The Primary Signs Of Jesus' Return - Part 3 And Conclusion Series

LESSON III

Becoming An Overcomer

Salvation is a gift from God and is not based upon works or abiding by obedience to the Law but upon what Jesus did on the Cross (Acts 2:38-39). Jesus said that genuine overcomers are those who are Born-Again and have been born from above by God through the new birth of the New Covenant. They will never be blotted out of the 'Book of Life' because "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed, abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9 ESV - See also 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 3:5).

The Born-Again Christian has been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13). The only way a person can ensure they never receive the Mark of the Beast is to be Born-Again because Jesus instantly sets HIS "seal" of ownership upon them as a guarantee of salvation and His promise never to leave or forsake them is unconditional (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Hebrews 13:5; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19).

Jesus will keep them from stumbling and present them blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy to the only God, our Savior, who will sustain them to the end to be guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:24-25; 1 Corinthians 1:8).

Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37 ESV). The Bible says those who walk, fall away, or leave the faith, were never with Jesus (1 John 2:19).

Perseverance

Because God is love, the Born-Again Christian dwells in love, and love dwells in them as they rejoice "with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13:6-7 ESV). They will persevere in trusting-faith under all circumstances, even in the face of extreme opposition, because they were reconciled to God "in order to present" them before Jesus "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Colossians 1:21-23 ESV - Also 1 Timothy 4:16; James 1:3-4, 12, 5:11; 2 Peter 1:6; Revelation 2:2-3,19). Their perseverance will be blessed with the promises of God (Hebrews 10:36, 12:1; James 1:12).

Obedience

The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. He is not given to those who pretend to obey God but to those who naturally obey because they were born from above (Acts 5:32). Those who have not received Jesus as Lord and Savior will "shrink back to destruction" (Hebrews 10:39 ESV - also Matthew 13:19-21). Those who do not hold fast and endure for the promise of the resurrection has believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

Every Born-Again Christian is to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching...." "...always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:2-5 ESV).

Self-Examination

A person who considers themselves Born-Again must examine their fruit to test and see if they are born from above (2 Corinthians 13:5; John 3:3). The Bible is very clear on this, "Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother" (1 John 3:10 ESV).

Those who are Born-Again will stand firm to the end, even in the face of persecution, because they are overcomers by trusting-faith in Jesus, who is in them, and greater than he who is in the world (Matthew 10:22; 24:12-13; Mark 13:13; Luke 10:19; 1 John 4:4, 5:3-5). They overcame the enemy "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Revelation 12:11 ESV). Their names are written in the book of life, and they "will never" be taken out of it" because "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God" (Ephesians 1:4 ESV - also 1 John 3:9, 5:4-5; Revelation 3:1-6; 13:8). Sitting on the throne is a reward for the overcomer (Matthew 19:28, 25:31; Hebrews 8:1, 12:2; Revelation 3:21).

It is the sole responsibility of the Holy Spirit to sustain and keep the Born-Again Christian guiltless and keep them from stumbling so that He can finally present them blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy. He will never let them die, be thirsty again, leave, forsake, cast out, or drive them away, nor can anything grab hold of them to separate them from His love because He gave them the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of salvation (John 4:14, 6:37, 8:12, 10:27-29, 11:25-26; Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 2:1; Jude 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6).