Gtcotr/ws081821
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
I believe the Bible is filled with intentional parallel truths which are meant to be used by the Believer to give us faith, comfort, strength, hope, love, joy, patience, peace, and perseverance during the trials of life we often encounter.
The scriptures tell us that Born-Again Believers in Jesus Christ are subjected by God to the elements and limitations of this world, but we are not left without the ability to overcome.
Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.
(Barnes Notes) - The word vanity (futility)
here (ματαιοτητι) is descriptive of the present condition of the Christian, as
frail and dying; as exposed to trials, temptations, and cares; as in the midst
of conflicts, and of a world which may be emphatically pronounced vanity. More
or less, the Christian is
brought under this influence; his joys
are marred; his peace is
discomposed; his affections wander; his
life is a life of vanity and
vexation.
Not willingly. Not voluntarily. It is not a matter of choice. … But this subjection is one that is contrary to it, and from which he desires to be delivered.
I
do not understand why God, in the great wisdom of His plan, decided to subject
His children to the elements of this world during our time on earth. However I
do know for certain that these verses offer me the chance to know that My placement in this world is by divine appointment
and that I am expected to:
·
Run
my race in faith
·
Finish
my course with joy
· Keep trusting Jesus in difficult times
Some days and some seasons of life are more difficult than others. Nonetheless Jesus did not leave us without a witness or without comfort and direction. The parallels of time and truth in the scriptures are meant to encourage us each day along our way.
The stories of the Bible show us how we should think and how we should act in the midst of such a lost world that is without Christ. The unfolding of God’s plan has left nothing to chance. God knows exactly what the devil will do, and God has given us His Word to follow so that we can stay on track with His plan and the purpose for our life while we are in this world.
We who are Born-Again children of God, like Jesus Christ His firstborn, have been given a role to play which for some reason might at times lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. Our part is to keep walking and to fear no evil because God is with us.
We are not called to be passive adherents to the troubles, trials, and tribulations of this world but rather we are called to be overcomers.
One of the parallels I believe obvious in the Scriptures involves the last week of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry in the days leading up to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. We read the accounts of how Jesus was treated in Jerusalem during those days. On the one hand the multitudes loved and welcomed Him, while the leaders of the nation hated and despised Him. There is no doubt the Church, which is the Body of Christ, will suffer similar and paralleled circumstances and persecutions in the last days. Also …
I
believe we may very well be in the last days. What does that mean? I believe
the Bible teaches that God has a set time, a very specific date on His
calendar, on which day He will:
·
Rapture the Church
o The last trumpet will
sound
o All the dead in Christ
will rise
o Born-again Believers
who are alive will be changed and caught up in the air to be with the Lord.
·
The Tribulation will begin and last for 3 ½ years
·
The Great Tribulation will begin and last for another 3 ½
years
·
Jesus will lead His army of saints and angels to make war with
and defeat the Antichrist
·
Satan will be bound for 1000 years
·
Jesus will set up His millennial kingdom and reign on the
earth over all the inhabitants of which there will be several categories of
people.
·
Satan will be loosed for a short season and will deceive
many and draw them away from trusting in Jesus.
·
The devil will draw the nations to battle against Jesus and His
saints and fire from God will come down from heaven and consume the armies of
the satan and the earth and the elements will melt with a fervent heat.
·
God
will convene a Great White Throne Judgement and call all creation to
attend.
o There is a court
summons with your name on it
o You already have an
appearance date
o Angels will be sent
out to make sure you are there on time
·
The
devil will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity along with his
angels, death, and every person whose names are not found written in the Book
of Life
·
God
will declare a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
There will be no sickness, no sin, no pain, and no sorrow.
·
Those
who love God and have accepted Jesus as Messiah will live eternally in New
Jerusalem where there will be no need of sun or moon for the Lord shall be
the Light of that city.
· Those who overcome will inherit all things.
Three
things are true and eternal:
1.
God already knows the day and hour in which each of these events
will take place.
2.
We are closer to the rapture of the Church than ever before.
3. Those who overcome will inherit all things.
I
want to be an overcomer.
·
The
Seven Churches of Revelation were each given a special message to the overcomers
in those Churches.
·
The
Apostle Paul stressed the importance of being an overcomer.
· The Apostle John shared the importance of continuing to trust God in the midst of our trials so that we would overcome the world and not be overcome by the world.
1 John 5
1 ¶ Whoever believes that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also
loves him who is begotten of Him.
4 For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our
faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Every Born-again Believer has been born into Jesus and is a new creation in Christ. This new creation is superior to this world’s system. They are in the world but no longer of the world. They have been born of God. Spiritually re-born. The Believer in Jesus however, continues to be subjected to the futility of this world in that they still live in the midst of conflicts, they are pressured by problems, taxed in mind and body, tempted, tried, persecuted, and will experience pain and even death.
Any simple reading of the Bible will confirm that Jesus, the perfect and only begotten Son of God, was subjected to the futility of this world. He experienced frustration, anger, sorrow, He was subject to being hurt, subject to pain, and even death. God subjected Jesus to the vanity of this world in hope that He would overcome this world, and indeed He did.
We are born God; we too can overcome the world and all its futility. I can overcome sin, anger, hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness, frustration, and discontentment in this life because I am in Christ. I am born of God, and therefore I can overcome the futility and frustrations of this world.
We are citizens of eternity, and we are strangers and pilgrims in this life. We are in the world but not of the world. I do not know why God decided to subject us to the futility of this world … I don’t even know why Jesus was subjected to the futility of this world … I understand the perfect sacrifice of His blood paid for my sins but I don’t understand why that was the necessary burden of sin.
But I am not God and I do trust God … and I refuse to allow what I don’t know to overshadow what I do know.
I know that as long as I am in this world that I will be subject to some amount of suffering and pain, disappointment, and sorrow. Nonetheless, I am determined to overcome, and I have experienced my God-given ability to grow the fruit of the Spirit as I spend time in the Word, Worship, and Fellowship with Jesus.
If you have been Born-again, you have the been given the divine ability to be like Christ. You are more than a conqueror and you have overcome because “Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.”
Luke 11:32 Fear not little flock; it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Run
the race
Finish
your course
Keep the faith
Overcome!
