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In the foregoing messages we covered the failures in the churches and the degradation in the church. In this message we shall begin to consider the overcomers in the church.
The Christian life plus the church life is altogether an overcoming life. This matter of overcoming began with our believing in the Lord. Our believing in the Lord was a strong step of overcoming. The entire universe is against people believing in the Lord. Therefore, to believe in the Lord is real overcoming, a real victory.
We overcome through faith in Christ to inherit the eternal life and to be sons of God for eternity. This is revealed in Revelation 21:6b-7. “I will give to him who thirsts from the spring of the water of life freely. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be God to him, and he shall be a son to Me.” This word refers to our enjoyment in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth. In the age of eternity we shall enjoy the eternal life, and we shall be sons of God as the composition of the New Jerusalem.
The meaning of “overcome” in Revelation 21:7 differs from that in chapters two and three of Revelation, where it is used seven times. In 21:7 it means to overcome by believing, as in 1 John 5:4 and 5. The overcoming in Revelation 2 and 3 qualifies the overcoming believers for participation in the enjoyment of the millennial kingdom as a particular reward in God’s dispensational administration, whereas the overcoming in 21:7 qualifies all believers for participation in the New Jerusalem with all its enjoyment as a common portion of God’s eternal salvation.
The “son” in 21:7 is the believer who will dwell in the New Jerusalem. The sons of God in the New Jerusalem are the constituents of the New Jerusalem. They are the regenerated believers who have the divine life and the divine nature. The New Jerusalem is constituted of all these saints who have been born of God, for the New Jerusalem is a composition of all the reborn children of God. Every reborn child of God is a part of this living composition. Because the sons of God are the constituents of the New Jerusalem, they will also dwell in the New Jerusalem.
The sons of God will participate in all the enjoyment of the New Jerusalem, especially the enjoyment of the water of life. We should not confuse the enjoyment of the saints with the enjoyment of the nations. The nations will enjoy the common blessing, but the saints will have a particular enjoyment. Mainly, the saints will enjoy the life supply of the water of life (Rev. 22:1).
The overcomers in the church have overcome the world through faith in the Son of God. First John 5:4 and 5 say, “Because everything that has been begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory which overcame the world — our faith. And who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” The Greek word for “world” in these verses is kosmos. Here it denotes not the earth but an ordered system set up by Satan, the adversary of God. God created man to live on the earth for the fulfillment of His purpose. But His enemy, Satan, in order to usurp the God-created man, has formed an anti-God world system on earth by systematizing men with religion, culture, education, industry, commerce, and entertainment through men’s fallen nature in their lusts, pleasures, pursuits, and even in their indulgence in living necessities, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. The whole of such a satanic system, which includes all persons, matters, and things, lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19). This system is altogether against God’s economy, and it opposes the believers in their following of Christ in an absolute way. Therefore, we need to overcome the world.
First John 5:4 tells us that “everything that has been begotten of God overcomes the world.” The word “everything” refers to every person who has been begotten of God. Yet such an expression should refer especially to the part that has been regenerated with the divine life, that is, the spirit of the regenerated person (John 3:6). The regenerated spirit of the believer does not practice sin (1 John 3:9), and it overcomes the world. The believer’s divine birth with the divine life is the basic factor of such a victorious living.
We have seen that “everything” in 5:4 points to the human spirit. To say that everything begotten of God overcomes the world actually means that it is the regenerated human spirit that overcomes the world. Regarding overcoming the world, we should not trust in our own ability or effort. On the contrary, we need to trust our regenerated spirit. In ourselves we cannot overcome the world. However, our regenerated spirit is well able to overcome the world, the evil satanic system. When we exercise our spirit, stay in our spirit, and walk by our spirit, we shall see that our spirit has the life ability to overcome all negative things. This is why we need to exercise our spirit to have fellowship with the Lord and pray concerning the enjoyment of the Lord. We also need to exercise our spirit to call on the Lord’s name and to pray-read the Word. This exercise stirs up the ability in our spirit to overcome the world.
It is the divine life in our spirit that has the ability to overcome the world. The divine life in our spirit can overcome the temptations that surround us. We all need to see that our spirit is mingled with the divine life and is the organ that can overcome the world.
First John 5:4b says, “This is the victory which overcame the world — our faith.” This is the faith that believes that Jesus is the Son of God (5:5) that we may be begotten of God and have the divine life, by which we are enabled to overcome the Satan-organized-and-usurped world.
Actually, our trust should not be in our faith itself. The faith by itself does not overcome the world. Our faith brings us into an organic union with the processed Triune God, and it is this organic union, not the faith directly, that overcomes the world. By believing in the Lord Jesus, we are brought into an organic union with the Triune God. This union, produced by faith, then overcomes the world.
First John 5:5 goes on to say, “And who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Such a believer is one who has been begotten of God and has received the divine life (John 1:12-13; 3:16). The divine life empowers him to overcome the evil world energized by Satan. Such believers are in contrast to those who remain the pitiful victims of the evil satanic system. Our believing that Jesus is the Son of God brings us into an organic union with the Son, who is the embodiment of the Triune God. It is this organic union with the Triune God in the Son that overcomes the world.
First John 2:13 and 14 speak of the overcoming of the evil one. “I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, young children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” The Greek word translated “evil one” is poneros. This word differs from kakos, which refers to an essentially worthless and wicked character; it also differs from sapros, which indicates worthlessness and corruption, degeneracy from original virtue. The word poneros denotes one who is pernicious, harmfully evil, affecting and influencing others to be evil and vicious. Such an evil one is Satan, the Devil, in whom the whole world lies.
According to 1 John 2:13 and 14, the believers who are “young men” overcome the evil one. These are the believers who have grown up in the divine life. One characteristic of these grown-up and strong believers is that they overcome the evil one. This is possible because the young men are nourished, strengthened, and sustained by the word of God which abides in them and operates in them against the Devil, the world, and its lusts. Overcoming the evil one is a strong evidence that a believer has grown to be a young man.
Concerning the young men, in 2:14 John says not only that they have overcome the evil one, but also that they are strong and that the word of God abides in them. The word ending with “abides in you” strengthens the word “you have overcome,” which was written in the previous verse to the young men. Many in the church life are strong young men who have overcome the evil one and who have the word of God abiding in them. Through the word of God that abides in them, they are strengthened, nourished, sustained, and invigorated.
By overcoming the world the believers also overcome the evil one, Satan, who has formed the satanic world system and who is now instigating the world to rise up against the followers of the Lord Jesus.
First John 4:3 and 4 say, “Every spirit which does not confess Jesus, is not out of God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world. You are out of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” These verses indicate that the overcomers in the church have also overcome the antichrists through the indwelling Christ. There are many antichrists. Among the antichrists, the strongest and greatest one will be the Antichrist, who will rise up during the last years of the church age. But before his coming, there will be many antichrists, such as the Modernists, who deny the deity of Christ. Whoever brings in something as a factor and element of the degradation of the church is an antichrist. We must overcome the antichrists, not participating in their teachings, practices, or activities.
According to 1 John 4:3, the spirit which does not confess Jesus is not out of God, but is the spirit of antichrist. This is the spirit of a false prophet actuated by the spirit of deception, the spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
In 4:4 John continues, “You are out of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” The believers are “out of God” because they have been begotten of God (1 John 4:7; 2:29; 3:9). Those who are overcome are the false prophets (4:1), the antichrists, those who teach heresy concerning Christ’s person. The believers have overcome them by abiding in the truth concerning Christ’s deity and concerning His humanity through divine conception, according to the teaching of the divine anointing (2:27).
In 4:4 John tells the believers that He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world. The One in the believers is the Triune God who dwells in the believers as the all-inclusive, life-giving, anointing Spirit, and who strengthens them from within with all the rich elements of the Triune God (Eph. 3:16-19). Such a One is much greater and stronger than Satan, the evil spirit.
The words “he who is in the world” in 1 John 4:4 refer to Satan, the fallen angel. Satan as the evil spirit usurps fallen mankind and operates in evil persons, who are the components of his world system. Such a one is less than the Triune God and weaker than He is.
The overcomers have overcome all the degradations of the degraded churches spoken of in Revelation 2:4, 6, 13, 14, 15, 20, 24; 3:1,15, 20a, and 17:5. During the degradation and desolation of the church, in order to maintain and continue the church’s testimony concerning Christ that the church may be recovered to her original state, the need to have the overcomers is a pressing matter, and it is something of the Lord’s desire. For this reason, at the end of each of the seven epistles which the Lord wrote to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, He consistently sounds out a serious call to the overcomers. Throughout the generations there have been many believers who have answered His call and have been strong to rise up to spread the Lord’s testimony and the church’s recovery.
Let us now briefly consider the degradations of the churches that need to be overcome. In Revelation 2:4 the Lord Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The degradation of the church begins with the leaving of the first love, the best love, for the Lord. The church in Ephesus had good works, labored for the Lord, endured suffering, and tried the false apostles. However, she left her first love for the Lord. Leaving the first love is the origin of the church’s degradation. Therefore, we should not allow anything to separate us from the love of the Lord. We must take care of the first love and constantly love the Lord.
Revelation 2:6 speaks of “the works of the Nicolaitans,” which the Lord hates. The Nicolaitans are those who esteem themselves higher than the common believers. They regard themselves as the “clergy” as opposed to the “laity.” However, in the proper church life there should be neither clergy nor laity, for all believers should be the priests of God.
Revelation 2:13 says, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and you have not denied My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” This verse speaks of “where Satan’s throne is,” and “where Satan dwells.” Satan’s throne is in the world, where he dwells. Because the worldly church entered into union with the world, she dwells where Satan dwells.
Revelation 2:14 says, “I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol sacrifices and to commit fornication.” Balaam was a Gentile prophet who brought fornication and idolatry to God’s people (Num. 25:1-3; 31:16). In the worldly church signified by the church in Pergamos, some began to teach the same things.
Idolatry always brings in fornication (Num. 25:1-3; Acts 15:29). When the worldly church disregarded the name, the person, of the Lord, she turned to idolatry, which issued in fornication.
In verse 15 the Lord goes on to speak of “the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” The teaching of the Nicolaitans destroys the function of the believers as members of the Body of Christ, thus annulling the Lord’s Body in expressing Him. In the church in Ephesus only the works of the Nicolaitans were found, whereas in the church in Pergamos their works progressed into a teaching. Today, in both Catholicism and Protestantism, the Nicolaitan hierarchy prevails in both practice and teaching.
In Revelation 2:20 the Lord Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication and to eat idol sacrifices.” This woman is the same as the one prophesied by the Lord in Matthew 13:33, the woman who added leaven (signifying evil, heretical, and pagan things) into the fine flour (signifying Christ as the meal offering for the satisfaction of God and man). This woman is the great prostitute of Revelation 17, who mixes abominations with the divine things. The pagan wife of Ahab, Jezebel, was a type of this apostate church.
Revelation 3:1 says, “To the messenger of the church in Sardis write: These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are living, and you are dead.” The church in Sardis, which signifies the reformed Protestant Church, is living in name but dead in actuality. Hence, there is the need of the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. The seven Spirits of God are for the church to be living intensely, and the seven stars are for her to be shining intensely.
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15). This is the Lord’s word to the church in Laodicea, which signifies the degraded recovered church. Concerning the condition of this church, the Lord says, “Because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth” (v. 16). This warns us that once we become lukewarm, we are not fitting for the Lord’s move and shall be vomited out of His mouth.
Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.” Here we see that the Lord as the Head of the church is standing outside the degraded church, knocking at her door. The degraded recovered church must realize this! Such a church needs to realize that although she has knowledge, she does not have the presence of the Lord.
Revelation 17:5, speaking of the “woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (v. 3), says, “upon her forehead a name was written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of the Prostitutes and the Abominations of the Earth.” “Mystery” here indicates that Babylon the Great in this chapter is not the material one, as in chapter eighteen, but the religious one. Religious Babylon, the apostate church, is truly mysterious in what she is, in what she practices, and in what she teaches.
Since the “Mother of the Prostitutes” is the apostate church, the prostitutes, her daughters, should be all the different sects and groups in Christianity who hold, to some extent, the teaching, practices, and traditions of the apostate Roman Church. The pure church life has no evil transmitted from the apostate church.
In this message we have covered five matters that need to be overcome: the situation that frustrates us from believing in the Lord; the world, which is against our following the Lord to the end of our life; Satan, the one who formed the satanic system and who instigates people to be against the believers; the antichrists, those who teach heresy concerning the person of Christ; and all the degradations in the church. If we overcome all these things, we truly are the overcomers, those who have overcome the situation that opposes our believing in Christ to have eternal life and to become sons of God and who have overcome the world, Satan, the antichrists, and all the degradations of degraded Christendom.
