Overcoming the World
Today’s Focus: Introduction
Scripture: John 16:33
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
In John 16:33 Jesus said this to the disciples:
John 16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Now the first thing I want to point out about overcoming the world is the fact that the result of overcoming the world is you having peace. Jesus is telling the disciples this so that they may have peace in a turbulent world. Peace is simply the result of the rulership of God. This is why Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. The result of His rulership brings about peace. Where does Jesus want to rule? Not geography, but the hearts of men. So the Kingdom of God is not about ruling geography but the hearts of men.
The next thing and this is the big one in this scripture is the fact that Jesus told them that He has overcome the world. Now you may say well Jesus is the Son of God and so yes he can overcome the world but remember He came in the flesh to show us the way and when Jesus said that He has overcome the world, He spoke this BEFORE the crucifixtion and His resurrection. Hmm! See this is another one of those scriptures where religion tries to put overcoming the world in the sweet by and by. No! Jesus is saying just as I have overcome the world, so shall the sons of the God also. This study will be exclusively about overcoming the world in this life. So what does it mean to overcome the world? Jesus actually tells us the process.
John 10:17: Therefore doth my father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
So the Father loves the Son because he laid down His life. What is His life? The right to do what he wanted to do, His physical life. He fully submitted, flesh, spirit and soul unto the Father to do His Will and not His own will. Now look at that again. It says the Father loves the Son because he laid down His life. This lines up perfectly with the words of Jesus when He said:
Matthew 16:24: Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, Let Him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
So the first step that we as the sons of God must do is deny ourselves and present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1,2). This is consistent with what happened with Jesus after the baptism, Jesus fasted, continually sacrificing His flesh in order to stay connected to the Father. This is why fasting is so crucial to the believer and it must be done with a purpose. Submission and obedience to Father is how we show love to Him (worship) and this is the first step to overcoming the world.
In the next message we will look at the ministry of Jesus and how through submission and obediece He showed us how to overcome the world.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
