The Overcomer's Honour

THE OVER-COMER’S HONOUR

BISHOP DAVID IBELEME

Before Jesus left the face of the earth, He made a strong statement to His disciples. He said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world" - Jn. 16:31-33. There are three (3) major things I want us to notice in this statement, the fourth I will show you later.

1. In the world you shall have tribulation.

2. Be of good cheer, i.e. be bold and courageous

3. I have overcome the world, the world is "vercome-able".

GOD EXPECTS NOTHING BUT VICTORY

This means that Jesus is aware of the conflicts that we face on the earth. God is not ignorant of the warfare that we have on the face of the earth. In fact, He refers to the devil as our adversary in 1 Pet. 5:8 - "because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion and emphasizes that there is a spiritual warfare that we are involved in Eph. 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".

From the day you turned your life to Jesus, you were enlisted into an army - God’s army. There is no way you can make it if you don’t fight. Fighting in the warfare is not an option it is a must. Actually more than that God expects you to overcome. He doesn’t expect anything less than that. Since creation, He placed a tremendous importance on us overcoming. He told Adam to dominate or rule and Gen. 2:15 also declares, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it". The statement "keep it" in the original Hebrew actually means "protect or guard it". This gives the impression that God informed Adam about the devil and expected Him to overcome him (the devil) in combat.

He doesn’t expect us to be defeated in combat. He was displeased with the children of Israel because they were overcome in the wilderness. "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness" - 1 Cor. 10:5. When we win it brings pleasure to God, when we are beaten it displeases Him. You see, child of God, we are part of God’s Kingdom, which reigns or rules over all. "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all" - Ps. 103:19. Losing or being overcome by the situations of life negates the Scriptures. God has put things in place for us to overcome. The Apostle Paul says in Rom. 8:37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Isaiah the prophet declares in Is. 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn".

WE ARE DESTINED TO WIN

Child of God, we are destined to win. We cannot afford to fail. Hear this, not only has God given us all that it takes to win, He also bestows upon us honour whenever we overcome. Child of God, great honour is bestowed upon the over comer. Consider Jesus’ dealing with the seven churches of Rev. 2 & 3.

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life" - Rev. 2:7

"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" - Rev. 2:11

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna" - Rev. 2:17

"And he that overcometh ¡Kwill I give power over the nations" - Rev. 2:26

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment" - Rev. 3:5

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God" - Rev. 3:12

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" - Rev. 3:21

An over comer is someone who has conquered or is victorious; someone who is successful, someone who has gone over a barrier or over a limit. For the over comer there are no more limits. He doesn’t see or know defeat. He has scaled or gone over the limits. The Israelites lost and didn’t enter the Promised Land because they set limits on God. "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" - Ps. 78:40-41. Losing in this warfare is not an option. God always expects us to express His glory or His anointing. We cannot lose. The Bible declares in Col. 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". Christ is in you. The anointed one and His anointing is in you. The yoke destroying, burden-removing power of God is in you. Therefore we can hope for or expect the Glory of God to be expressed. Hallelujah!