As
we begin to seek Yahuweh and His Word earnestly and with all our heart,
we begin to experience a collision of doctrines. This is a collision of Biblical Truth,
colliding against Doctrines and Commandments of Men. This collision
produces a great sense of uneasiness, turmoil, and confusion, not
unlike conditions on a battle field. In order to bring peace and calm, one must
either surrender to the enemy's weapons — the Doctrines and
Commandments of Men — or must wrestle over the issues, and
must overcome, and attain victory.
Many today
are running directly to the Bride's
waiting-room, trying to avoid the wrestling over the issues.
The process of
seeking Yahuweh, and searching the Scriptures,
confronting the issues,
and wrestling, and overcoming, is too difficult for
them. Some avoid
the confrontation altogether, thinking what they currently hold is pure
Truth, and the
colliding issue (true,
Biblical doctrine) is the error. These
will be among the Foolish virgins. The Wise virgins, however, are
willing to seek, face the issues, and engage the wrestling, head-on.
These are the
ones who will overcome.
In this writing we will
address the wrestling, and overcoming, that must occur as we confront
the doctrinal issues head-on, using the Word of Yahuweh (the
Scriptures), and prayer. This wrestling must continue until we prevail,
and overcome. The only alternative is to shrink back, and not enter the
fray. For the Bride-Candidates, that shrinking-back should not
be an option. We must prevail, and overcome in the doctrinal arena, for
this is the preparation-room for those that would be among the
Bride-Company as 'Wise' virgins.
In part 1, we
will look at an overview of the confrontation, and the process
of how one may overcome. It is befitting that we might see Rachel as
our first example of overcoming, for in many ways she
is prophetic of the Bride. In part 2, we will show a little
more detail, and will look at Jacob as the example of one who
overcomes, and prevails.
The Call to
Overcome
In
each of the messages to the seven cities In the Book of
Revelation, we see Yahushua
calling out all Believers
to be among those who overcome:
- To
him
that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which
is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7b)
- He
that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
(Revelation 2:11b)
- 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. (Revelation 2:17b)
- And
he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the
end, to him will I give power over the nations: (Revelation 2:26)
- 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. (Revelation 3:5)
- 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. (Revelation 3:12)
- 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. (Revelation 3:21)
- He
that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:7)
According
to the above passages in Revelation, each exhortation to overcome
includes a promise. We need not be reminded that all of the
called-out
people
(Believers) addressed in the messages to the 7 cities, are all redeemed,
New Covenant
Believers. But
notice
that all of the above promises, and even the entire
inheritance (as stated above in
Rev
21:7), depends on whether or not these Born-Again Believers
are able to overcome! Since this is such a serious and important
matter, we will look in detail at the Scriptures that show us how we
can overcome.
But what does it mean to overcome?
What must we overcome? How do we become
"overcomers?" Let's look at this important process of overcoming, so
that we might be among those who overcome, and inherit all things.
Becoming
an Overcomer
From
the very beginning of our walk with Yahushua, we are called to overcome,
and prevail. Scripture shows our first step of overcoming occurs when
we become
Born-Again:
Ye are of God,
little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in
the world. (1John 4:4)
For
whatsoever is born of
God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the
world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1John 5:4-5)As
soon as we become Born-Again, we begin the process
of overcoming. But
the process is not complete, for we have just begun the journey of
walking with Yahushua, and of learning to overcome. There are many
pitfalls to our walk, and many things to overcome. The wicked or 'evil
one' makes every attempt to prevent our progress along the
Way. Notice the next passage:
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.
(1John 2:14)Notice
that overcoming the
'wicked one' is a result of the
"Word of Yahuweh
abiding in you." In order to be an overcomer, one must abide completely
in the Word of Yahuweh. Beloved, this is where our struggle — our
wrestling against the evil one — begins! Notice the following:
For
we wrestle (not against flesh and blood, but) against
principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
There
is a continual wrestling match going on, whereby these evil
principalities and powers continually oppose all those who desire to
draw near to Messiah, and walk with Him. Let's now notice the nature
of this opposition. After having been Born-Again, we
are
exhorted to grow:
But grow
in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be
glory both
now and for ever. Amen. (2Peter 3:18) These
evil principalities and powers in the heavenly realms have only one
goal: to prevent us from "growing in Grace, and in the knowledge of ...
Yahushua Messiah." Our
purpose for 'wrestling' against these principalities and powers in the
heavens, is so that we might
succeed in
growing in
Grace, and in the knowledge of Yahushua
Messiah; so that we might overcome; and so that we might attain
"the prize of the high calling of Yahuweh in Messiah Yahushua."
(Philippians 3:14)
The evil principalities
and powers in the heavenlies,
the demons that are the rank-and-file soldiers of satan, know one thing
very well. They realise that our growing in Biblical
Grace will
cause us to overcome!
Thus they try in every way
to thwart the
Words of Yahushua from being acted upon in our life, in order to prevent
us from overcoming, and entering in to our inheritance, the
Promised Land — where we
will "inherit all things." But how do these demonic beings in the
heavenly realms influence us? How do they thwart our
growth?
These wicked demons in the
heavenly
realms are actually able to influence well-meaning, but unsuspecting
people, here on earth, in corrupting the Scriptures we are to feed
upon, for our growth. These corruptions are made in two ways:
- Corrupt what the Scripture actually says
(Popularise the modern Bible
versions, as many are based on corrupted manuscripts).
-
Corrupt what the Scripture means to us today
(Popularise modern Bible
Doctrines, many being a mixture of truth and Doctrines of Men).
In
this writing we will focus on item (2) above, and look at how we might
overcome the evil one, by our wrestling over what is Biblically true,
and what is not. We are in a 'wrestling' contest. We are being seduced
away from Biblical Truth, by the Doctrines and Commandments of Men,
that turn men away from the truth (Titus 1:14). We must not let that
happen!
Our goal is to grow in Biblical 'Grace' and
also in the
'knowledge' of Yahushua Messiah. We must then realise it is at these two
points where the attacks will be made. The Doctrines of Men are focused
on attacking and perverting Biblical 'Grace' and the 'knowledge' of
Yahushua Messiah. We should therefore expect to
see counterfeits of these two Truths of
Grace and
of
Knowledge of Yahushua. It is here that the
attacks are
made. It is here, where our guard should be up, and our wrestling will
become fierce. Our wrestling must bring us to the point that we
prevail, and overcome.
Seeking Yahuweh
for Truth
In
the above passage in 1John 2:14, we saw that overcoming is the result
of the Word of Yahuweh abiding in us. We also recall that it is not in
the hearing of the Word, but in the
"DO-ing" of Biblical Truth, that will become a good foundation. It is
likewise the "DO-ing" of Biblical Truth that will cause us to overcome.
However, a mixture of truth and error can actually
prevent
us from overcoming,
and
from entering in. How do we find this pure truth, and avoid deception?
Run
ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know,
and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be
any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth;
and I will pardon
it. (Jeremiah 5:1)
And ye shall
seek me, and find me, when ye shall search
for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Jesus
saith unto him, I am ... the truth.... (John 14:6a)
And
with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love
of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
(2Thessalonians 2:10-11)In order to overcome,
we must seek
Yahuweh for His Truth. We must seek His Word. We must ask Him to give us
a love for the truth, so that we will not be deceived. Loving
the
truth is a guard against delusion, and deception. We must seek the One
who IS the Truth!
For those having the
desire to overcome, Biblical Truth must become the supreme arbiter in
all matters, so as to avoid mixtures that contain error. As we saw in
What You Believe: True or False? The Simple
Biblical Test, we must be
willing to 'let go' of long-held beliefs, if they have any
contradiction with all of Scripture, including the word of the Prophets.
Walking
in Truth Brings Fiery Trials
As
soon as we find the Word of Yahuweh, and then begin to 'walk in' the
Truth we have been given, we begin to experience 'fiery trials' of
testing by Yahuweh. These fiery trials are an indication that we are
finally making Yahuweh's Word
'effective' in our
life, rather
than of 'none effect' by the traditions of men (Mark 7:13). Let's see
why these fiery trials come to everyone:
Beloved,
think
it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
("test") you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you:
(1Peter 4:12)Beloved,
the Apostle Peter exhorts us to "think it not strange." These
fiery trials and testings are to be expected by
all
those who seek
Yahuweh with all their heart. As a result of this seeking, many are
experiencing a confrontation between the Living Word of Yahuweh, and the
way we have always understood it to be. When we begin to seek
Yahuweh, we begin to see that much of the Doctrines we hold to is merely
'Traditions and Doctrines of Men' that we have
accumulated
during years of church attendance. As a result of seeking, many are
undergoing this 'wrestling,' and it is difficult and painful. But we
must wrestle, in order to overcome, and prevail, and attain victory.
The
Two-Fold Wrestling of Rachel
As
Yahuweh continues to bless us by opening our eyes to Biblical Truth, he
then begins to test us in what we have understood. This testing comes
in the form of a two-fold
'wrestling,' and is
necessary to separate
Biblical Truth from error. This wrestling is part of Yahuweh's
purpose for His people.
As we seek Yahuweh
and the Truth of Scripture, He allows us to experience
opposition to the Truth of His Word. This opposition drives us to
'wrestle'
with
Yahuweh, in prayer, over what is really true, and what is not. Part of
this opposition comes from well-meaning friends, and from Pastors and
other spiritual Leaders, who have not sought Yahuweh for Biblical Truth,
but see their
error as truth. Our
wrestling, and prevailing in prayer with Yahuweh, then results in
simultaneous victory over our
opponent,
who had become a participant in the opposition against us! The
victory comes when we see, and then begin to walk in the Truth
of
Scriptures, concerning that particular issue.
A
beautiful example of this two-fold
wrestling
can be seen in the life of Rachel, who had suffered reproach for not
being able to bear any children to Jacob. Let's look at the following
passages:
And when Rachel saw that she bare
Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and
said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
(Genesis 30:1)
And Rachel said, With great<0430>
("elohiym") wrestlings have I
wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called
his name
Naphtali. (Genesis 30:8)Rachel
surely knew of the Word of Yahuweh spoken to Abraham and to Isaac, the
promises that there
would spring forth many nations from their progeny. But Rachel
was
barren, and Yahuweh had not yet answered her prayers. And because she
was barren, all her senses, as well as her friends and neighbours,
opposed Rachel with reproach, almost to the point that
she despaired of life. In her thinking, she had no part in the
promises of Yahuweh.
But notice Rachel wrestled
with "elohiym" wrestlings. the Hebrew word
'elohiym'
has a dual meaning here. The word means "great, mighty; mighty one,"
but it is also the most common
title of
Yahuweh used in all of Scripture! This dual meaning reveals a
great principle! It
was through Rachel's "Elohiym"
wrestlings (wrestling with Yahuweh in prayer), that Rachel prevailed in
the
'wrestlings' with her sister.
Notice that
Rachel's prevailing in prayer
was a simultaneous prevailing against her opposition.
If
we are to overcome, and prevail, we too must wrestle in prayer
with Yahuweh. As we seek Him for the Truth of His Word, we
will begin to experience an extreme opposition against the
Doctrines
of Men, held unknowingly by most Pastors, Spiritual
Leaders,
and many other Believers. But it is through our prayers, and
our
seeking the Truth of the Word, all while maintaining a humble and
submissive attitude toward our leaders, that will cause us to prevail,
and to
overcome all opposition!
We have seen how the wrestling and prevailing of Rachel is an example for our learning today. In
Part 2, we will see how our wrestling, and our prevailing, like Jacob, results in
Yahuweh
giving us a
new name! Proceed to Part 2:
The Wrestling of Jacob