You Are an Overcomer Like Christ!

 

 

Psalm 143:7-10(NLT)

“7 Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die. 8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.”

“Lord, I need a rescue, it’s a now or never kind of urgency.”

There’s a lot going on in the world around us, and this we can’t deny. Folks with no sense of Godly direction are causing mayhem, and con artists are attempting to exploit the faith on an unprecedented level. Many are confused and being led astray, but we shouldn’t worry if our faith in God’s truth is firm. 2Timothy 3:14-17 The Message (MSG) tells us, “But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”

Jesus Christ told us that in the world, there is trouble and tribulation, and there will be attacks and plots against us by demonic influences, but our Redeemer demonstrated for us firsthand that the law of love is powerful beyond belief. Hebrews 4:14-16(NLT) tells us, “14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” The feelings, urges, and discomfort of temptations and testing by the devil did not morph into something else or become less for Jesus Christ as he walked the earth. Quite the contrary. He faced them all and perhaps at a pace and intensity none of us can imagine, yet he did not sin. He is our Mediator before the throne of God’s grace. Jesus Christ understands us and what we go through on earth, and he will help us in our time of need.

He tells us in John 16:33(NLT), “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing us the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Our Lord and Master endured ridicule, name-calling, and people saying horrible things about him. There were those who hated him, and they tried to murder him numerous times. He was tested and tempted by the devil, and the need of others for his love and healing was relentless. Yet, he never stopped showing compassion. He never stopped giving. During his crucifixion, even after he had been unmercifully beaten to the point of being unrecognizable, he still showed compassion to the criminal hanging beside him. Luke 23:42(NLT) tells us the criminal said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus replied in the following verse, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

We must ask ourselves how he did it. How did Jesus Christ overcome the world? The answer is that he overcame the world and every challenge and wicked test, obstacle, and plot of the devil, by trusting God’s Word. He believed in the Word of God with everything in his being. His faith was firmly planted in God, and ours must be as well. Many of us are feeling a now-or-never kind of urgency when it comes to the challenges and tribulations we’re experiencing. This is how desperate some individuals believe things are, and they want to see God move quickly in their lives. Our Heavenly Father is never late. His timing is perfect, and He is extending us the tool to be an overcomer like Christ through His Word.

The opportunity to choose to have faith in God is continually before us. As His children, we must trust that His power far exceeds any condition we may face, and He is willing to use His power to help us. He proved this when He offered His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins. We didn’t deserve salvation. It is a gift from God. He rescued us through Jesus Christ, and when we apply ourselves to learn about Christ, we will witness the life and power that is in God’s Word.

 If there is anyone that would have been exempt from studying the Word of God, it was Jesus Christ, but the truth is that he was not exempt and studied it every opportunity he received. Even as a child, Luke 2:46 tells us that he was in the temple, dialoguing with religious teachers. He was listening to them as they taught, and he asked them questions. He wanted to know as much as he possibly could about our Heavenly Father. At a time when there were no computers, cell phones, or hand-held Bibles available, he applied himself to take full advantage of whatever means necessary to learn the Word. Jesus Christ is our example, and you and I should have this same persistence and dedication when it comes to God’s Word.

Our Heavenly Father doesn’t cause tribulation and troubles, but none of us can argue with the reality that they are a part of life. They test our faith, and Romans 5:3 tells us that tribulation and troubles can teach us endurance, and endurance leads to patience. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and we must have it to live a successful Christian life. We must be patient with ourselves as we learn the spiritual lessons God has ordained for us, trusting and believing Him every step of the way. 1John 5:4(NLT) declares, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” Through Christ, we are overcomers, and we must have faith in God’s promises and trust that we are victorious in Christ no matter what comes our way.■

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“You Are an Overcomer Like Christ!”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.