The list could literally be endless and yet through the shed blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary, the saint is made an overcomer of all these things.  To be a recipient of all of these benefits should foster a desire for all men to come to a place of spiritual transformation through the New Birth.  This should be the very driving force behind every ambition of life:  to be saved and filled with the Spirit.  Instead there are many who have determined to drink at the lesser substitutes and alloys of a worldly life.   

 B.     1 John 5:1-2—The Overcomer is One who Loves God 1 John 5:1-2 KJV  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.  [2]  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. An overcomer will love God and love those that God loves.  The New Birth brings a man into a love relationship with God. 1 John 2:10-11 KJV  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  [11]  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 1 John 3:10 KJV  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:17 KJV  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 4:7 KJV  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:21 KJV  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.The more we love someone, the greater our desire to do good for them.  A man who loves will be consciously consumed in doing these things.  Love creates a hunger for fellowship.  It is a fact that if going to church, giving oneself to prayer, hungering for heart-felt worship, desiring the Word of God, longing to see God do mighty things both in salvation and healing, are tasks that one finds hard to do these are probably indicators that one is lost.  On the other hand, a desire for spiritual growth and a hunger for knowing God is also an indicator of where people are in their relationship with God. C.      1 John 5:3—The Overcomer is One who Obeys 1 John 5:3 KJV  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. True faith always produces love which will in turn produce obedience.  Faith, love, and obedience are all factors that work together that move a saint toward a greater degree of perfection.  True love rushes to the will of the one who is in need.   1 John 5:2 KJV  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.In verse 2, the word “keep” is from the Greek word  τηρε?ω (te?reo?) which indicates to guard from loss or injury.  Although the same word is used in 5:3 it is used with a differing sense of meaning.  In v. 2, the implication is an action and in v. 3, the sense is that it is a described attitude.   John 14:15 KJV  If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:21 KJV  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. The equivalent is that sustained love will lead to sustained obedience.  As a saint matures into the life of an overcomer, he will find that the love he has for God is going to be marked by a motivating love that seeks to accomplish the will of God.   Deuteronomy 13:4 KJV  Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 1 Samuel 15:22 KJV  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. The commandments of the Lord are not burdensome and we should not have a reluctance to want to do the will of God.  Obedience comes from the heart (Romans 6:17) and the saint will find that he is not forced to do the will of God because of a motivating love (1 Peter 5:2).  If there is not an inner desire to serve God out of a love for Him, in the long run this man will not stand the test of time.  Grudging obedience is not conducive to our relationship with God.  Note David’s attitude in Psalm 119 concerning love and obedience:Psalms 119:14 KJV  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Psalms 119:16 KJV  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Psalms 119:24 KJV  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors. Psalms 119:54 KJV  Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. Psalms 119:97 KJV  MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalms 119:103 KJV  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! In great contrast to what David states about the ways and laws of God, our society has determined to do everything possible to sanitize righteousness from public life.  God’s ways and man’s ways clash in such a manner that sinful men will go to great lengths to remove God from their world.  Consider any form of worldly entertainment and the majority of it will seek to popularize the things that are opposed to the laws of God.  Love is more than an emotional feeling, it is an act of the will but it is never grievous.  All of God’s laws are for our benefit.   Matthew 11:28-30 KJV  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  [29]  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  [30]  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. D.     1 John 5:4-5—The Overcomer is One who is Victorious 1 John 5:4-5 KJV  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  [5]  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? Coming to the conclusion of the matter in this passage it is helpful to look to what John wrote in Revelation 2-3 concerning the seven churches in Asia.  At the end of each church that was addressed, it was very clearly described that no matter what type of spiritual environment that there will be overcomers in the midst of it.  The inference is that just because there may be attendance in a church, this is not necessarily a sign that one is even saved much less living and fulfilling the role of an overcomer.  It is imperative for us to daily examine our relationship with God in light of His requirements and not our own feelings. Ephesus Revelation 2:7 KJV  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. The promise to the overcomer was the tree of life in Heaven.  This will be much more than Eden.  The tree of life symbolizes eternal life.  Therefore the promise to the overcomer is eternal life in Heaven.   Smyrna Revelation 2:11 KJV  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. The promise to the overcomer is that he will not be hurt by the second death.  The first death is physical and the second death is spiritual.  It is also an eternal death.  The overcomer will not die spiritually or eternally (Rev. 20:6).  In the first resurrection, Jesus Christ experienced the first fruits of death for man and overcame death, hell, and the grave. Pergamos Revelation 2:17 KJV  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. The promise to the overcomer is a reward of hidden manna and a white stone.  Those who hold fast to His name will experience the hidden manna.  There was pot of manna in the Ark of the Covenant and it was placed in the Tabernacle.  This is a reference to all that is in Christ, the overcomer will have it given to him for overcoming.   John 6:31-35 KJV  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  [32]  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  [33]  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  [34]  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  [35]  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Once the saint gains entrance into Heaven there will be a full reality of what Jesus Christ really means to us.  Presently in our relationship with God, we only have a part of the benefits that come with being a saint of God but when Heaven is finally gained there will be an opening of this relationship that will be from another world.  This is why the devil works so diligently in an effort to skew our thoughts about what Heaven is really going to be like.  If he can make it seem as if there will be only floating on clouds and playing harps, he uses this very weak analogy to appeal to the flesh and say that such a place will be forever “boring” and not worth really living for.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There is still much about Heaven that is hidden and the overcomer will gain access to it. John also mentions a white stone will be given to the overcomer.  This is a diamond that will be presented.  In the ancient times, at the athletic events the winner would be given a diamond that would allow him access to places all over the nation for rites of celebration at the winner’s achievement.  The crystal gem was the only thing that would admit the winner into a place with the other winners.   Furthermore, John mentions a new name that will be given to the overcomer.  It will be engraved on the stone by God.  No one can know the name but God and it will be specific to the man who is presented with the stone.  Apparently Heaven is going to be more than just a large area where a mass of perfect spiritual beings are present with God.  The mention of this stone with the name engraved on it gives some determination that Heaven will be a place that past victories will be celebrated continuously throughout eternity.  It will be an incredible society of individual identities that God will honor forever.Thyatira Revelation 2:26-28 KJV  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:  [27]  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.  [28]  And I will give him the morning star. A characteristic of the overcomer is noted in this verse, “keepeth my works unto the end.”  An overcomer is one who endures the race and completes it will grace.  The overcomer will be given authority over the nations of the earth during the millennial kingdom.  The overcomer will rule in tandem with Jesus Christ and the rod of iron gives him the unique ability to strike down any work of evil that might surface (Matthew 25:21-23).  The word “rule” gives the indication of being a shepherd which will direct people toward a relationship with the One, True God.   In addition will be presence of the morning star (Revelation 22:16).  Clearly we will have the ability to have the entire revelation of Jesus Christ in accomplishing the task we are called to do.  Periodically in this life through the work of the Spirit and the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), the overcomer has limited insight into spiritual matters of the church and the direction of life for the Church, it often is just a brief bit of insight into what to do or which direction to go and then the revelation and wisdom stops.  The presence of the Morning Star (Jesus Christ) will give tremendous direction into what we are working toward at that moment. Sardis Revelation 3:5 KJV  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. The overcomer will be given a white garment.  There are some in Sardis who allowed their garments to become spoiled by the world but not those who are overcomers.  Their attire will be a symbol of righteousness, purity, holiness, and the glory of God.  It is a reflection of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that was imputed to the saint of God.  The overcomer not only receives honor but he receives the security that will never be removed.  In John’s time, the citizens would often have their names placed on rolls and if a crime was committed they would have their names removed.  However as persecution escalated, the Christians would have their names removed from the rolls of the cities because they were put into the category of the vilest of criminals.  What of this treatment?  Are we willing to endure this kind of stigma in our times and be placed in the category with the dregs of society because of our beliefs?   Philadelphia Revelation 3:12 KJV  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. In the ancient ruins of Greece, Turkey, and other places, the temples all had pillars that had the name of people on them.  It was a great earthly honor for one’s name to be placed on these pillars in places of pagan worship.  The pillars were permanent in stone and often were overlaid with marble and gold so that for ages to come they would be as noticeable to the following generations as possible.  It would serve as a perpetual honor to those who were enshrined on the pillar. John takes this same thought and declares that the overcomer will have a pillar placed in the Temple.  Furthermore there will not be any presence of pride in the accomplishment for there will be the incredible wonder that will fill us with gratitude in knowing that if it were not for the grace of God none of it would have ever been fulfilled!  Also on the overcomer, there will be the name of God written and the name of the city on him.   Laodecia Revelation 3:21 KJV  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Before looking at the overcomer that is mentioned in Laodecia, notice the escalation of what has occurred with the overcomers in these two chapters in Revelation: ·        Eternal Life·        Paradise of God·        Never to be hurt by the Second Death·        A full fellowship with the bread of Jesus Christ·        A crystal diamond that admits one to the celebration·        A personal name that God has specified for each overcomer·        A return to earth to rule in a place of delegated authority·        Wearing a white garment that symbolizes worthiness and righteousness·        A name that will never be erased from the book of life·        A pillar in the Temple of God with his name on it·        Never having to run from Heaven in fear·        A name literally written into the being of the overcomer All of this will be given to the overcomer but now Laodecia seems to mark the pinnacle in that the overcomer will rule on the throne with Christ.  It is doubtful that Heaven is going to be a place where one looks around to see who is there or who is not there but rather Heaven is going to be a place that the overcomer will have to consider for a long, long time, “What am I doing here?”  Not a one of the saints have a real right to claim Heaven as their own but it is simply a culmination of the work of  the Spirit and the grace of God that has gained them access to the place! Jesus Christ will put us in a place of complete authority at the end.  Therefore it is imperative that every single one of us make sure that we endure to the end!