OVERCOMING

[brakelite]

So, to get back to the original topic, overcoming.
There is much debate and confusion within Christianity as to whether we need to or even if it is possible to overcome sin in this life. Some say we are now free from the law because of the cross of Christ so that we no longer need to obey the law; others say we must still obey the law because it is still in effect and binding on all; still others claim that if we attempt to keep the law, we are no longer under grace, and are still lost, trusting in our own works.

Surely, there must be in all of this hodge-podge of belief and confusing doctrine on such an important matter, some truth to be found. What does the Bible say?

Here is my take on the matter.

I am convinced that it certainly is possible to overcome sin, that this is accomplished by faith in the promises of God, (just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness:

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Romans 4:21,22.

and I also think that this life of sanctification (a constant living in victory over sin) is :
1. Living the character of Christ (being conformed to His image) and
2. Is conformable to the moral law of Ten Commandments.

That we all must determine in our hearts to stop sinning is a given. Jesus said that we must first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. To gain entry to heaven and live holy lives go hand in hand.
The care we must take in our determination to stop sinning, is to tread a fine line between ‘legalism’ and true faith. We cannot do away with the law because without the law, there is no knowledge of sin. Nor can we ignore the law in our quest for righteousness, because it is the standard that God has given us by which we determine our true state.

Paul tells us “for sin shall not have dominion over you,” for ye are not under law, but under grace” Romans 6:14. Dominion is akin to a ruling power, and in sin’s case, a tyrant. So we have a promise to hold on to, 'sin shall not reign'. Elsewhere he says “let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof ” Romans 6:12…reign in this case is literally kingly rule. When Paul says let not sin reign...he is revealing a choice. We can, or we cannot, let sin reign. So, where once we were under the tyrannical rule of sin, the inference is that once we are crucified in Christ, buried and raised with Him in baptism, the roles are reversed. We now have dominion and rule over sin. Whether to sin or not has become a matter of choice, a matter of our will. We can choose not to sin. Making that choice a good one is through our connection with divine power …..

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

….and it is through that divine power that we have this new ability to overcome, and it is only when we overcome...only when we walk in Christ, that when we do, we are no longer “under the law”. We have a choice of masters. We can serve sin; we can be under the law that says sin is the master, under the law of sin and death, and which always leads to death, or we can serve righteousness, the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus, which always leads to eternal life. Obedience is the key to both. Who do we surrender to as servants to obey? And what is it that we obey? It is true doctrine, correct teaching.
" Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleaness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
What fruit had ye in those things of which ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Romans 6:16-21

And there is the key to overcoming sin. Yielding to God. Surrender. Surrender to God with the desire, even passion for righteousness, (Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,) a hatred for sin, using the “law lawfully”, that is, using the law as your yardstick as to whether or not your life is going in the right direction, and whether your relationship with God is as it should be. We surrender, God makes the changes in us that conform to His law, by writhing that law upon our own hearts and minds. God promises that we “are to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 ) That law that He writes upon our hearts is the law of love. Christ’s own character of love shared abroad by the Spirit of God in us fulfills the law of Ten Commandments. All this is accomplished by the Holy Spirit in us. We receive Christ’s righteousness by receiving Him. It is "Christ in us, the hope of glory. " Col.1:27

Notice in that Paul’s analogy of sin being a master or king, there is absolutely no middle ground between our choosing to serve sin or our choosing to serve righteousness. It is either one or the other. There can be no compromise.

 

[Helen]

So, to get back to the original topic, overcoming.
There is much debate and confusion within Christianity as to whether we need to or even if it is possible to overcome sin in this life. Some say we are now free from the law because of the cross of Christ so that we no longer need to obey the law; others say we must still obey the law because it is still in effect and binding on all; still others claim that if we attempt to keep the law, we are no longer under grace, and are still lost, trusting in our own works.

I like your Romans 4 verse...

Im not convinced overcoming Rev 3 has anything to do at all with sin.
Jesus overcame sin and we are in Him.
I think that the overcomer spoken about is as Heb 11...it is the 'trying of our faith' in staying faithful and a close follower of our beloved.
For A and E the close relationship was 'not enough'...that is why they fell for more knowledge , outside the wonderful knowledge of Him Himself.
So we can ask ourself the same...Is He enough?
I've often heard Him ask me this.. " Am I enough?"

That was the question Satan asked of God about Job. .." Does Job love/serve God for naught"

 

[Enoch111]

Im not convinced overcoming Rev 3 has anything to do at all with sin.

Of course overcoming has everything to do with sin. Please note:

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (1 John 2:13,14)

The "wicked one" is none other than Satan, and wickedness is the extreme manifestation of sin. Satan is behind all the temptations to sin.

So John addresses the three enemies of the Christian and righteousness in this passage. First the devil, then the world, and then the lusts within the sin nature (see the following verses 15-17).

 

[Helen]

Of course overcoming has everything to do with sin. Please note:

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (1 John 2:13,14)

The "wicked one" is none other than Satan, and wickedness is the extreme manifestation of sin. Satan is behind all the temptations to sin.

So John addresses the three enemies of the Christian and righteousness in this passage. First the devil, then the world, and then the lusts within the sin nature (see the following verses 15-17).

Sorry I change nothing...
Jesus didn't 'overcome sin' while tempted by the Devil in the wilderness...He overcame by believing what God had said and He quoted God word in the face of the Enemy. It had nothing to do with sin...it had everything to do with believing.

No doubt it is two sides of the same coin...you choose to focus on sin, while I choose to focus on believing.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you...is choice, choice to believe God rather than whatever the lie is that the enemy presenting.

 

[Enoch111]

...you choose to focus on sin, while I choose to focus on believing.

I don't choose to focus on sin, but overcoming relates to sin. That should be very clear from the Scripture I quoted.

Now please note that Revelation 2 confirms this: 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. (v 7)

Overcometh what? The context makes it perfectly clear:

...and how thou canst not bear them which are evil = SIN

...and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars = SIN

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works = SIN

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate = SIN

 

[Ac28]

They were both Jewish and gentile. But they were not Judaism.

Just because it's translated "church" means nothing. It's Ekklesia, which actually means assembly. It's a very generic term that can be used for the congregation of a church or synagogue or for the group of pagan silversmiths in Act 19, where it's translated assembly. If each had an angel, they were absolutely synagogues. The Gentiles in there were associated with the Jews. Likely grafted into Israel.

 

[CoreIssue]

Just because it's translated "church" means nothing. It's Ekklesia, which actually means assembly. It's a very generic term that can be used for the congregation of a church or synagogue or for the group of pagan silversmiths in Act 19, where it's translated assembly. If each had an angel, they were absolutely synagogues. The Gentiles in there were associated with the Jews. Likely grafted into Israel.

It is new testament time, so they were churches. The Mosaic covenant had been annuled.

The Jews were associated with the gentiles. Neither was born superior to the other.

 

[Ac28]

It is new testament time, so they were churches. The Mosaic covenant had been annuled.

The Jews were associated with the gentiles. Neither was born superior to the other.

Birth had absolutely nothing to do with it.
The New Testament (Covenant) was never given to the Gentiles of today.

God treated Israel as His chosen people from Gen 12 through Acts. Gentiles were filthy dogs for 2000 years. The only blessings the Gentiles ever had from God during that time was when they were allowed to partake of a few of Israel's blessings from Acts 10 through Acts 28. All gentiles during Acts were part of Israel, since they were grafted into Israel. Their ONLY purpose in the all-Israel Acts Church was to provoke Israel to jealousy, so that maybe Israel, as a nation, would repent, and see that Christ was their promised Messiah. Only then, would Christ return. (Mt 23:39., Ac 3:19-20).

Now the tables have turned. In 64AD, Acts 28:28, when the Salvation of God (Jesus Christ) was taken from then and given to the Gentiles. At that point, Israel became Loammi (hos 1:9), Not My People, and were set aside. They have not been a nation, in God's eyes, for the last 1954 years. Today. the Gentiles are God's chosen people, Eph 1:4

In 4000 years, the Jews have never had any religious association with the Gentiles, except for that brief period in Acts, from about 38AD to 64AD, 26 years. In the present Gentile Church, found ONLY is Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles, the Jews are equal to the Gentiles only if they essentially become Gentiles and believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have absolutely ZERO status as a nation today, in God's eyes.

 

[Helen]

I don't choose to focus on sin, but overcoming relates to sin. That should be very clear from the Scripture I quoted.

Now please note that Revelation 2 confirms this: 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. (v 7)

Overcometh what? The context makes it perfectly clear:

...and how thou canst not bear them which are evil = SIN

...and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars = SIN

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works = SIN

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate = SIN

How did Moses overcome?

Heb 11.27 "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible. "

You eye is focussed on the wrong kingdom. We overcome by what (whom) we behold. We don't run the race while looking over our shoulder at what the devil is doing or even worrying about sin.
We overcome and rejoice in what Jesus has already done and we Abide in Him.. " He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence...."

Come up higher brother....

 

[CoreIssue]

Birth had absolutely nothing to do with it.
The New Testament (Covenant) was never given to the Gentiles of today.

The new covenant to the house of Israel and house of Judah has not been given to anyone yet. It is future.

But Christ said he would build his church from the gentiles. Just as before Israel no group had covenant. Nor were there Jews or gentiles.

God treated Israel as His chosen people from Gen 12 through Acts. Gentiles were filthy dogs for 2000 years.
And on the cross he nullified the OT covenant and ripped open the veil for all to have access to Christ.

God divorced Israel as an unfaithful wife.

The only blessings the Gentiles ever had from God during that time was when they were allowed to partake of a few of Israel's blessings from Acts 10 through Acts 28. All gentiles during Acts were part of Israel, since they were grafted into Israel.

All gentiles have never been grafted into Israel that. Only the saved and still true today day.
Their ONLY purpose in the all-Israel Acts Church was to provoke Israel to jealousy, so that maybe Israel, as a nation, would repent, and see that Christ was their promised Messiah. Only then, would Christ return. (Mt 23:39., Ac 3:19-20).

Israel will not turn as a nation until the second coming when that they physically see Christ.

Now the tables have turned. In 64AD, Acts 28:28, when the Salvation of God (Jesus Christ) was taken from then and given to the Gentiles. At that point, Israel became Loammi (hos 1:9), Not My People, and were set aside. They have not been a nation, in God's eyes, for the last 1954 years. Today. the Gentiles are God's chosen people, Eph 1:4

All who are in Christ, jew or gentile. But that gentiles do dominate.

In 4000 years, the Jews have never had any religious association with the Gentiles, except for that brief period in Acts, from about 38AD to 64AD, 26 years.

Tell that to Messianic Jews.
In the present Gentile Church, found ONLY is Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles, the Jews are equal to the Gentiles only if they essentially become Gentiles and believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have absolutely ZERO status as a nation today, in God's eyes.

Today there are no special requirements

 

[brakelite]

What I believe we are in fact discussing, @"ByGrace" and @Enoch111 is the concept of righteousness by faith. I think you are both correct. We are indeed meant to overcome sin. I think there can be no argument over this. But it is the means by which we accomplish this seemingly impossible task that we become a little, and often not so little, unstuck. Often I think some tend to become quite unglued when discussing the law/obedience/ and grace. Amid charges of legalism or Phariseeism on the one hand and extreme grace and liberalism and lawlessness on the other, these discussions can tend to get quite divisive. Just read the book of Acts and we see it has been a heated debate for 2000 years. But the answer is actually quite simple. The gospel has made it so...and God designed our salvation such as to be readily understood by children...living a life of righteousness and obedience shouldn't be that complicated.
In the sermon on the mount Christ exhorts His listeners to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So what is the righteousness of God, and why is it so important that we are to seek it on an equal level of priority as His kingdom?

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Romans 7:7 ¶ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Righteousness is holiness; likeness to God, and God is love. (1 John 4:16) It is conformity to the law of God, for “all Thy commandments are righteousness” Psalm 119:72, and “love is the fulfilling of the law”. Rom 13:10
Righteousness is love, and love is the true light and life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ, and we receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Jesus speaking….“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.…(Matt 6:33)

I think we ought to know what precisely God’s righteousness is.

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Rom.5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

It is evident that the righteousness which comes to us as a free gift by faith is the righteousness of God….so again, what is the righteousness of God?

Psalm 119:172 ¶ My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

The commandments of God are righteousness…not just in the abstract, but they are the righteousness of God.

Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their reviling.

They who know righteousness are those in whose heart is God’s law, thus the law of God is the righteousness of God. We can prove this another way….

All unrighteousness is sin….1 John 5:17 and whosoever commits sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3:4

Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness, therefore sin and unrighteousness are the same. So if unrighteousness is transgression against the law, surely righteousness must be obedience to the law. Now we need to know “what law”?

It is the law which says “thou shalt not covet”. because Paul tells us that it is was that law which convinced him of sin. Of lust. (Romans 7:7.) The law of ten commandments then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. In fact, there really is no other righteousness. It is a written manifestation of the character and nature of God. God is also love, and Paul tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law. Thus if we are to seek God’s righteousness, then we are to seek obedience, through faith, to God’s law, by love. Thus rather than doing away with the law, (how can it be possible to do away with God’s righteousness?) through love we establish the law. All by faith. Not our righteousness, but God’s.

So Solomon was perfectly correct and agreed with the text of Matt 6:33 when he said:

“Let us hear the conclusion to the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.” Eccl 12:13, 14.

So what if we sin? Do we strive harder next time not to sin? Do we muster up all the self control and strength of will we can and try to do better? No. A 1000 times no Never. That is not how we overcome. Like Grace said, we overcome by faith. We obey by faith. We seek righteousness, we receive righteousness, through abiding in the source of righteousness. For without Me ye can do nothing.

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth

 

[Helen]

What I believe we are in fact discussing, @"ByGrace" and @Enoch111 is the concept of righteousness by faith. I think you are both correct. We are indeed meant to overcome sin. I think there can be no argument over this. But it is the means by which we accomplish this seemingly impossible task that we become a little, and often not so little, unstuck. Often I think some tend to become quite unglued when discussing the law/obedience/ and grace. Amid charges of legalism or Phariseeism on the one hand and extreme grace and liberalism and lawlessness on the other, these discussions can tend to get quite divisive. Just read the book of Acts and we see it has been a heated debate for 2000 years. But the answer is actually quite simple. The gospel has made it so...and God designed our salvation such as to be readily understood by children...living a life of righteousness and obedience shouldn't be that complicated.
In the sermon on the mount Christ exhorts His listeners to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So what is the righteousness of God, and why is it so important that we are to seek it on an equal level of priority as His kingdom?

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Romans 7:7 ¶ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Righteousness is holiness; likeness to God, and God is love. (1 John 4:16) It is conformity to the law of God, for “all Thy commandments are righteousness” Psalm 119:72, and “love is the fulfilling of the law”. Rom 13:10
Righteousness is love, and love is the true light and life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ, and we receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Jesus speaking….“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.…(Matt 6:33)

I think we ought to know what precisely God’s righteousness is.

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Rom.5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

It is evident that the righteousness which comes to us as a free gift by faith is the righteousness of God….so again, what is the righteousness of God?

Psalm 119:172 ¶ My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

The commandments of God are righteousness…not just in the abstract, but they are the righteousness of God.

Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their reviling.

They who know righteousness are those in whose heart is God’s law, thus the law of God is the righteousness of God. We can prove this another way….

All unrighteousness is sin….1 John 5:17 and whosoever commits sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3:4

Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness, therefore sin and unrighteousness are the same. So if unrighteousness is transgression against the law, surely righteousness must be obedience to the law. Now we need to know “what law”?

It is the law which says “thou shalt not covet”. because Paul tells us that it is was that law which convinced him of sin. Of lust. (Romans 7:7.) The law of ten commandments then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. In fact, there really is no other righteousness. It is a written manifestation of the character and nature of God. God is also love, and Paul tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law. Thus if we are to seek God’s righteousness, then we are to seek obedience, through faith, to God’s law, by love. Thus rather than doing away with the law, (how can it be possible to do away with God’s righteousness?) through love we establish the law. All by faith. Not our righteousness, but God’s.

So Solomon was perfectly correct and agreed with the text of Matt 6:33 when he said:

“Let us hear the conclusion to the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.” Eccl 12:13, 14.

So what if we sin? Do we strive harder next time not to sin? Do we muster up all the self control and strength of will we can and try to do better? No. A 1000 times no Never. That is not how we overcome. Like Grace said, we overcome by faith. We obey by faith. We seek righteousness, we receive righteousness, through abiding in the source of righteousness. For without Me ye can do nothing.

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth

Lovely post...well said.
I can see that we ( Enoch and I ) were saying the same thing maybe, but from a different perspective.

I have just found in my life, that Overcoming is easy while we look at the answer ( Christ) and not the problem , sin.
Even in some churches pastor preach against sin. We are told to "preach Christ" ...nowhere does it tell us to preach against sin.
John the baptist did, it was his calling to call them to repentance.
After the cross it is- " Jesus Christ and Him crucified"...
In other words...me 'not' doing something...ie sinning, ...does not always mean I am doing the positive, just focussed on resisting the negative = If I am 'beholding'...then I am doing what is required..."Seeking first the kingdom..."

Paul taught us Romans 6.11
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Once I really saw that and received that , I never fought against sin anymore , or thought about sin...I focussed on my Answer, ...when temptation comes...I "Behold the Lamb"...
That has been many decades ago now.
Do I ever miss it...yes...like Peter, take my eyes off of Christ for a moment...and the waves look scary.... But also like Peter, I shout "Lord save me" and then the sinking into the water, stops.

Maybe I just didn't get my point across very well in that other post.
I am not good at expressing myself well in words.

Thanks for yours...H

 

[brakelite]

Lovely post...well said.
I can see that we ( Enoch and I ) were saying the same thing maybe, but from a different perspective.

I have just found in my life, that Overcoming is easy while we look at the answer ( Christ) and not the problem , sin.
Even in some churches pastor preach against sin. We are told to "preach Christ" ...nowhere does it tell us to preach against sin.
John the baptist did, it was his calling to call them to repentance.
After the cross it is- " Jesus Christ and Him crucified"...
In other words...me 'not' doing something...ie sinning, ...does not always mean I am doing the positive, just focussed on resisting the negative = If I am 'beholding'...then I am doing what is required..."Seeking first the kingdom..."

Paul taught us Romans 6.11
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Once I really saw that and received that , I never fought against sin anymore , or thought about sin...I focussed on my Answer, ...when temptation comes...I "Behold the Lamb"...
That has been many decades ago now.
Do I ever miss it...yes...like Peter, take my eyes off of Christ for a moment...and the waves look scary.... But also like Peter, I shout "Lord save me" and then the sinking into the water, stops.

Maybe I just didn't get my point across very well in that other post.
I am not good at expressing myself well in words.

Thanks for yours...H

Just don't forget, that seeking first Gods kingdom is advice on equal proportion to seeking his righteousness. Matt 5:6;6:33
While you are correct that in Him is all we need, and our relationship with Him is the source and fountain of all blessing, we still need a constant measuring stick by which to compare that we may guage and measure that relationship so we don't fall into the trap of believing that our"feel good' emotionalism doesn't deceive us into thinking all is okay when it isn't. That measure is Gods law. Our obedience to it is the witness that indeed all is well, because no informs is possible unless Christ is working on the life. Obedience to God is the fruit of righteousness... The gift we receive through the sanctifying by the Spirit.