Prophecy - 65 - To Him that Overcometh

To him that overcometh


Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.


Jesus commends His people in Ephesus for yet another thing - Hating the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. It didn't say hating the Nicolaitanes, but hating the deeds of the Nicolaitanes; deeds that Jesus himself hates. What are some things Jesus hates?


Heb. {1:9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.


Deut. {16:21} Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. {16:22} Neither shalt thou set thee up [any] image; which the LORD thy God hateth.


Ps. {5:5} The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.


Ps. {45:7} Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows


It's easy to see what God hates- sin, graven images, worship to other gods, wickedness, workers of sin.


What is sin?


1 John {3:4} Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.


Transgressing the law.


What is the law?


Matthew {22:36} Master, which is the great commandment in the law? {22:37} Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. {22:38} This is the first and great commandment. {22:39} And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {22:40} On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


So Jesus hates the actions of those who hate God and those who hate others treating them as they would not want to be treated.
Any actions that hurt others are sinful.
There is a lot to hate in our world, a lot of sinful acts. The fact God's people hated those who were wicked -committing wicked deeds- was a good thing, because Jesus hates sin.


The trouble people run into a lot of times is hating what God hates and believing God would have them act on that hate in ways that Jesus condemned over and over . While we are to hate sin, while we are to hate what God hates whether it's Nicolaitanes or any who love what is sin to God, we are NOT to judge them, but judge their deeds. Hating the DEEDS that God hates is what we need to focus on, not on the individual who commits those deeds. God will judge them, we cannot. We can't cast that first stone because we are NOT without sin. We are not to strike out- physically, verbally, mentally, or emotionally - Jesus would not have us do this-- not even to save His life. When Peter went to defend Jesus as the soldiers were taking Him away to be tried Jesus stopped Him. We are NOT to judge people, we are to judge actions and if their actions are against God's will as we know it from His word to us, then we are to hate those actions they commit just as those of Ephesus hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes.


Rev 2:7 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.


'He that hath an ear'


Don't we all?


'let him hear'


Can we choose not to hear? Yes. We can choose not to hear, we don't have to listen, we aren't forced to listen. We who have ears need to hear, we need to choose to listen.


What are we to listen to? 'let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches' We have to listen to what we are being told! What the Spirit is relating to us through His prophets. And a promise is given...


'To him that overcometh...'


Overcomes what? Overcomes that which would bring us down- losing our first love.


'To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.'


If we keep to our first love, if our first love is Christ we will eat of the tree of life, a tree that is in the midst of God's paradise!


If we eat of the tree of life we will have life forever in Christ. How beautiful is that promise? How wondrous is that knowledge!


Let us ALL overcome! Let us all hear! Let us all keep our first love in Christ! By His amazing grace, by His mercy unlike any other mercy.


Amen.