GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THE OVERCOMER
Study # 9
     My thesis for his study will be that the overcomer must give Jesus Christ the “preeminence [ the first place] in all things”.
     COL 1:15] And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. [17] And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [18] He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. [19] For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
     While many will give Him first place in some things the overcomer must give Him first place in ALL THINGS. Both small and large. Both temporal and eternal! Both secular and the spiritual. Both in blessings and in tribulation and persecutions!
      ROM 8:35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] Just as it is written,
 "FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
 WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
     ROM 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
     “Nikao” is translated “to overcome”. Hyper-nikao is translated “ overwhelmingly conquer” and means to be pre-eminently victorious! The “overcomer” must prevail in every situation but the real test is in adverse trials and sufferings. All overcoming is “through Him”.
     The center of all creation is NOT the overcomer but Christ, Himself. While God’s purpose certainly includes the overcomer and we have been predestined from the foundation of the world, it is Christ that is central in God’s plan.
     The explanations of the Bible create endless questions of “why”. Why does this earth and all that is in it exist? Why the angels? Why the prophets?. Why has God chosen man? What really is man that God should be concerned about him? Why has God ordained that all believers be filled with the Holy Spirit? Why the gospel message of salvation and hope? Why has God commanded men everywhere to repent?  What is heaven? What is the purpose of eternity? Is there really an eternal plan or is God just working things out the best He can with what He has? Is everything dependent upon man or upon God? Is man’s eternal destiny just predetermined or does man have responsibility in the fulfillment?
     The answers to many of these questions have been hidden from all past generations but now is supposed to be made known through the church. However, unless God reveals the mysteries how will the church make them known?
     All the truths of scripture are closely related to each other and form a thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation. The one central truth where all these converge is “CHRIST”. Everything is summed up in Him and God has ordained that He must come to have first place in everything. God has preordained that Jesus Christ would be the heir of all things. That everything is by Him and for Him and through Him and to Him.
     COL 1:16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. [17] And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [18] He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
     COL 1:25] Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, [26] that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, [27] to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
      HEB 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, [2] in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, [3] When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; [4] having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
     Even a casual reading of these few scriptures reveal that God has set Christ central to all things and made Him head over all things to the church! This “Son of God” is the “Christ of God” as well as the “Son of Man”. God has made Him both “Lord and Christ”. All those that receive eternal life must believe and confess that Christ Jesus is the Son of God and that God has raised Him from the dead. The more we study the scriptures the more we realize that the way to God is becoming more and more narrow and the broad way that is proclaimed by the liberals is spreading apostasy. God has nothing more to give us than Jesus Christ and all life is in Him. Outside of Him there is nothing eternal that is connected to the Father.
     If we saw that all of creation is like a wheel that revolves around the hub which is Christ, we would properly discern the plan and purpose of God. God has foreordained that “all things” would revolve around Jesus Christ and be summed up in Him. The central truth of all scripture is Christ and our message must be Christ. Everything holds together “in Him”. Without the hub the wheel is worthless. He IS the central truth! Each of the “spoke doctrines” must focus upon Christ and lead to Christ and be rooted in Christ. We may evaluate all doctrines by this method. We should ask what is the relationship of this doctrine to Christ and does it exalt Him?  
     As far as His place in eternity past is concerned He is the Word of God and the Son of God. His place and relationship in the God-head is the Word of God. As far as His work of redemption is concerned He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the anointed one. As far as His fulfillment of God’s purpose is concerned He is the Son of Man. Since by man came sin and through sin death came into the world, by man must come forgiveness of sin and resurrection.
     All this was purposed by the Father from the foundation of the world. Christ is God’s glory manifested. JOHN 17:22] "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; [23] I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. [24] "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world.
     God’s eternal purpose is not just to have one begotten Son but that through His begotten Son many sons be brought to experience that same glory of the Father. God wants all “sons” to like His only begotten Son and that He be the first born among many sons. This was the aim of creation before man fell from the purpose of God. God purposed to have a vast family and that His Son would have the most beautiful and perfect wife to inherit all that the Father possessed.
     For that reason the central theme of God’s purpose and of the scriptures is Christ. That He might come to have first place in everything. If we take Christ out of the purpose of God, like so many religions do, everything falls apart. That is because everything holds together “in Him”.
     In eternity past God designed but He created all things through Christ, the Living Word of God.  The Holy Spirit responded to the Word and did the work of creating. Everything was created through the Word of God and without Him nothing was created that was created. God’s plan was to gather everything together in Christ and sum up everything in Him. All things are “of Him” and “by Him” and “for Him” and “through Him” and “to Him” and He is “before all things”.  
     In eternity present God has foreordained that His Son should be the ruler over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence until the end. In eternity future God has ordained that Christ and His bride should rule over all the works of His hands. God has subjected the world to come to His Son, Jesus Christ.
     God originally created man in His own image and likeness so that man would possess the life and the glory of His Son, the Word of God. The “Son” is the One who has “image”. God manifested Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ and now God’s plan is for the Lord Jesus Christ to manifest Himself through man and consequently through the church.
     Jesus Christ did not come in the image of Adam as is frequently taught but Adam was created in the image of Christ! He fell from that image but now God is restoring man to the image of Christ.
     From eternity past the only begotten Son was with the Father. At the resurrection He became the “first born among many brethern”. When the “only begotten Son” fell into the earth as a corn of wheat and died He gave birth to many sons. However, the Father wants to make us joint heirs with His only begotten Son.
     He is also called “the Word of Life” that was manifested. 1 JOHN 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life-- [2] and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- In His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirt He is the “Word of Life” but manifested to His own He is still “the Word of Life”. This “Eternal Life” was with the Father and is manifested to us. It is this “Eternal Life” that we receive which is the Spirit of Christ.  
     According to the foreknowledge of God we have been predestined to that same glory of Christ. Our future destiny is Christ. Still we must make our calling certain and our election sure. This involves our responsibility.
     To accomplish all this God has purposed to put Christ in us which is our hope of glory. We are born again by the living and abiding Word of God. We receive His eternal Life and as we live by that life we are changed into His image. In addition to that blessing God has permitted the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and manifest His power in us and through us. This is much more than the first Adam had even though it was available to him and to Eve. This was far beyond what Israel was given so the church can offer no excuse for failing.
     For God to accomplish all His purpose through man it is absolutely essential that Christ come to have the first place in everything. This means that a full and complete consecration must be given to Him so that He has the preeminence in the individual and in the church.
     Until the old nature in us is broken and Christ has the preeminence in our lives we will not be able to help others to make Christ preeminent and foremost in their lives. Preaching the Kingdom without Christ ruling upon the throne of our hearts is ineffective. For this reason consecration precedes the Holy Place life and ministry. We need to BE the message we preach. For that reason Christ must first “win us” before we can “win the world”.
      PHIL 3:8] More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain [win] Christ,
     First Christ had to win Paul before Paul could win Christ.     
     When the Word became flesh and dwelt among the children of men He was one man, Jesus Christ. He was limited to one place at one time and had to communicate His message the same as us. After He died and was resurrected and ascended He formed His body here on the earth. His body contained Him and His Life. Now Christ has become “the corporate Christ” who is able to manifest Himself through the church. The church [which is His body] is the fulness of Him that fills all in all.
     2 TIM 1:9] who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, [10] but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,  Even the Grace was given to us from all eternity past. For that reason no one can lack grace to fulfill His eternal purpose.
      In addition to all that the Kingdom was designed and prepared for the overcomers from the foundation of the world. MAT 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. The Kingdom is given on the basis of fruit and not on the basis of what we believe.
     MATH 25:34] "Then the King will say to those on His right, `Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  
     The revelation of Christ in eternity future is clearly given in the Book of Revelation as well as in the epistles.
     REV 4:11] "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."
     REV 5:11] And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, [12] saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." REV 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." REV 5:14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.
     Clearly Christ Jesus has been given all preeminence in eternity future and all created beings will honor and worship Him. PHIL 2:9] Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, [11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
     Just exactly according to God’s purpose and according to the prophets “God has put all things in subjection under His feet” and made Him head over all things to the church.. This is all accomplished on God’s part and on Christ’s part. Now the responsibility is upon the church to enforce His Lordship and authority upon this earth and to fulfill her duty as His body upon the earth. Since the revealed will of God is to give His son the preeminence in all things and to make Him Lord of all and for all of creation to bow before Him and worship Him, the church must take the lead and be the example to the world. If the redeemed are slothful in their acknowledgment of Who He is and pitifully worship Him what is the world supposed to think? It is the overcomers that will fulfill that responsibility and act in behalf of those who have no revelation of who He is. The overcomers must manifest Christ and not themselves!
     In all eternity past God’s Christ, the eternal Word, was given preeminence in all of heaven. Satan because of pride and jealousy of Christ tried to exalt himself to be equal with Him.  Instead of submitting to the Word he tried to exalt himself even above the Word and threw heaven into chaos. Even earth was affected and followed that rebellion. Now through Christ mankind and the earth may be reconciled to God.
     Jesus came to destroy the works of the evil one and set everything back on the course that God preordained. The church must not only preach Christ as the only way to God but must also manifest Christ’s victory on Calvary. That is a victory over all rebellion. Any “church” that manifests rebellion against God or His Word is manifesting Satan and not Christ. The overcomers are those that come off victorious over the beast and his image and manifest Christ’s victory.
     REV 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. Came off “victorious” is the word “nikao” as conquer or overcame. Even though these refused to receive the mark of the beast and were killed for their faith, they are included among those who “overcame”.
     Since Christ has already crushed Satan’s head why does God leave him to harass the church? This is to permit the church to overcome and manifest and enforce Christ’s victory of Calvary. God’s grace gives us the opportunity to overcome. Consequently a defeated believer is a disgrace to God’s grace and the life of Christ in them. God enacted a legal judgement against Satan at Calvary.  JOHN 16:11] and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Now the church must maintain and enforce that judgement experientially upon Satan, the principalities and powers and upon demons.
     The “personal Christ”, Jesus, totally overcame Satan and made an open show of him. Satan could not overcome Him. Where Satan is working now is against the “corporate Christ”, the church on earth. While much of the visible church is unconcerned and presents no opposition to Satan, this gap must be filled by the overcomers who defeat Satan in behalf of the church.
     The pattern and example for the overcomer is recorded in Revelation 3:21] `He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. The church which is His body must overcome as He overcame.
     Through these 9 studies it may seem that the overcomers are an elite and special forces type of group. Specialists who are trained for some covert work. The fact is that the overcomers are just the normal Christians that hold to the original purpose of God. That is to have a people that will rule over the earth under the sovereignty of God. When Adam came out from under God’s sovereignty he lost his dominion. When the church fully comes back under the sovereignty of God , through Jesus Christ, she will regain her dominion. This is pictured by the overcomers sitting with Christ on the throne of Heaven.
     It is generally accepted that the overcomers must overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. The world is the fallen system upon the earth that is outside the believer. The believers battle is objective. The flesh is that part of fallen man that is subjective and is on the inside of us. The devil is either over us in the heavenlies or under us IF we have ascended with Christ and been seated with Him in heavenly places. This is the position that the overcoming church must take to be victorious. The church that is earth bound is defeated, being under Satan who is in the heavenlies.
     While the church must identify with Christ in His death, in His burial and in His resurrection as the basic beginning, the victorious church must also identify with Christ in His ascension and with His being seated at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens. Ruling with Christ requires that we be seated with Him. From that position Satan is under our feet instead of over our head.
     David knew that God wanted to rule from Mt. Zion. David and his mighty men went up through the water tunnel and captured the City of David, Mt. Zion, and established his throne there. Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant, the Presence of God, to Mt. Zion. David and his mighty men represent the work of the overcomers who act in behalf of the multitudes.
      PSA 48:1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. [2] Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north,  The city of the great King. [3] God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.
     Zion represents the overcomers. When Zion was established God could draw all of Israel into His plan. God works first in the overcomers and deals with them. Then through them He begins to draw and deal with the rest of the believers. While it may seem like the overcomers are standing alone the fact is that they are standing with God in behalf of the others.  
     The overcomers become the channel of God’s Life to the church. When death works in the overcomers, life will work in the church.
     2 COR 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; [8] we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. [11] For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death works in us, but life in you.
     Every believer must identify with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The overcomer must experience the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. For that reason the overcomer is constantly being delivered over to death that life might work in the church. While we speak much about “ministering life” on Sunday morning rather than just words, many reject the death that must precede the “life”. Unless we fall into the ground and die, no life results.
     When the “church” insists upon maintaining their life then God chooses a few overcomers that He can take into death that He may reach and deliver the majority by His life. It is through the death of the overcomers that God is able to bless the church. If the overcomers don’t understand this principle they will soon rebel against the “hard way” that God is dealing with them while others are being blest.
     Unless the overcomers are willing to take up the cross daily and follow Jesus they will not qualify as overcomers. Many are now at the place of Gethsemane and wondering if the cross is really necessary. When they understand that there is no other way they begin to sweat blood.
     When we read the requirements for elders we think all these things are reasonable and that we may qualify. However, if we see that “elders” should also be overcomers to set the example to the flock of God, the responsibility is overwhelming. If God deals with elders and takes them into death so that life may be ministered in the assembly it puts another dimension into ministry.  JAS 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. God deals with the ministries in a much stricter way because it is not just the message but the minister must become the message. Ideally the ministries should also be the overcomers. The test for ministries is this; Can they sincerely pray, Lord let me die that others may live? What else can it mean that we are constantly being delivered over to death that the life of Christ be manifest.
     Many are seeking for the blessing and prosperity of Abraham but are not willing to face the trauma of Mt. Moriah. Abraham died while Isaac lived. Abraham could never be the same again because God took him through death that life might work in Isaac. Through death God can trust us with prosperity. Otherwise prosperity can destroy us. Prosperity or the lack of it has little effect upon a dead man.
     The “light of truth” must be transformed into life in us before it is light to others. When those living in unbelief teach about faith, the “truth” produces no light in others. JOHN 1:4] In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Only Life produces Light.
      When the overcomers have a hunger and thirst for God and their whole life is seeking after Him, eventually, it will excite a hunger in others. When seeking after God becomes our life it will produce light in others. Exhorting others to seek after God is totally ineffective. God must raise up overcomers to lead the way. Those who overcome in worship will lead others into worship. Those who condemn others for not worshiping produce death.
     While God could have delivered Israel through just Gideon, He chose 300 men to stand with Gideon. Why? It would be very unusual for one overcomer to stand alone. For that reason God is raising up several overcomers in each assembly that ideally overcome “as one man”. Unity among the overcomers is essential for success, even though the rest of the assembly may be divided. Gideon’s little army did exactly what they were supposed to do and the enemy was defeated. 32,000 in discord could have accomplished nothing.  COL 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. This must be the testimony of the overcomer who lays his life down in behalf of the church.