the same One who was
baptized in Jordan became the sinless sacrifice for sinners. It should be
noted that His baptism speaks of His perfect righteousness. The blood
referred to here speaks of His perfect redemption. In other words, you
cannot have the Lord Jesus Christ and separate Him into various entities -
He is what He is in His humanity and Deity; He is both God and man - the Son
of God and the Son of Man. Likewise, you cannot separate the Lord Jesus
from the cross - how can you separate the Lord from His person and work? It
cant be done.
And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
This is the second witness and is internal - that of the Holy Spirit.
Because the Spirit is truth, His testimony concerning the righteousness and
redemption of the Lord Jesus can be believed. It is a well established
fact.
ARE YOU A NOBODY?
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I
should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Ex. 3:11.
God is ever striving, ever working to bring us to the place of usableness.
We, many times, are pulling in the opposite direction. We are so filled
with pride and self that we cannot come to this place without much conflict.
We are so convinced of what we can do, so confident in the energy of the
flesh, that we feel we can serve God in our own strength. We have to be
brought to the place of being totally persuaded that we cannot do a single
thing for God in the power and energy of the flesh.
While in Egypt Moses was so convinced that he could deliver Israel. He was
self-confident and filled with his own wisdom and power. God had to lead
him to the wilderness for 40 years to bring him to the end of himself. God
had to convince Moses that he was a nobody. When it came time to deliver
Israel, Moses was so persuaded of his own nothingness that he confessed,
Who am I?
He considered himself to be insignificant and without strength - a total
picture of weakness. God is bringing us to this point. He is working with
us trying to make us usable in His purpose and plan. Moses saw that the
work was too great. And he also saw his own littleness. He trembled at the
task before him. He had come to the place that he refused to measure
himself - he let God do that. He had to be brought to this place before God
could use him. And so must we.
A Parting Word -
Thank you for reading this issue, and we hope it has blessed your heart. We
want God to use us. And we give Him glory for doing so. We spend such a
short time here - 40, 50, 60, or 70 years, and it is all over. Only what is
done for Christ will matter. We are allowed to come into this world, and we
all leave some mark upon it. Let that influence be for Christ.
Please visit our website at http://www.bibledoc.8m.com sponsored by Charles
Creager. Thank you so much my brother for your gift to this ministry.
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