Lesson 425 - Junior
Memory Verse
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).
Notes
Walking in the Light
Our lesson today is on the overcomer. An overcomer is one who does not commit sin, who obeys all the commandments of God that he knows about. The fact that we have been born again, that we have started to be a Christian, is not enough. We must continue to walk in the light that God has given. When God shows us in His Bible something more than what we have already received, we must seek for and receive that, too. God has many wonderful blessings for His people, and enjoys giving them. But we must obey His commandments, be willing to let Him guide our lives, if we are to receive those blessings.
"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" [PRO:4:18]). As time goes by and we walk in the light, we become more and more like Jesus. We need never go back to committing sin. God has power to keep us if we want to be kept. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" ([1JN:5:4]).
However, if one commits sin or fails to walk in the light that God has given him, the light will become darkness, and he will not be an overcomer. The Bible teaches us that we need to be sanctified after we are saved. If we have that light and refuse to walk in it, we will lose our salvation. The Lord tells us what we must do, but if we refuse to do it, we will not be overcomers.
"No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" [LUK:9:62]). If a man looks back while he is ploughing, his furrow becomes crooked. He must keep his eyes straight ahead on his goal in order to plough straight. So a Christian must keep his eyes on the goal, eternal life, or his path will become crooked. His chief aim in life is to please God. Perhaps at one time he was saved and serving God faithfully, but he looked around at the sinful pleasures or became more interested in gaining the things of this world than to be more like Jesus, so he lost that earnest desire to please God.
Our Thoughts
The Bible says: "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" [2TM:2:22]). Thoughts about the sinful things others are doing may begin to entice young people to become careless in their conduct to the extent that they will lose heart purity. Even thinking about the sinful things others are doing can pollute the mind. We are told in God's Word what we should think about: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, what-soever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" [PHL:4:8]).
Seeing Jesus by Faith
When we are born again, Jesus becomes as real to us as though He were with us in the flesh. By faith we "see" Him. We are conscious of His presence with us so that we can call upon Him whenever we are in need. He is our constant companion. We are told of Moses: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible" [HEB:11:27]). He endured; he was an overcomer. He could not see Jesus but knew He was with him.
How wonderful it must have been to walk with Jesus when He was on earth! But there were many people who saw Him and yet did not believe on Him. To one of His disciples Jesus said: "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" [JHN:20:29]). We are among those who have believed on Jesus though we never saw Him in the flesh. Jesus is the centre of our faith. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" ([1JN:5:4]). As we keep our lives consecrated to the Lord we keep our faith in Him. Then we can enjoy His blessings, and we are overcomers.
Jesus said that if we believe in Him we will keep His commandments. The commandments of God make us happy: they are light to our pathway, they are a balm for our afflictions, they are food for our soul. They instruct us in righteousness, and reprove us when we are wrong. They encourage us when we are in trouble, build and establish us in the faith.
Adorning the Doctrine
We are taught to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" [TIT:2:10]). Paul told the Corinthians, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men" [2CO:3:2]). An overcomer shines among sinners, showing the world the marked difference between a Christian and a sinner. His life "adorns'' the church, makes Christianity more beautiful.
The life we live in this world is counting for eternity. When we have Christ in us, Christianity is easy to live. In our own strength we cannot be an overcomer, but when we draw upon God's strength, then we can be overcomers. In [ECC:9:11] we read: "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." The physically strong in this world will not necessarily be the strongest in the Lord's work. It is by the Spirit of God that we become "giants" for Him. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" [ZEC:4:6]).
The Christian Race
The Apostle Paul compared the Christian life with a race. He said that in a natural race only one can receive the prize, but in God's race we can all run in such a way as to win a prize. He said: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" [HEB:12:1]). Sometimes our race may be slowed down by trials, sickness, and other things, but we are still running. "He who comes slowly, nevertheless comes." God has a great reward prepared for those who will run the race to the end, with patience.
A Battle
Paul also compared the Christian life with a battle. God wants a fighter who can "take it on the chin," who will not quit the fight when the going gets rough. He is not interested in dress-parade soldiers. A person has only as much religion as he shows when in the hardest trial. Anyone can live a good life when everything is going well for him; it is when he is being tried that it shows up what he really has in his heart. God has promised that with every temptation He will make a way to escape it. The one who faints in the trial is no blessing to anyone. He is not a help to others on life's pathway, and if he does not repent he will lose his own soul!
When hard trials come, go down before God and purpose that now is the time to fight for the Lord. Now is the time to be a good soldier. When you pray, you put to flight legions of devils. God has promised: "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you" [JOS:23:10]). God fights for those who obey Him and trust Him with the whole heart. He promised: "Behold, I give unto you power . . . over all the power of the enemy" [LUK:10:19]). He gives that power to us in this life, because when this life is over we will lay our armour down. Our battles will be won. The reward for the overcomers will be a crown of righteousness -- eternal life.
Promises to the Overcomer
God has given marvellous promises to the overcomer. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" [REV:2:7]). We will live forever. When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God put cherubim around the Tree of Life to keep sinners from eating of it and living forever. Would it not be terrible if wicked men could live forever to do their wickedness in this world? But when the overcomer gets to Heaven, God will give him the opportunity to eat of that tree and live forever.
"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" [REV:2:11]). The second death is eternal damnation. The overcomer will never have to fear that he might lose his salvation and go to hell. When once he is safe in Heaven, he will be safe forever.
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it" [REV:2:17]). There are some precious secrets between us and God if we are overcomers. We can tell Him things we would not tell anyone else, and He understands and cares. He will give us a name no one else will know, but we will recognise it when He calls us.
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron" [REV:2:26-27]). We must be faithful unto the end in order to receive the prize God has for us. If we suffer with Christ here, we shall also reign with Him. We will have power to rule the nations with a strong hand -- with a rod of iron. All men will have to obey the laws that Jesus will lay down in His government on earth.
"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" [REV:3:5]). Jesus will give honour to the overcomers, the ones who have been obedient to His Word, who have served Him faithfully in this world in the midst of persecution. He will acknowledge the faithful ones before the Father, and all the angels will be watching and will rejoice that the Blood of Jesus ransomed them, made their garments white, made them worthy to live in Heaven with Jesus and His angels. When they were born again their name was written in Heaven, and they never committed any sins which would cause it to be blotted out.
"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" [REV:3:12]). Today Jesus is our High Priest, but when He comes again He will be King of kings and Lord of lords, and His people will reign with Him. He will write His name upon them, put His brand upon them so everyone will know that they are the redeemed ones, those for whom He died.
His people are pillars. A pillar is dependable. It never says anything, never moves out of its place, but it holds up the roof and is very important. A child of God can be just as faithful as a pillar in the house of God.
And finally He said: "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" [REV:3:21]). Jesus, when He was on earth, suffered anything that we might have to suffer, to prove that it is possible for us to overcome. Because He overcame, we can overcome, too, if we make His strength our strength. When all the battles are over, all the work is done, we can sit down with Jesus in His Throne.
Questions
1. What can cause the light of the Gospel to become dark for us?
2. What must a ploughman do in order to plough a straight furrow?
3. What does the Bible tell us to think about?
4. How can we "see" Jesus now?
5. How does a Christian adorn the doctrine?
6. How does Paul compare the Christian life with a race? With a battle?
7. Name some of the promises God has given for the overcomer.