Continuing with our discussion of the one and only baptism, it consisting of two parts, beginning and end, and this being the means by which we achieve the victory over death, meaning overcoming the corruption that adorns and controls this world age keeping us (humanity) from rising. (As stated) this message is a continuation from the previous posts in which we saw this baptism from Matthew 5, there beginning with ridding self of preconceptions, spirits contrary and opposing God’s, ending in our mind having been overwritten with God’s ideas, and its subsequent product of peace. The finality and objective is seen as our teaching what we have learned, with the intention of showing others the same way to peace. We undertaking this mission find the blessing (inner satisfaction – the riches of heaven) in the persecutions we long suffer, as did the LORD in showed us as the example (way.)
Today we will see this, in 1 John 5, elaborated by John in other words conveying the same message. In seeing we will understand the unseen aspect where the LORD is working with us and in us to bring about His will and plan for the salvation of as many as will receive it/Him. This is the Father bringing many sons and daughters to glory, as His Glory is manifested to/in us and through us.
1 John 5 speaks of this as the victory that overcomes the world, and come through seeing and hearing the witness in the earth and in heaven. This will be our specific focus in this message, but before looking deeper we must first see what John in the Gospel of John writes in regard to this, as well as looking into other scriptures on the topic.
The Greek word translated “overcome” is nikao, meaning to subdue. It is literally used when telling of greater power or strength overcoming a lesser. It is from the word nike, meaning conquest, as in the means of success, and is used for and translated, “victory.”
Of the twenty-eight times nikao is used all except five are in 1 John and the book of The Revelation (also written by John.) It’s only used one time in the Gospel of John, in John 16:33 when the LORD tells of the peace He will leave those who have just confessed they believe in Him and that He has been sent from God. He also tells of the tribulation they, those who witness to and confess Him, will have in the world. He ends this statement by saying, “but be of good cheer, for I have overcome [overpowered] the world.”
In the above referenced portion of John 16 the LORD has just told of His departing the same world, and going into the presence of the Father, this after he has spoken of the sorrow that would fill them, and would then be turned to joy, as when a child is born into the world. This is telling of our birth as children of God coming in the same ways as He had patterned as our example, and in this same way we would enter into the presence of the Father.
It is speaking of the same perfecting and purity we have been discussing that gives us the victory (nike) over the world (kosmos – things that adorn the world.)
We must here again mention 1 Corinthians 15:54 where we are told of our resurrection to life coming when we have put off the corruption and come into a purified state (uncorrupted), and in this we find the victory over death as it is swallowed up in this victory. “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory [nikos.]”
John 16
25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day you shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speak you plainly, and speak no proverb.
30 Now are we sure that you know all things, and need not that any man should ask you: by this we believe that you came forth from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do you now believe?
32 Behold, the hour comes, yea, is now come, that you shall be scattered [have been by the wolf among you, after abandoned by the shepherd, now only those false shepherds remain only to feed themselves,] every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Here we read of the LORD telling of His being left alone, all men leaving Him and only the Father being with Him. This takes us to the next use of nikao in Romans 3:4 as it in this same context (of all men leaving the LORD) quotes from Psalms 51:4. It speaks of being born again, after being washed and purged of sins (errors) that have caused us to be in unbelief. We know this as the first step in casting off those things keeping us separated from God. Romans 3 goes on to tell of all the world becoming guilty before God, using Psalms 51 as the pattern, and tells us of this being so they would silence their own corrupted ideas and let God show His corrective mercy to all the world – bringing many sons to glory, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Psalms 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight: that you might be justified when you speak, and be clear when you judge.
5 Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part you shall make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors your ways; and sinners shall be converted unto you.
14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, you God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O LORD, open you my lips; and my mouth shall show forth your praise.
16 For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit [poor in spirit:] a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good in your good pleasure unto Zion: build you the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shall you be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon Your altar.
Romans 3
1 What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision [those having lowered in esteem superficial/human reasoning?]
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That you might be justified in your sayings, and might overcome when you are judged.
5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? (I speak as a man)
6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things so-ever the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified [finding victory] freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood [long suffering toward us,] to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified [overcomes] by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and un-circumcision through [our] faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
This takes us to Revelation 12:11 where nikao is used to tell very specifically how the devil is cast out of heaven (the false teachers cast out of their seat of power.) “And they overcame [overpowered] him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” As we’ve discussed this is the place where our perfection takes us, and a peace that passes all worldly understanding.
Revelation 12
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Verse 10 above tells us those being cast out/down are the “accusers” of our brethren, this aspect taking us back to the first and only other use of nikao in the Gospels. It is in Luke 11:22 just after the LORD tells us of His being accused of being Beelzebub. He responds by telling of the greater power that overcomes, and if He by the finger of God casts out devils [by greater power,] then truly the kingdom of God has come upon them. What follow is His telling of the swept house, meaning if He cleans out the spirits opposing God, if the person is left to their own leading, they will go find other foul spirits and become worse than the first state. It is speaking of all the false preachers, and all the corrupted teaching, that now totally engulfs the world. This last point takes us back to Romans 3:19, and it telling us the purpose, “that every mouth may be stopped,” and the only thing to be heard is (in the pattern of) the LORD’s message written in the blood of His long suffering.
Now to how we know if the message is from God, and 1 John 5 as it tells us of what witnesses in the earth and in heaven. Nikao is used three times in verse 4 & 5, after we are told the commandments of God as not being grievous, meaning they are not a heavy burden. “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The chapter tells of the LORD’s and of our overcoming the world, we as the children of God overcoming by our faith (the greater power,) believing in the LORD as the only ways to salvation, going the ways He has shown us by example.
The chapter tells of the witness in the earth being the Spirit, the water and the blood. The water and the blood are the two parts of the baptism we have been discussing, as the Holy Spirit brings/accompanies us into holiness and perfection.
The three that witness in heaven are the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.
Herein we see the distinction between the water and the Word, while both being the same, the Word is the pure form that comes from above, the water is when it has flowed to earth from there.
We see Word originating from the Father above, flowing as water to the earth and to the Son(s) in pure form, delivered in the earth in the same form by the Son(s) with the known cost and necessary long-suffering in delivering it as such. This last aspect being the blood, and the means of delivery being between heaven and earth, Father and Son(s), is the one Holy Spirit.
Revelation 22
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the LORD God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.
9 Then said he unto me, See you do it not: for I am your fellow-servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10 And he said unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, LORD Jesus.
21 The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
1 John 5
1 Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begat loves 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.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he has testified of his Son.
10 He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believes not God has made him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
