PART 17 I AM AN OVERCOMER
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Selling Out for God
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How many Christians put all of their marbles into one basket?
What I mean is, how many sell out for their job but not for God? Our occupations become our God. We thank God for our employment but manifest minimal evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives.
Some will say, “Sorry, I can’t make it to the assembly for the teaching of the Word of God or for Christian fellowship because I have to work.” There are indeed times in our lives when the schedule for work and assembly conflict. When this happens, I hope we’d pick up the audio tape or hard copy message from someone in leadership.
Conversely, I’m aware of some believer’s decisions to quit their jobs so they could attend Bible study and worship services. What kind of testimony is this to our immediate family, those we labor with at church, or people who don’t have a personal relationship with God?
2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Scripture tells us that if we don’t work, neither should we eat. Obviously, if someone is unable to provide for themselves due to a severe mental and/or physical condition, then this command wouldn’t apply. I have a friend of mine who got run over by a drunk driver. The right side of his shoulder area is paralyzed. He also has issues with walking as his right leg is impaired, which affects his body’s balance. However, this didn’t stop him from working. He was able to figure out what things he could do and what he couldn’t. He and his girlfriend own a candy store in my local hometown.
God knows our circumstances. As we avail ourselves of His Word, we’ll learn how to live the Christian life and grow spiritually. This will give us the confidence to go to Him in prayer, asking for guidance to address the disparity between the timing of our work schedule and the assembly meetings of the believers according to His plan and will. Don’t leave God out. He knows everything about us and everything that’s going on around us.
Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??
Seek first the kingdom of God, i.e., inward regeneration, the receiving of the indwelling Spirit upon responding to the gospel of Christ (Luke 17:20-21; Galatians 1:8; Acts 17:30; John 7:37-39).
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Follow this up by learning about His righteousness, i.e., righteousness in the Holy Ghost. What a beautiful word this is. In Koine Greek, this word means correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting,105which refers to the heavenly sphere of life in which God’s Word and Spirit govern.106 How awesome is that?
The Book of James talks about the imbalance of one’s occupation concerning God’s will for our lives. Let’s see what this has to say.
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James 4:13-15
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
The practice to which the Apostle James alludes is very common in the East to this day among a very respectable and intelligent class of merchants. They convey the products of one place to some distant city, where they remain until they have disposed of [their goods] and have purchased others suitable for another distant market; and [thus, the operation is repeated] until, after a number of years, the trader is enabled to return prosperously to his home.107 Could it be that some believers, whose livelihood was dependent on such an arrangement, were leaving out one very important decision in this respect?14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
We should work but not set it what matters most: our spiritual welfare and destiny. Providing for our family is a good thing. Helping others is a good thing. But what about tomorrow? Shouldn’t our lives be centered on the things of God and His plan for us? For each person’s life is like a vapour as we see ascending from a stream, or as lies on the [mountainside] on the morning, or as floats for a little time in the air, but which is dissipated by the rising sun, leaving not a trace behind.108What should be our approach now that we’ve become a child of God?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Instead of a believer saying that they’ll go here or there, they ought rather to recognize [their] absolute dependence on God and feel that life and success are subject to his will.109 This begs the question.
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What is God’s will for His children?
Many would probably reply that they don’t know. Others might say go to church, obey leadership, and do good works. What does the Word of God tell us? Please go to the Book of 1 Thessalonians.
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1 Thessalonians 4:1-4
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
As you have received (learned) of (from) us (Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus) how you ought to walk (behave toward one another) so as to please God, so this quality of life should increase more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??
For you know what the commandments (instructions) were in this regard (as to how you should live).
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
Whatever these commandments were, they pertained to the will of God that His people become holy. This is a process called progressive sanctification, whereby they were conformed to the image of Christ in daily experiences by proper responses to the Word and the Spirit of God,110which would help them abstain (to be completely set free) from fornication (sexual immorality).
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
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What was it that these Christians needed to do so that the tendencies toward sexual immorality would be subdued?
They needed to know how to possess their vessel in sanctification and honor.
The word possess means to exercise self-control or to gain mastery over. Over what, over their vessel? The word vessel means the body, the place where the sinful nature resides and which is also a receptacle for the soul. This question remains.
How does a Christian gain mastery over his body, where the sinful nature resides?
This is found in the Book of Romans. Please go there.
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Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
The Apostle Paul was strongly urging the believers in Rome to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. The words living sacrifice in Koine Greek means to present your body as those who live by the Spirit. The word holy means purity and freedom from sin.111 But in the next verse, he says this can’t happen unless they follow these divine prescriptions.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Don’t be conformed to this world. The word conformed means not putting on the form, fashion, or appearance of. The appearance of what? The appearance of the world. The word world in Koine Greek means the standards of the [world,] as much opposed to the spirit of genuineChristianity.112
But rather be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. The word transformed means to appear as a new person with new habits. How is this accomplished? This is cultivated by the renewing of your mind.
The words renewing of your mind mean a complete change for the better of the believer’s mental process. Another definition is that God transforms our minds and makes us spiritually oriented by using His Word. As you meditate on God’s Word, memorize it, and make it a part of your inner man, God will gradually make your mind more spiritual.113?
There we have it, scriptural confirmation. When we confess known sin and learn God’s perspective about an area of weakness from His Word and decide to memorize and meditate upon it, we’ll be operating under the rule of the Spirit. And thus, as He agrees what we’re occupied with in our mental attitude, an experiential laboring with us takes place.
Does this help you understand what the will of God is for your life? Here’s a shortened description of it. The will of God is our sanctification, i.e., living by the Word of God under the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And if this is a reality in our lives, we’ll certainly be rich toward God.
Before we proceed to the next chapter, here are a couple more verses that you might want to hide away in your heart if you need this aspect of your Christian life to be at the forefront in your thought processes.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
2 Timothy 2:4 No man (soldier) that warreth (in active service) entangleth (to the act of getting so involved in something that one becomes restricted and controlled, no longer free to do what one should114) himself with the affairs of this life (the care of exclusively governing his family, and ordinary occupations) that he may please him (gains someone’s approval) who (his commanding officer; the general) hath chosen (enlisted) him to be a soldier.
May I add these thoughts in? Some might think that being a soldier of Christ means we abandon our family and work. But rather, it means that as God’s warrior, we’re to do His will. If this happens, we’ll operate in godly character and have the proper perspective concerning our family life, business ventures, and our spiritual walk.
What we’ll discuss next is a topic that was emphasized in a church I was involved with. It sounded right, but was it? Let’s find out.
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Endnotes
105Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (Abridged) Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005. 11 December 2023
106Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
107The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
108Barnes’ Notes.
109Barnes’ Notes.
110Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
111Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.????????????
112Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
113The Bible Exposition Commentary.
114UBS New Testament Handbook Series.
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