OVERCOMERS

K. Pye

Hebrews 2: 14, 15; John 14: 23

I would like to say something relating to overcomers. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself overcame. He overcame everything that stood in the way. That is why I read in Hebrews 2 because it says there that He annulled him who has the might of death; He overcame him. He says in another passage, “I have overcome the world”, John 16: 33. He overcame it. It gives us an example, you know.

We learn by example, and what greater example could we have than the example of our Lord Jesus Christ?

He annulled death (2 Timothy 1: 10), that is, as if it did not exist. You say, Well, we are here in the face of death, but, you know, our brother has fallen asleep through Jesus. He loves to take persons who love Him to be with Himself; that is what Jesus does; He takes those who are His own, He takes them to be with Himself. How great is the work that He has done! He has overcome him who has the might of death, He has annulled him.

You can go back to the types and think of David. He went up before Goliath who was there in all his strength. You look out in the world and things seem so strong, seem so powerful, seem as if you cannot stand up to them. The whole of the armies of Israel were trembling, but you know David went up there and he was able to say that he came in the name of Jehovah of hosts (1 Samuel 17: 45). That is where his strength was. Oh how good it is to go forward in that strength! The name of Jehovah, it says, is a strong tower—the righteous runneth into it, and is safe (Proverbs 18: 10). That is where we want to be, in that character, in that attitude.

David went forward and he slew Goliath, he overcame him. That is what Jesus has done. He has overcome that enemy, overcome him completely; He has annulled death. That whole thing is as though it did not exist. Jesus went into death, He went in there alone. Oh, what it meant for Him that He should die alone!

But then He came out of death. Why? because He had overcome him that had the might of death. That is what Jesus did. So death is annulled. You know, our brother is safe. We sometimes sing, ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus’. That is where he is, safe; he is safe because he is with the One

he knew and the One he loved. Is that our position? Is that where we all are? Do we know the great Overcomer, the One who overcame everything? How much it meant for Him! When He walked in this scene here men despised Him, men rejected Him; that is what they did with the Saviour. Oh come to know Him; come to know the One who overcame; He annulled him who has the might of death. Why? that He might set free all those who through fear of death through the whole of their life were subject to bondage. Well, are you frightened of death?

Our brother was not frightened of death. Why? because he knew what was on the other side and he knew the One who had annulled him who has the might of death. You know, he was able to overcome. Are you an overcomer? Are you still frightened of death? Through the whole of your life are you still subject to bondage, under the devil’s control? Oh do not be like that! Come under the control of the great Overcomer, the One who annulled death. Our brother had a firm link with that One; there is no doubt about that; his link with the Saviour was true. Would that every one of us was like that.

I read in John’s gospel because overcomers are needed in the day of recovery, the days in which we are. Even in the dark ages God had His answer in overcomers. You say, What is an overcomer? An overcomer is a person who loves Jesus. He says, “If any one love me”.

Overcomers are made out of lovers, lovers of the great Overcomer. Well, are you a lover of His? Are you able to overcome? “If any one love me”. You say, I love Jesus; He says, “If any one love me, he will keep my word”. Are we keeping His word? Oh, you say, there are so many obstacles. That is why you need to be an overcomer. I feel there were times when our brother was available when he was not physically able. He was an overcomer. Why did he overcome? because of his love for the Saviour. Well, what is your love for the Saviour? How are your links with the living Lord? Can you go through in triumph because you have a living link with that blessed One who has overcome everything, so that you can be an overcomer?

Well, “If any one love me”. How great is our love for Him? It is a challenge to every one of us. I feel it myself. You know, the least little thing and we say, Oh, I will just stay home tonight. It is very easy—I know it myself. I will stay at home tonight because I am tired and have had a busy day. Oh, be an overcomer! Love for Jesus would bring you into the area where He is loved, the area where He is adored, and then I think you will find that everything else fades into insignificance. You get a lift up as you come together with the brethren. Why? because you have a common link, a common bond, with the Saviour, the great Overcomer.

This is the promise—He says, “My Father will love him”. That is the promise to the overcomer, if you like. You can read in Revelation and there are a lot of promises to the overcomer there in the assemblies, great promises—“to him will I give”, “him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God”; ‘those are among the promises to the overcomer. Well, surely we want to be in the gain of it. He says, “my Father will love him, and we will come to him”. Have you some sense of that, some experience of that? Our brother, I think, had that; he had some sense, some experience of it—“we will come to him, and make our abode with him”. That is the portion of the overcomer. Are we going to be walking in the gain of that? It is needed in days of recovery. The thing that is needed greatly is overcomers, and overcomers are made out of lovers. May we be found more in this attitude, for His name’s sake.