THOSE WHO OVERCOME

Identifying Christ and His people as those who “overcome,” is a dominant theme in the book of Revelation. It is the Greek word, “nikao,” and is used seventeen times, variously translated in English as “overcome,” “conquer,” “prevail,” etc. though it is the same word in the original. The seven churches in chapters two and three are each given a specific promise related to those who “overcome.” 

For this study, we will identify the characteristics of those who overcome as presented in Revelation 17:14 that reads, “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” In this chapter, the fiendish foes who will rise to oppose Christ are the scarlet woman and the scarlet beast—whom I identify as the False Prophet of a one-world religion and the Antichrist and his global governance. These oppose Christ, the Lamb of God, with the climax of their hate being the battle of Armageddon at Christ’s return, (Rev. 19:11-21). “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings,” (Rev. 17:14a). We will be in that victorious vanguard, “and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful,” (v. 14‬‬b). 

These are THE CALLED, “those who are with [Christ] are called.” They have heard the call of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit has summoned these to follow Christ. It is a work of grace that bids the spiritually dead to rise as Lazarus was called by Christ to come out of the grave.  Those who overcome have heard Christ’s call.

These are also THE CHOSEN, “those who are with [Christ] are…chosen.”  The Gospel call is to extend to all sinners, but is effectual only to those chosen—those who attest to that in their responding by faith to Christ. Our Lord taught, “For many are called, but few are chosen,” (Matt. 22:14). I think of the rich young ruler that our Lord called to follow Him, who sadly walked away. Those who overcome have been chosen and have heeded Christ’s call.

These are furthermore, THE COMMITTED, “those who are with [Christ] are…faithful.”  If you take the word faithful and turn it around it would define this attribute as those full of faith. These have not merely made a profession of faith, but are in possession of faith. The verbal commitment to Christ in their confession is validated by the visual commitment to Christ in their conduct. Judas Iscariot once identified himself as a disciple, but in the end proved his profession to be false.  He was overcome by the world, the flesh, and the devil rather than overcoming these as a true believer will. This is the perseverance of the saints. Those who overcome have been called, chosen, and are committed.

CHOSEN

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:3-12)

To be chosen—someone selects us to be on their team, an employer calls to say we have been hired, we hear our name called to win a prize—being chosen is a wonderful feeling.  To be chosen by God—now that is an indescribable blessing!  Yet, it is true for all God’s children.

We are not His because we were randomly born into His family.  We are not an accident, but we have been adopted—chosen.  God has reached out to the abandoned and accepted us.  He has sought the loveless and bestowed His love.  It isn’t that we deserved such honor, for what He has done is to His honor.  While we were only fit for Hell, God has made us fit for Heaven!  That is the grace of God—amazing seems too feeble a word, but is perhaps the best we can do.  It is an astonishing adoption!

Our adoption, from our viewpoint, has happened when the Holy Spirit called us to Christ at a moment in time, but actually happened because we were already chosen in eternity.  The all-knowing God had His heart set on us long before we were born.  Before the first man was fashioned from clay and named Adam, God already knew my name, and had predestined me to be His son!  Two thousand years before I sinned against Him, the price was already paid by the Lamb of God for those sins.  Indeed, He is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.

God has a plan for your life—a purpose He will fulfill, and not all the power of Hell can thwart it for it is wrought be an all-powerful Being.  God is up to something—and it will be glorious!  That is the hope we have—steadfast and sure.  It is not a fantasy, but a reality, for that hope of glory rests in the finished work of Christ.  My life will bring Him glory—here and hereafter.  Someday all His chosen ones will stand before Him complete—trophies of His grace, objects of His love, subjects of His glory!

So, all this being true—and we have only scratched the surface—how should we live?  Being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, we ought to think and behave as those who are children of the King!  His name that I bear ought to be honored by my life.  His image that has been imprinted on me, should be manifested by me.  Since He has a purpose for me, I should move with purpose.  My hope should be evident and lead others to inquire of the reason for it—and have a ready response to explain it!  I have been chosen in glory, for His glory and ought to lead others to give Him glory for His work in and through me.  What a destiny!  Let us live out that truth today. This is the Word of God—and may that Word be made flesh as I manifest His glory.