Revelation 3:21, commentary and pictures

To him that overcomes is granted to sit with Christ in His throne, even as He overcame and sat down with His Father in His throne, a future reward to be shared with Him and desired above all else. It is the closing promise of His message to the Laodicean church, spoken by the Amen, the faithful and true Witness who knows every work, with the call for everyone who has an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. His overcoming was not for Himself, for He was sinless, but for humanity as its Captain and second Adam, meeting and conquering every temptation where Adam fell and passing over the ground where Adam failed. No one overcomes by personal effort, strength, or advantage, but only by helpless dependence on Christ's merits and the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit received through surrender, faith, and prayer. Overcoming is an individual lifelong battle against a wily foe through trial, toil, conflict, and obedience, and only those who so overcome as He overcame will enter the holy city, sit with Him, and share His eternal reign and glory.

Promise and Immediate Context

The promise is to the one who overcomes, that he will be granted to sit with Christ in His throne, even as Christ also overcame and sat down with the Father in His throne. It is a future reward to be desired and shared with Him, a sharing of His reign and exaltation and glory through eternity, represented by sitting with Him and wearing a crown. Overcoming is an individual work required of everyone who hopes to enter the holy city and see the King in His beauty, shown by Christ's earthly life of infinite sacrifice to save humanity and conquest of the prince of darkness. No one wins this conflict by personal strength, but through Christ's divine help and merits the victory can be claimed and believers become more than conquerors. His overcoming was not for Himself, since He was sinless, but for humanity as Captain of salvation, enduring temptation and self-denial to succor the tempted, and His words as I also overcame show His followers' temptations and victories are like His in kind, including self-control and especially control of appetite.

The verse is the closing promise of Christ's message to the Laodicean church, spoken by the Amen, the faithful and true Witness who sees every person's works. It is addressed to all the churches, with the call for everyone who has an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It belongs to the warning to Laodicea whose application cannot be questioned, coming now as a gracious last call to repentance to those cold and formal, self-confident and determined to carry out their own ideas, exposing blindness and self-deception where religious life is a lie. In the very last days of earth's history this revelation is given to the church, and God will leave no one willing without opportunity to hear it. The message leaves no time to cavil or gossip over one another's cases but calls for earnest seeking for precious gold of character, with the striving work of the Holy Spirit recognized and Christ's image reflected in intense love when the mind admits Jesus.

In context the promise follows Christ's counsel to buy gold tried in the fire and white raiment to cover nakedness and eyesalve to see, given to those who claim to believe truth but have lost first love and do not realize they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked while thinking themselves rich and increased with goods. It follows His loving rebuke and chastening with the call to be zealous rather than half-hearted and repent, showing God requires true conversion of the whole man. It follows His standing at the door and knocking, with His offer to come in and sup with whoever hears His voice and opens the door, pleading not to be refused. It is the climax of the Laodicean message, the last message of mercy and last warning to a fallen world given while the third angel's message is proclaimed, demanding that churches heed and repent rather than go on in sin. Jesus does not leave such to perish but calls them to repent and clear away dissension, and the promise must be heard with an ear alert to the Spirit to understand its meaning, applying to professed Seventh-day Adventists without the robe of righteousness who would be unready if He came today.

The verse belongs with Revelation 3:1-22, which presents the spiritual condition of many and holds out precious promises to those who overcome. It stands together with Revelation 3:5 and Revelation 3:12 as a threefold promise to the overcomer, setting before believers rich promises and a special work of overcoming the enemy's temptations in this world. The third chapter must be studied diligently by those preparing for future immortal life and seeking heaven, read and understood in full from its first three verses through the whole chapter as a most tremendous testimony and solemn warning from God. It calls to remember how truth was received and heard, and to hold fast and repent, because faults in the form of theories so subtle come through departed minds and imperceptibly imbue with a spirit drawing away from faith. It is to be read together with Revelation 5 and with God's law spoken in awful grandeur from Sinai as the highest education, for truly sanctified souls who live the Word, are taught of God, and obey all His commandments, calling minds in these last days to make straight paths and press toward the mark of the high calling while Satan works with all deceivableness to deceive if possible the very elect, revealing in public labor and daily association that they seek things above where Christ sits, with life hid with Christ in God, until they appear with Him in glory.

The verse is part of the messages to the churches in Asia that portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. The names of the churches are symbolic of the Christian church in different periods of the Christian era, and the number seven indicates completeness, showing the messages extend to the end of time and are in force today. The figures are symbolic of God's professed people as wheat developing among tares, with truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error. The message shows Christ weighing the characters of those who take His name, with every individual under His supervision, for He is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word and act, and knows all about each one's religious experience and whom each loves and serves, which calls for close self-examination.

Christ as priest and mediator is now seated with the Father on the Father's throne, on the ground of His sinless life and suffering for fallen people in His intercession for them. There the Father honors the Son as equal with Himself and gives Him authority, so the Son's presence and word carry the Father's authority. This present throne is not yet the throne of His future kingdom of glory, which begins after His mediatorial work ends, when He will receive David's throne and an everlasting kingdom. Jesus ascended to the Father's heavenly throne in the same human form in which the disciples had known Him, and angels assured them He would return in the same manner, which is the hope and joy of those who love Him. He is He whose right it is to reign, having overcome and sharing His Father's throne, and soon He will come and the kingdom will be given to Him and He shall sit upon the throne of His Father.

The verse belongs to the message in which Christ the True Witness examines character and calls to faithfulness in using God-given abilities in service and making truth visible through life and work. Here that call warns that neglecting the work of warning others imperils both the neglectful and those they might have led away from truth. That passage itself does not explain the promise of sitting with Christ on His throne.

Lukewarm Church Described

The church addressed is lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, self-satisfied, self-sufficient, self-deceived, cold and formal in religious life. It says it is rich and increased with goods and has need of nothing, while in truth it is wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, clothed only with self-righteousness. It once knew and loved the truth but has become so like the world that no difference can be seen, with worldly interests choking spiritual growth. The closing promise is given to the one who overcomes that lukewarmness, who buys gold tried in the fire and white raiment and anoints the eyes, who receives rebuke and chastening with zealous repentance, who hears Christ standing at the door knocking and opens to sup with Him, and to him is granted to sit with Him in His throne even as He overcame and sat with His Father. That promise must be heard with an ear alert to what the Spirit says to the churches in order to understand its meaning, before it is too late to find repentance even though sought with tears.

Its condition is marked by pride, worldly ambition, hypocrisy, deception, and boasting offensive to God, bringing glory to men rather than to God. It resists the Spirit, cherishes unbelief, and holds stubborn unbelief refusing to yield even when evidence is piled upon evidence. It professes much while works deny profession, thinks itself clothed with righteousness and with garments of righteousness while unconverted, and threatens the law against opposers. Love of self excludes Christ's love, and first love has lapsed into selfish egotism that Christ regards as nauseating. That self-deceived condition meets rebuke and the need for conversion, lest unfit dress be exposed at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Its spiritual lack is shown in claiming to believe truth while not possessing the power God gives to those who really believe and strive for His image. So God's presence is not in the midst, Christ is not formed within as the hope of glory, and conformity to Him is not seen, while church trials separate members from Christ. True love for God and unselfish love for neighbor have almost become extinct through perverted piety, leaving degraded religionists needing a change of heart that elevates, ennobles and sanctifies. Religion has degenerated to a form, with the Sabbath kept as mere cessation of physical labor instead of a sweet foretaste of the Sabbath above, with religious services and prayer meetings neglected, and with lamps not trimmed and burning to reflect light and glory except feebly. Those who overcome this lukewarm condition will sit with Christ in His throne even as He overcame and sat with His Father.

The Laodicean condition is identified with conduct marked by lack of spiritual discernment and resistance to God's leading. It strengthens itself in its own way, follows impulses of its own mind, refuses to heed the Lord, grows careless about spiritual welfare after once firmly believing truth, and yields without opposition to Satan's plots. While in that condition it puts its own construction on calamity like Job's comforters, searching for something to condemn in another.

The church addressed is not Babylon to be called out of, and the message to pronounce it Babylon and call God's people out does not belong to it nor come from any heavenly messenger or human agent inspired by the Spirit. It is a people to be rebuked, restored, and healed of backsliding for work as salt of the earth, light of the world, and living messengers of a living message in the last days. It is kept as depositaries of the law with sacred trust and eternal truth for the world, and its faults do not blot it out so that it ceases to exist. For wheat and tares, chaff and wheat, grow together until the harvest when angels do the work of separation. The message is given to the organized church to show its dangers and correct its evils rather than as reason to abandon it.

Through the message Christ reproves and chastens the church to restore it, not to destroy, discourage, or dishearten it, wounding only to heal. He rebukes and disciplines those He loves and calls them to be zealous and repent, offering hope even to a church He finds repulsive. Reception would bring thorough reformation, revive living testimony, purge hypocrites and sinners, and restore favor. He points out sins and lays open iniquity among professed law-keepers because He wishes to separate all sin from them that they may perfect holiness, be refined and sanctified and elevated, and finally be exalted as overcomers to sit with Him in His own throne.

Specific applications of this condition include institutions at Battle Creek permeated with the world's spirit and in spiritual danger, where watchmen must warn under the Holy Spirit's inspiration with clear distinct utterance. The Medical Missionary Association in that condition is spiritually unfit to prepare people for judgment, dishonoring God and falling short of its purpose. The present state in California and through churches in America is that Laodicean state, needing to fall upon the Rock and be broken, to arouse and act as one, to be earnest and alive while destruction multiplies and the Lord's day comes as a thief. Tame shiftless camp meetings held in out-of-the-way places to save expense, as if to hide light, are proof of being far behind in spirituality and not in God's order. The rebuke also meets fault-finding, criticism obstructing the Spirit, seeking controlling power over brethren, and publishing opposing views that divide, present broken ranks, and turn warfare weapons against brethren instead of loving one another as Christ loved.

Message for Present Time

The message to which the promise belongs applies to the church of the present day and to the very last days of earth's history in probationary time when each person is deciding eternal destiny. It is part of what was shown to John on Patmos revealing last events, wholly applicable now, with special meaning at this time, truth for this time, present revealed truth being fulfilled today. It is to be given now with distinct and particular evidence, thought on, prayed over, studied verse by verse, and read with prayer for understanding without delay. God will leave no one without opportunity to hear it if willing, and it comes as a gracious call to those cold and formal, self-confident and determined to carry out their own ideas, showing God abhors indifference and calling all who have an ear to repent, overcome, and share the throne.

The promise is the climax of the last message of mercy and last warning to a fallen world given while the third angel's message is proclaimed, and heeding it decides standing with God. Opening the door of the heart to Jesus so He comes in and sups with the believer leads to the promised overcoming, which is triumphing with the third angel's message. Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ are the themes to be presented to a perishing world, and Jesus longs to bestow the richest blessings and make receivers His mouthpieces declaring the grace dwelling in them. Only those sanctified through the truth, who love Him and keep His commandments, will share the throne as the royal family in the heavenly mansions prepared for them, while a lukewarm church stands no more in favor than fallen churches.

The message applies to professed believers and God's people today who may be unconverted and unprepared, including those who have had great light, privileges, Bibles, ministry, testimonies, and positions of trust as depositaries of the law and keepers of eternal truth for the world. It applies to Seventh-day Adventists who know present truth, who have made great profession but have not kept step with their Leader and would be unready if He came today, calling them to overcome and listen to what the Spirit says. It applies to the church in Los Angeles and to churches generally, and most decidedly to those whose experience is insipid and who bear no decided witness. It calls for awakening, a deep work of grace in the heart, earnest prayer, laying aside self-exaltation and pride, coming in childlike trust to receive the Spirit of truth and righteousness, practicing professed truth, building over against one's own house, and walking in the light while a Mediator pleads.

The solemn straight testimony on which the destiny of the church hangs is not smooth or reassuring, for the reproved are not declared nearly right or innocent of the sins for which they are corrected. It must work deep repentance, and all who truly receive it obey it and are purified, exalting the standard and pouring forth straight truth. It causes a shaking and division among God's people because some lightly regard, disregard, resist and rise up against it and will not bear it, while others plead earnestly, and those remaining indifferent are shut in by darkness. Ministers preaching present truth must preach it practically, not neglect it for theory nor smooth it over.

Hardness of heart has kept the message from accomplishing a greater work, yet God has given it time to do its work rather than a few short months. When first presented it led to close examination of heart, confession of sins, seeking vital godliness, giving up the world, turning to the Lord with all the heart, and expectation nearly everywhere that it would end in the loud cry of the third angel. If the counsel had been fully heeded God would have wrought for His people in greater power, while since given it has blessed efforts, brought many souls from error and darkness to rejoice in truth, sent angels in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts, and begun to lift the cause and acquaint His people with their position. It is designed to arouse God's people, discover backslidings, cleanse the heart of sins that shut out Jesus, lead to zealous repentance, favor with Jesus' presence, deep humility, and fitness for the loud cry, but it has not yet produced the expected zealous repentance and loses its influence too soon.

The message containing the promise must be borne to a lukewarm church by God's servants with plain dealing, reproof, power and urgency, with no deception in it, to arouse God's people from security and dangerous deception about real standing before God. If received, it arouses to action and leads to self-abasement and confession of sins, requiring seeing the wrongs and sins that brought wretchedness, blindness and poverty, followed by zealous repentance and putting them away, with wrongs reproved, sins called sins, and iniquity promptly met. Its reception would bring thorough reformation, revive living testimony, purge hypocrites and sinners, restore favor, and exalt Christ's righteousness, so that if opposition succeeded its arousing work would cease and its testimony be silenced. The shortness of time calls for earnest untiring effort amid Satan's powerful deceptions, putting on the whole armor, renewed energy, vigilant action, and calling on angels for aid lest faith be eclipsed and personal religion and heaven be lost.

The message gives hope to churches if heeded, calling members from effortful heartless singing Sabbath after Sabbath to joy in the heart producing inspired thankful song, from self-complacency and lethargy to meekness, humility, true faith and earnest seeking, and from inaction to personal evangelistic labor that invigorates others with gospel hope. Its heart-searching truths bring conviction, and when true faith is exercised God's Spirit molds the soul into a pure holy dwelling with Christ formed within as hope of glory imparting new life. It puts the church to the choice whether to remain in that condition or change, and calls every family to show its true colors by reforming the church in the home, keeping conversation pure and elevating, with parents aroused and converted so sanctification shines in clear rays. The great day of salvation has come, so those who humble themselves in repentance, confession, drawing near to God, fearing to continue in transgression, and believing on the Son will have God draw near and have everlasting life.

The message calls for renewal of the straight testimony of earlier years to revive spiritual life, showing that overcoming and the promised place belong with renewed vitality. It is needed now to bring a higher standard into every school by working in Christ and in Christ's way with meekness and lowliness giving rest even in hardest conflict, rebuking loss of first love, hardness, coldness and want of sympathy except for favorites, and requiring seeking the lost with the Spirit of the true Helper. It is sent to idlers in the vineyard who say they are not qualified, showing God has something for each to do, and each for his own soul must find his fitted work, fill a place, seek wisdom from God alone, search for needy souls as the shepherd searches for lost sheep, study Scripture diligently for himself, and walk carefully and humbly. Its work must be understood and done with careful searching and correction dwelling on great principles of faith rather than tangled minors, since Satan opposes right understanding and remaining in blindness after light leads further into difficulty.

Developing the character it requires is a patient work over time, with angels waiting to weigh moral worth and mark growth, and the Lord Himself in His own time testing character and spewing out the lukewarm, giving time to show whether they will obey. Ministers must not take that work into their hands with hurried fanatical spirit, pushing off those who do not at once meet the standard or refusing association with those they judge spewed out. Its testimony is corrupted when used to judge, control or oppress others or promote fanaticism rather than to examine one's own heart and do one's own work. Overcoming takes time to develop character, and Jesus bears patiently and does not spew out at once, for God weighs and reads the heart, lets excitement wear off lest there be self-deception, and then proves whether there is obedience from principle and faith rather than mere feeling and fear.

The message pictures the indifference of the church with the emptying, spoiling and burning of the earth very near, and the church must not remain in that indifference but must decide on which side to stand when the Lord comes out of His place to punish inhabitants for iniquity. The promise puts the church to the choice whether to remain in that condition or change position, with change meaning home reform, pure conversation, aroused converted parents, humbled self, repentance, confession, drawing near to God, and believing on the Son. The Laodicean message must be proclaimed to awaken a slumbering church because time is short amid Satan's powerful deceptions, calling for earnest untiring effort.

Christ Overcame for Humanity

Christ did not overcome for Himself, for He was sinless, but for humanity as Captain of salvation, Head of the fallen race, Prince of humanity and second Adam, meeting and overcoming every temptation to which people are subject, beginning where ruin began under the test where Adam failed and passing over the ground where Adam fell without being overcome on one point. Winning the reward requires overcoming as He overcame in a real battle against a wily foe through temptation, trial, toil, conflict and suffering, not by any easy or common effort, and His earthly life of infinite sacrifice conquering the prince of darkness is the pattern to imitate. No one can win this conflict by personal strength, but through His merits, divine help and the special help of the great Conqueror, received by helpless dependence upon the Rock, victory can be claimed and the overcomer become more than a conqueror and be granted to sit with Him.

He clothed divinity with humanity in human likeness, laid off His kingly crown, laid aside His royal robe and scepter, stepped down from His throne of highest command, humbled Himself as a little child growing from childhood to manhood in common family duties united with father and mother, because no one could see Him in full glory and live. He took position beside and at the head of humanity with human arm reaching every living soul and divine arm grasping the throne of the Infinite, disguising His holy mission by assuming the likeness of man, meeting all evil tendencies to which man is heir and buffeted by human agencies inspired by Satan, yet living a perfect consistent life with Not My human will but Thy will always uppermost. In love He reveals the Father, reconciles man to God, and makes him a new creature renewed after the image of Him who created him, through a complete offering and infinite sacrifice.

He was tempted in all points as humans are, in human nature with its infirmities, liabilities and temptations, exercising in His own behalf no power unavailable to man but overcoming in God-given strength through full dependence on God and faith in divine power. By the aid of the same divine power which He received it is possible for man to obey God's holy law and keep His Father's commandments, manifesting God's love, justice and the immutability of His law, testifying to fallen humanity and unfallen worlds that man can keep the commandments through divine power granted from heaven, with assurance that no one will be tempted above what he is able. He clothed divinity with humility without violating any principle of human nature, enduring every temptation that besets man, calling to His aid the powers of heaven, keeping the holy law through humiliation, suffering and the cross, learning obedience, enduring self-denial, trial, toil, conflict and suffering to succor the tempted, so His earthly life is the pattern and rule of life through combined divine and human forces united by love and cooperation.

His wilderness victory included a nearly six-week fast of forty days while faint from hunger, enduring keen pangs of appetite, physical suffering and mental anguish, assailed with fiercest temptations, resisting Satan to rescue humanity from the fall's degradation, breaking appetite's power and impressing the duty of obedience. He began redeeming humanity where its ruin began, since Adam fell through indulging appetite, and His victory over appetite won through divine power joined with His humanity on humanity's behalf makes overcoming possible for followers, even those enslaved by appetite, and raised humanity's moral value before God. Overcoming as He overcame therefore includes fighting evil and mastering appetite, and those who succeed in this struggle are promised a place with Him on His throne.

He overcame by finishing His work on earth, enduring crucifixion, mockery and derision while traveling on foot and teaching people with a voice that reached their hearts, trusting His Father in obedience even when He had no bright hope or assurance of acceptance, and through His death Satan was defeated. Then He returned to His heavenly home to take His place again by His Father's side upon His throne of light and glory, and people who live in obedience may finally be exalted to God's throne. His faithful suffering and death, followed by resurrection and ascent to the Father where He received power and authority and gave gifts to disciples, show His overcoming. Those who come repentant are received and pardoned, and His victory and enthronement secure the welcome and inheritance of those accepted in Him as joint heirs sharing His suffering and glorification, whom He will raise to His throne as heirs of the inheritance He purchased with His blood.

His triumph is the example and safe pattern believers follow, calling them to reject appetite and amusements leading to excess, levity and forgetfulness of God, to compare life with His, to endure God's testing and remain loyal, and to follow Him in self-denial and victory through temptation, obstacles, toil and suffering rather than seeking pleasure and avoiding sacrifice. Overcoming means walking the same path He travelled and enduring test and trial as He endured it, denying self and taking up the cross daily, standing firm through temptation and not merely encountering it, keeping God's holy law as a true human being through faith in divine power to help in every emergency, tempted in all points yet without sin, showing what man can do through faith. Those who refuse faint-heartedness, behave with dignity under trials and temptations with courage and fortitude, and overcome as He the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief overcame, will share His throne, preserving the love of Jesus and presenting truth as it is in Him.

His exaltation to God's throne exalts believers to a seat with Him, an honor following His unparalleled humility in bowing down. In the mystery of God in the flesh, God in Christ, divinity in humanity, He bowed so that in His exaltation He might exalt believers, humbled Himself and endured the cross so they might be lifted to purity, holiness, completeness and royal glory and become partakers of it. Those who look to Jesus in faith for healing from the wounds and bruises caused by sin are made whole. Through His humiliation, sacrifice and mighty offering He reveals the Father, reconciles man to God, makes him a new creature renewed in the Creator's image, restores obedience and favor, gives forgiveness and peace, changes and purifies, conquers appetite, love of the world and honor, and prideful display through which Satan sought ruin, makes a righteous character for people who could not do so for themselves, and makes it possible to save completely those who come to God through Him and become more than conquerors.

His temptations and victories in that severe conflict reveal the greatness of the work of overcoming before His followers, for Satan knew that defeating Christ would mean victory over the entire human race and, as he believed, establishment of his own life and kingdom.

Power to Overcome

No one can win the conflict of overcoming by personal effort, own strength, good resolutions, worldly or spiritual advantages, easier circumstances, or an impetuous changeable disposition, for victory depends on Christ's merits, divine help, and the special help of the great Conqueror. It is received by falling helpless, suffering and needy upon Christ as the Rock, with inward conviction that all personal effort without Him is without avail, by helpless dependence, surrender, faith, prayer, and the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. When that helpless dependence is exercised, every angel will be sent out of glory to rescue the trusting one from the enemy rather than let him fall, and even inherited or cultivated tendencies can be overcome, as Christ Himself depended wholly on God. Christ's divinity joined to His humanity enables Him to give believers what they need to overcome as He did, His forty-day fast brought light on overcoming appetite including mastery of what to eat and drink so the mind is not beclouded and there is freedom in prayer, and His victory over every temptation shows the power of grace that lifts from slavery to Satan into the family of the heavenly King. Living faith that claims God's still freely available power leads upward to God and glory while unbelief leads downward to darkness and death, this little earthly life amounts to little because the earth will soon pass away, and what matters is building work that will stand as gold and precious stones rather than hay and stubble to be consumed by the fires of the last days.

Christ's victory makes it possible for every soul to overcome on his own account in his own behalf in the name and strength of Jesus, for He came and fought the battles with Satan on behalf of humanity and overcame the foe. Divine power joins human effort so believers become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust, and as Overcomer He gives His victory to followers who unite weakness to His strength and worthlessness to His merits and, sustained by His enduring might, resist in His all-powerful name. The same power that enabled Him, the only begotten Son in God's express image living a perfect life in human likeness to place man on vantage ground, is placed at man's disposal so victory in the conquest against evil is possible, and moral power is thus made available so they can overcome as He did while bearing humanity. Overcoming means receiving and believing in Christ as personal Saviour, receiving power to become sons of God, undergoing entire transformation of character with the striving soul cooperating with Christ, leaving no sin unconfessed and unrepented of, practicing the example of Substitute and Surety, walking in implicit obedience, and winning the crown with the record of overcoming through the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. Every evil and defect must be overcome through the strength He gives or it will shut one out of heaven, there is no spiritual growth without personally considering and deciding with determination to be an overcomer, and the oft-repeated promises belong not to one overcome by perverted appetite but only to him who is an overcomer.

Believers overcome by coming to Him to receive strength sufficient for every time of need, joining weakness to His enduring might, entrusting helplessness to Him and clinging more firmly as temptation grows fiercer. Those who stand firmly on God as Father and Christ as Helper need not yield to temptation, for continual resistance is their only hope, and the way He made by His death enables victory over every evil temper, sin and temptation. His victory over Satan's temptations in the wilderness is the example and ground for their own overcoming, but it benefits no one unless each person also gains victory personally, with strength provided in Christ's name through His miracle-working power rather than their own strength, making them more than conquerors. This overcoming involves human effort cooperating with God's work within, for Christ took humanity and died to make it possible to share the divine nature.

Overcoming is gained in and through Jesus Christ by fervent prayer in faith for the Holy Spirit's power and grace, by drawing nigh to God and seeking Him, by putting away wrongs, confessing sins, and by reading and obeying the Word with soul, body and spirit devoted to the Lord. Every sincere surrender of self in this overcoming brings victory and is faithfully recorded by angels, and prayer and communion with God bring grace, strength and power to resist Satan and gain victory in temptation, following Christ's victory as pattern. Believers overcome by praying to the heavenly Father as Christ did, not continuing in sin as if victory were impossible but putting away every spot or wrinkle of character defilement now in order to be without spot or wrinkle. It is done by trusting in the blood of Christ to wash defilement away, believing Christ is personal Saviour today who cleanses from all unrighteousness, resisting Satan when tempted to speak wrong and do wrong, refusing to surrender the will to his control, and cooperating with divine power to be conqueror through grace with His victory as pattern.

As Christ overcame, believers may overcome in the same way and so live with Him through the eternal ages by living His life here, fighting against self, refusing selfish inclinations, being governed by His Spirit and being transformed in character. Those who walk in God's way may have that same power Christ asked and received to enable Him to overcome when He met the foe single-handed as they must meet him, with the same angels that ministered to Christ ministering to them and with God working in and with them to will and to do of His good pleasure. Only a religion formed after the divine pattern will endure, only by striving to live Christ's life now can a person prepare to live with Him forever, for what is of value in this life will be of value in the life to come and a person's future is decided by the way he now allows himself to be influenced. Believers overcome through Christ's help and by beholding Him which changes them into His likeness, not in one's own strength, for He helps in every trial and gives strength to resist sin. He provides the strength, grace, purity and righteousness needed to turn from sin and pursue holiness by abiding in Him, drawing nourishment from Him, receiving His Spirit and walking as He walked, and those who are faithful and become like Him will be ready to meet Him when He returns.

Fallen men and women may overcome as Christ overcame and be brought into oneness with Him, because Christ took the humanity of man and became subject to temptation, endangering as it were His divine attributes, with Satan seeking by constant and curious devices of cunning to make Him yield, and Christ overcame every temptation Satan brought against Him in man's behalf so man must pass over the ground Christ passed over. Through grace given in connection with God, as partakers of the divine nature, through toil and patient trust and faith in Jesus Christ and faithful continuance in well-doing, the human agent gains victory and honor day by day, rises to spiritual victory, is placed on vantage ground, and is carried forward by divine culture to perfection, becoming bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh in a peculiar oneness that angels can never know. The promise that overcoming and sharing His throne is salvation that God Himself enables in answer to prayer belongs to all who lay hold of the merits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood. The condition is being in harmony with the law of God, forsaking all unrighteousness and complying with the conditions, and then all heaven is opened to prayer, while by studying the Bible, finding the Saviour's words of encouragement and appropriating His promises, believers gain strength to overcome temptations that grow stronger and more subtle as the end draws near, and by partaking of His divine nature become overcomers who see His face and sit with Him.

No one overcomes in his own strength but only by the power of Christ, requiring earnest wholehearted cooperation with Christ, constrained by His love, filled with the Holy Spirit, and strengthened by obedience to Thou shalt and Thou shalt not, using every power to combat Satan's falsehoods and break down his strongholds. It requires binding interests closely up with Christ and discerning between the sacred and the common, work done by those who have received light in this way bears His signature and this alone gives it value, and those who so overcome are precious in God's sight, worth far more than millionaires, with treasure laid up beside the throne of God. Christ overcame as a man so every person might be an overcomer, meeting sore temptation with knowledge of Scripture as He met Satan with It is written, and the high and holy privilege of overcoming through power imparted from above belongs to those who conscientiously do all in their power to cooperate with the Source of strength. In Him the weakness of humanity was united with the strength of divinity, He was tempted in all points like human beings yet without sin so He knows how to succor the tempted, and because His human nature was united with divinity every young man and woman who chooses to follow His footsteps may be a partaker of the divine nature and escape corruption through lust by giving all diligence to add to faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. Christians overcome as Christ overcame through the strength Jesus gives, not their own, for temptation is not sin unless cherished, and by faith the tempted entrust the struggle and helplessness to Christ and cling to Him, His power making them more than conquerors, endurance of temptation cultivating patience, and resisters commended as participants in His conflict against evil. Those who look to Jesus in faith for healing from the wounds and bruises caused by sin are made whole, and His humility and exaltation make it possible for believers to be exalted to a seat with Him.

What Overcoming Involves

Overcoming is an individual work required of everyone who hopes to enter the holy city and see the King in His beauty, and the reward of sitting with Christ in His throne is not for everyone who merely professes to follow Him. Those who fail to overcome will not see Him, while those who enter God's city do so as conquerors looking to Jesus and receiving His robe of righteousness. The promise must be personally considered and decided upon with determination to be an overcomer, since there is no spiritual growth without it, and the oft-repeated promises belong not to one overcome by perverted appetite but only to him who practices the example of his Substitute and Surety, walks in implicit obedience, and wins the crown with the record of overcoming through the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony.

Winning the reward requires overcoming as Christ overcame in a real battle against a wily foe, through warfare, trial, toil, conflict, suffering and great tribulation, not by any easy or common effort. It is not easy and not child's play, requiring constant striving through faith and perfect obedience with diligence, vigilance and earnest human effort, and no one is borne aloft to an incorruptible inheritance without effort on his part. To look back is to grow dizzy, to let go is to perish, and relaxing diligence leads to selfishness and self-indulgence, yet overcoming is a victory God desires and sin can disqualify but does not make repentance and righting wrongs too late.

Overcoming is a lifelong day-by-day conflict and march with no time for carelessness and no rest except by constant unceasing effort. It requires watching, giving up sin, doubts and darling sins, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, striking at the root instead of resting content with surface work, turning meditation, planning, thought, effort, talent and energy from business and worldly gain to eternal interests, and intensely making calling and election sure without drawing back. To fail is to lose heaven and the unfading crown, and that earnest work for one's own soul produces love and labor to uplift perishing souls and to labor for the conversion of others.

Overcoming calls for personal ambition, zeal and earnest effort for everlasting life equal to effort for worldly pursuits, with constant watchfulness and severe conflict because Satan watches for an unguarded moment to seize precious graces. No sluggard or indolent person can drift into heaven, but those who enter strive to gain entrance, learn the kingdom's laws, yoke with Christ, wrestle day after day with hereditary and cultivated tendencies until crucified, labor together with God, continue unwearied in prayer with mind turned heavenward for the Holy Spirit's help while using every provided means, and resist every sinful indulgence and inclination to gratify wrong desires. No one can be indifferent as if another were living the life for him, for each must obtain experience for himself and faithfully act his own part, and retaining heavenly grace or regaining what was lost must be fought for.

Overcoming must begin now before becoming established in satanic ways, since the church on earth is militant not yet triumphant. It wars not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places, with every kind of sophistry and fallacy to meet, requiring putting on every piece of the whole armor of God and standing. It requires watching over one's own soul and over connected souls, with the Holy Spirit working upon the mind for development of character to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, showing oneself approved in lot and place, and fighting the armies of darkness with Jesus Christ as Leader and Captain of the Lord's host, the same Leader who led Israel through the wilderness.

Overcoming is not by belief alone while doing nothing but work added to belief, requiring thorough obedience, holding the beginning of confidence steadfast to the end, walking in the commandments, and striving to overcome in the way Christ overcame by whole-hearted obedience to all God's commandments with real virtue and symmetrical character. It requires studying His life and being as He was, watching against self-will and self-chosen ways, giving up spiritual evils and natural dispositions strengthened by habit that rule over reason even when turning from inclination and human standard to God's great moral standard is unpleasant. Temptations must be met and resisted rather than yielded to, for yielding puts a person on the losing side until defeat becomes habit and reveals choice of Satan's principles rather than Christ's, and every evil and defect must be overcome or one will be shut out of heaven, on conditions of faith and obedience with honest dealing with self, looking unto Jesus to be changed into His image.

Overcoming is joined with heeding Christ's remedy with active faith, receiving rebuke, repenting and returning to love and faithful obedience. It means opening the heart for the Holy Spirit to abide and Satan to be expelled from the soul temple, making needed confessions, humbling self, obeying truth, separating from sin, righting every known wrong, believing God accepts, and taking God at His word with believing as part of the work. The promise belongs with hearing Him and opening the door to fellowship with Him, and calls for zeal and repentance in response to His rebuke and chastening.

The promise requires seeing the wrongs and sins that brought wretchedness, blindness and poverty, arousing to zealous repentance and putting them away. Wrongs must be reproved, sin called sin and iniquity promptly and decidedly met and put away, and this pointed testimony must live in the church. Overcoming means obeying the True Witness from principle and faith, not merely from feeling and fear stirred by the solemn message, standing through each test even when it requires giving up cherished idols, selfishness, pride and evil passions, and it takes time to develop character while Jesus bears patiently and God weighs and proves whether there will be obedience. Those who refuse purification by obeying the truth remain unprepared, but those who heed, accept each test and overcome whatever stands between them and Jesus will share His victory and be fitted by the latter rain for translation.

Overcoming means becoming like Christ in character by His grace, living the life He lived, standing faithful while tested, with mind, heart and character purified and refined until a perfect Christian character in Christlikeness is formed with no halfway work. This fits a person for the royal family and for membership among children of the heavenly King to compose the settlement of the earth made new, and the seat with Christ is the prize of living interest given to all who so overcome, including students tested at school, as a prize worth striving for. Sitting with Him requires aiming at His faultless, meek and lowly perfection, taking Him as model to learn of and imitate, bringing even thoughts into subjection to His will, closely searching the heart, dying to self daily, mastering actions and controlling inward emotions, obtaining strength and grace to cultivate self-control and exhibit the Spirit's graces, which brings cheerfulness, made possible because His divinity joined to humanity enables Him to give what is needed.

Poor mortals reach heaven only by overcoming as Christ overcame by assimilation to His image with spotless character. That begins with reformation at home in affection, tenderness, refinement and courtesy and putting away selfish, coarse, harsh, unfeeling and ungenerous traits. Only those who overcome as He did will sit with Him and gain heaven and eternal life, meaning conquering hasty temper and every defect, subduing the evil heart, and overcoming Satan's temptations as Christ overcame by coming nearer to Christ to be imbued with His Spirit, imitating His example, learning of Him, and cultivating watchfulness and prayer to rightly represent the faith. Christ was a perfect overcomer, so those who overcome must be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, without spot or blemish, at cost of strong effort, constant watchfulness and persevering prayer, which also increases happiness on earth by consciousness of duty performed and by greater respect and love of others.

Sitting with Christ is granted only to the overcomer, requiring that self die and Christ's life be represented by a material change of way, spirit and self-set standard. It requires submitting to God's way instead of asking God to grant rest and victory in one's own way over an envious, jealous spirit, overcoming stubborn unyielding disposition, no longer strengthening evil-surmising and hatred by words, deportment or cherished heart indulgence, and bracing up with determined resolve to overcome. It requires walking in self-denial and self-sacrifice, lifting and bearing His cross, asking the Holy Spirit to convince of sin and give closer acquaintance with objectionable traits and deeper consciousness of inward wickedness so as to hate natural evil, working toward the right with all God-given capabilities without discouragement, ceasing former works and doing Christ's works as always a blessing, and studying His life to improve in sanctified courtesy, amiability and grace of love, thus preparing for the royal family.

Overcoming as Christ overcame is through humility, self-surrender and self-sacrificing love rather than self-exaltation or ambition. The one nearest Christ is the one who has most deeply lived His love: giving all, serving and laboring for others' salvation even unto death rather than seeking personal honor, as illustrated by a life ready to die. Throne and crown are tokens of character formed through self-conquest by His grace, not rewards of favoritism or arbitrary appointment, and by self-denial Christ redeems the dominion lost through desire for self-exaltation, so that those who overcome in His way become heirs with Him when the meek inherit the new earth where righteousness dwells and death, sorrow, sin and curse are gone.

Reigning with Christ is granted only to him that overcomes by not living to gratify self but living for Christ and His little ones. The true disciple sacrifices ease, pleasure, comfort, convenience, will and selfish wishes for His cause, laying them as sacrifice on the altar of faith and hope and finding happiness in making others happy. Without this sacrifice there is no reigning with Him, and no one can expect a place while refusing the cross, living for selfish pleasure, idling time in foolish talk, doing no good and taking no part in God's work, for continuing that trifling indifferent self-pleasing course will never enter heaven and is an offense to God.

Sharing His triumph requires self-denial, costly sacrifice and sharing His sufferings rather than choosing ease or yielding to circumstances. Those who choose ease will not gain firm faith nor know the peace and joy of victory, while the redeemed in white before God and the Lamb have overcome through great tribulation and endured the conflict of overcoming. Sharing His throne follows the path He took through suffering and daily march toward perfection, and in coming anguish each must stand alone with no other's righteousness saving him, not even that of Noah, Job or Daniel.

Overcoming as Christ overcame means resisting Satan and temptation, exercising self-denial, firmly battling wrong, subduing natural inclinations and desires instead of serving God at will or pleasure, gaining moral sinew and spiritual strength, crucifying self and overcoming favorite sins and selfishness with heart anguish in humility, meekness and true holiness, sustained by divine grace as moral power and oil in the vessel. Such will stand in glory among the blood-washed throng that came up through great tribulation, while those who remain indifferent, inefficient, yielding and pliable to wrong will fail of everlasting life, so the work must be done now or never.

Overcoming includes self-control, enduring trial for His sake, cooperation with God in mind and obedience, giving up sin rather than relying on wealth, and overcoming all that is disagreeable in self. It includes overcoming anger, bitter speech, pride, envy, faultfinding, criticism, hardness of heart, impetuous temper, extravagant dress and self-exaltation by meekness, as well as lusts, rebellion, worldly mirth and union with the world, and helping others to overcome. Speech and spirit are God-given talents to be used for His glory, mind, opportunities, abilities and effort are to be used in His service in obedience to His commands, and those who obstruct His work by faultfinding and criticism while claiming to believe must leave that position, open the door, come to His side and overcome.

Overcoming means resisting temptation and daily overcoming defects of character as Christ overcame, and by resisting or enduring temptation through the will in Jesus' name a person controls circumstances and cherishes Christ within, with faith as the victory that overcomes the world. It means holding fast to living faith through trial rather than surrendering when dark clouds come, keeping thoughts on Jesus and His character, for faith that continues to trust His promises grows stronger and leads to final victory as He overcame.

Overcoming means remaining faithful through trials and Satan's temptations, following Jesus' example and meeting temptation with the truth of God's word, fighting spiritual powers as He did in continual struggle. Yet when His peace enters the heart a person can stay calm and patient even in severe trials.

Overcoming as Christ overcame includes victory over depraved appetite and soul-and-body-destroying habits, requiring temperance, self-denial after His example, and human effort cooperating with Christ. Without such victory a person cannot share His throne, in contrast to drunkards who will not inherit God's kingdom, and indulgence creates unnatural desires leading to ruin. His words as I also overcame show that followers' temptations and victories are like His in kind, for His overcoming was not for Himself since He was sinless but for humanity as Captain of salvation enduring temptation and self-denial to succor the tempted.

Overcoming means resisting appetite and temptation through self-denial and enduring suffering as Christ did in the wilderness, and refusing that struggle is refusing to overcome as the Redeemer overcame. Claiming a harmful habit cannot be overcome is yielding to Satan's power, with obedience to God's law and faith in Jesus as the means, including resistance to intemperance and tobacco. Overcoming as He overcame means refusing to let habit master reason and instead subjecting appetites and passions to reason's control by persevering self-denial, for He overcame by enduring physical suffering and mental anguish in the wilderness on man's account. It requires moral courage to restrain taste, diet, alcohol and tobacco and to endure suffering until abused nature recovers and healthy action is established, for the path of obedience to physical and moral law is the only path to heaven.

Overcoming requires temperance in all things, especially eating and drinking, including warfare of the physical nature against the spiritual, in which every perverted appetite becomes a warring lust against the soul. Taste indulged injures physical strength and causes disease of the soul, and the lust to be overcome is not confined to the seventh commandment but includes every indulgence weakening the body. Special victories and higher attainments come only through strict temperate habits and abstaining from fleshly lusts, with the light God has given as guide and help. True overcoming cannot be separated from self-control, for professed Christians who excuse enslavement to tobacco, gluttony, drunkenness or smoking while talking of overcoming are being overcome, not overcoming as Christ overcame, blunting sensibilities and offering worship that offends a holy God. Learning to overcome that way beginning in babyhood includes refusing wine, beer, strong drink, liquor and tobacco.

Overcoming is connected with denying perverted appetite and following health reform, for temperance in eating and drinking helps keep mind and body fit for service. It requires decided reform in habits of economy and appetite guided by principle rather than impulse, and overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies involves right habits of eating and drinking with simple food for children and avoiding stimulants and meat that make children nervous, peevish, irritable, passionate and impatient of restraint, destroying mind, soul and body. The verse calls for reform in God's institutions because they have become permeated with the world's spirit, and calls all to bear decided testimony for health reform, including that meat should not be placed before patients in sanitariums.

Confessing Christ and sharing the throne require having His mind and Spirit shown outwardly in Christlike character, humility, heavenly speech, blameless conduct and fruits of the Spirit, learned by studying His life, with watchfulness, perseverance and prayer. Mere profession contradicted by works will not receive it.

Overcoming is shown in whole-hearted unselfish service, winning souls, partaking of His sufferings, bearing fruit that withstands God's law, trading every talent, witnessing by good works, answering calls from unworked fields, laboring for others' conversion, thorough home work and training children, humbly counseling in unity, and fair dealing toward differing views. A great reward is promised to those devoting abilities to doing His words and turning many to righteousness, and as partakers of His sufferings here they will be partakers of His glory and sit with Him. Laying up treasure beside His throne by leading souls to love Him, obtaining grace and giving it to others, and persevering faithfulness in soul-winning is rewarded with a place with Him.

The verse puts a personal question whether each person is overcoming or being overcome by lusts, appetites and passions, making victory over sinful desire the condition for sharing His throne. Unless selfishness and hard temper are repented of and overcome, they imperil eternal life and would mar heaven's joy. Refusing to overcome by building barriers to maintain dignity, hugging slavery's chain, choosing the deceiver's image, and closing the ear to the Spirit brings eternal loss, exposure of false profession at judgment when works are opened, and loss of all value in this life and the eternal weight of glory. Through its setting the verse warns that those refusing to repent will face judgment when recorded actions are revealed and no later confession can undo the course, for it is spoken in probationary time when each is deciding destiny and calls for choosing Christ's image rather than the arch deceiver's and accepting freedom rather than slavery.

Reward of Overcomers

The reward is future and conditional, not to be claimed as saved now, and it is sharing Christ's reign, exaltation and glory through eternity, represented by sitting with Him on His throne and wearing a crown. It means entering the golden gates and holy city with the nations that keep truth, walking with Christ in white, remaining in the book of life, being acknowledged before the Father and angels, receiving the crown of immortality, a life that measures with the life of God, and eternal life in the kingdom of glory. This promised honor is immortal and makes friendship with the world a lesser choice than giving Christ affection and service. It is given only to him that overcomes, so no one enters by believing alone while doing nothing, but by work added to belief, watching against self-will, and giving up spiritual evils and natural dispositions that rule over reason.

Those who overcome the devil's temptations will sit with Christ and rule in the earth made new, even as Christ overcame and sat with the Father, and no one will share that rule without overcoming. The meek will inherit the earth, which is the new earth where righteousness dwells and death, sorrow, sin and the curse are gone, restoring what was lost when sin ended the first parents' dominion. Christ gives help to everyone who cooperates with divine power, for as Head of the fallen race and Prince of humanity He learned obedience to provide a perfect example. Overcoming is through humility and self-surrender rather than self-exaltation, and those who overcome become heirs with Christ.

Eternal life comes through union with Christ and is available to those who accept Him as Saviour, distinct from having a name to live while spiritually dead. The promise follows conversion, when God's power takes hold of the soul and the door of the heart is opened to Christ. It belongs to all who receive Christ by faith, live the new life, become sons and daughters of God, and live in holy union with Him, justified and sanctified. It belongs to covenant people who heed what the Spirit says to the churches, keep every precept of God's law, and remain loyal to Jehovah, for only in such loyalty can they be subjects of His kingdom.

All identified with Christ and bound up in Him will share His glory on His throne, and fallen man is exalted in the exalted Christ. This comes through conversion, sanctification through truth by grace, formation of acceptable character, and wholly relying on God. There is no uncertainty about being washed white in the Lamb's blood, and the fragrance of His blood is the odor of the overcomer's perfection. Those who receive Him as personal Saviour become sons of God, His chosen ones and joint-heirs embraced in the Father's acceptance of the Son, overcoming as He overcame and sharing by covenant redemption in His exaltation.

Christ asks for His people, who have overcome through faith in His blood, to share His glory and sit with Him just as He overcame and sits with His Father. Their reward includes pardon and justification, restoration to humanity's Eden home and first dominion, and honor as joint-heirs with Christ. Redemption rests on the sacrifice made for the fallen race and the infinite price paid, which makes provision for people to share God's throne. Coming to Christ brings cleansing, refinement and acceptance through His atoning blood, open even to the guilty, but coming is not forced.

Christ's sinless humiliation and sacrifice make it possible for the redeemed to be lifted up and share His throne as joint heirs. He will raise the redeemed to share His throne and everlasting life, seeking and saving those lost in sin and death, yet He does not force entry and people must welcome Him. Those who receive Him make room for His presence, share in His work of saving others, and receive the blessing He offers. The Saviour will place immortal crowns on those rescued from death, representing the redeemed from every nation who will rise at His return.

Their greatest joy will be being in the presence of the enthroned Christ, whose glorified body still bears the marks of Calvary. The promise points to entering God's city when the dead are raised, the living changed from mortal to immortal, both caught up to meet the Lord, receiving crowns then casting them at Jesus' feet in praise. Those sharing His throne will have abundant entrance into God's kingdom, more than permission, escorted in triumph and welcomed to its joys. This belongs to those honoring life by well-doing and advancing in Bible sanctification, and to those who use talents to bless others and form character through divine help, overcoming Satan through divine aid to be admitted to share its privileges.

Overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil as Christ overcame in humanity's behalf gives access to the tree of life and to the knowledge that gives that access. Christ came to cut human beings loose from sin's originator, give mastery over the destroyer, save from the serpent's sting, and through imparted righteousness place them on vantage ground. He lived God's law so man can stand in God-given manhood with mastery over self-indulgence and selfish ideas, with pride as sin expelled, wisdom given, victory over warring lusts, and every facility for completeness of character. Sitting with Him means everlasting life and eternal weight of glory where life measures with God's life, with streets of pure gold and the tree of life for healing nations, without sickness, sorrow, pain or death.

Sitting with Him requires giving all to Jesus, lifting His cross which lifts the lifter as pledge of everlasting life, denying self at every step as Christ did, and keeping the Father's commandments to have right to the tree and entrance through the gates. Eternal life in the haven of eternal bliss is given to no one without overcoming every sin and to no one except through divine grace. Overcoming means loving God wholly and neighbor as self, keeping commandments, faithfulness in home life, claiming promises in prayer, discharging duties, with the Lord present by His Spirit to guide. It is gained with Christ as Advocate who knows every weakness and answers whole-hearted prayer lived out in action, bringing the Spirit's sweet influence.

Those who overcome through faith and persevere in following Christ will share His throne as eternal reward for victory through experience in faith, following costly obedience and suffering with Him until warfare is over. Fallen humanity rescued from Satan's power and restored to God can endure the test through faith and be clothed in Christ's righteousness. The reward comes at last when every case is decided and each is rewarded according to works, requiring lifelong persevering self-denial, warfare, watchfulness and prayer with no unguarded moment because Satan never sleeps. The verse shows the honor and glory awaiting the ransomed overcomer, for whom Christ died to elevate, ennoble, give a royal diadem, live in His presence and share His throne.

This is fully understood only by valuing immortality and sensing the second death's pains, and is especially precious to soul-winners when they and those saved behold the redeemed as sharers of His throne. Jesus with infinite pity took humanity to touch and lift it, coming to seek the lost and reaching to misery's depth to take man tainted, degraded and depraved and lift him to a seat with Him. Salvation lifts the sinner from degradation, purifies, ennobles and raises him to honor with Christ, with beholding Jesus transforming him. The verse is an exaltation for fallen humanity and a hope for His people when He comes, where faith brings His virtue and prepares for service and kingdom.

The exalted destiny made possible is that people can be redeemed, raised to share God's throne, inherit immortal riches, belong to the heavenly King's family, and receive an immortal inheritance of royal honor. Those who overcome through Christ will be redeemed and share close unity with Him, elevated and made pure with character like God's, which prepares them to dwell with God. The redeemed must be overcomers, pure and one with Christ, developing character as counterpart of God's character, for none else can dwell in heaven, made possible because Christ gave His blood as ransom and brings life and immortality to light. The promise reveals God's glory in creating man in His image and redeeming him, showing one soul worth more than a world, calling for divine perception to know Christ's love and be filled with God's fullness.

The verse promises a glory awaiting the overcomer, seen by faith by commandment-keeping people who therefore work with hope and courage while showing Christ's grace transforming hearts. Contemplating through Scripture how through His humiliation and victory people may be raised to share His throne purifies and ennobles the student. Christ's followers overcome through trials and suffering as He did, and overcomers will share His reign, with trials testing faith like gold so He can present His people without spot. The heart's desire should be to share His sufferings in order to reign with Him, for He laid aside honor, took humanity, and overcame step by step even to death to show how to overcome.

Those who remain true will share His exaltation, for He will raise them to His throne and make them heirs of the inheritance He purchased with His blood, following the pattern by which He overcame and was enthroned. Bound to God's throne by His love, they receive power to resist evil and persevere through obstacles, just as Christ lived and worked with enduring faith. Their lives may appear as defeats, but victories will be recognized hereafter, with heaven's power made available to them. Overcoming must follow Christ's example, with obedience and submission the conditions for belonging to God's family and receiving immortal glory.

Jesus gives power so followers may overcome through His name, develop Christian character as He did in their behalf, and gain heaven by conquering temptation even under bodily suffering, infirmity, pain and sleeplessness by trusting Jesus and speaking faith. This means overcoming temptation to make excuses, to speak unchristlike words, and to act unlovely, by grace sufficient for all ills, right words, faith and courage, always praying, sincere prayer mingled with His blood's efficacy, and holy boldness claiming God's pledged word in whole surrender. The promise is only to overcomers who follow His footsteps through trials, refuse the side of transgressors, stand under His banner at enmity with sin and Satan, daily gain understanding of God's will, and improve talents under the oversight of the One who paid infinite price. It is the opportunity to sit beside Him for those who overcome by the Lamb's blood and word of testimony.

The overcomer's reward follows progress in Christian character and gives abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. Sharing His throne is the future reward for faithful service tied to completing one's work well and laying aside the armor only when done, with faithful service leading when Christ comes to the crown of life granted to every overcomer. Overcomers may share His throne following His example, as He resisted temptation beginning where ruin began with appetite and His long fast strengthened Him to endure. His victory over appetite through divine power joined with humanity on humanity's behalf makes overcoming possible, raised humanity's moral value, and encourages the struggling that godly people may overcome through the Lamb's blood and word of testimony.

Sitting with Christ is given to those who overcome as He overcame, with perfection attained not easily but through conflict and daily march, entering the kingdom through much tribulation. It means partaking with Him in suffering, learning obedience by suffering, and meeting trials without timidity, complaint or faint-heartedness, following Christ the Man of Sorrows as example for living and representing heaven's character. Those who overcome through the Lamb's blood will share heaven's treasures and have a place at God's right hand praising Him with immortal tongues. Christ pledges help to all who join His army against seen and unseen enemies, promising joint heirship, rule as kings and priests, and a place with Him for those choosing to suffer with God's people rather than enjoy sin's pleasures.

The verse directs His people beyond this life to the great future eternal weight of glory, belonging to those who fear God rather than man and will not go against conscience when proscribed and opposed by laws enforcing their own standard while God's law is trampled. Those with eye single to God's glory lay hold of the promise by looking continually to Jesus as author and finisher of faith. Those who overcome in the way required, heeding the True Witness's counsel, obeying truth, standing through each test even when giving up idols, selfishness, pride and evil passions, are fitted by the latter rain for translation.

Call to Respond Now

The promise to share Christ's throne belongs to those who hold fast, repent and overcome, submitting the will to be corrected and molded, guarding diligently, remaining true under testing, understanding His will, doing healthy action in the church, consecrating fully, practicing Bible principles, becoming burning lights whose holy life revives the church, coming out to be separate, walking humbly, and getting ready to meet the soon-coming Lord, for each has a soul to save or lose and it is not too late.

It is Jesus speaking to the present lukewarm church that claims to be rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing while wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, calling it to be zealous and repent of worldly-mindedness, selfishness, covetousness and love of the world that sets affections on earth. Earthly treasures lent by God are blessings when rightly used and cheerfully spent to advance His cause, but many love this world and earthly treasure better than Jesus and heaven and eternal life and with that treasure will perish, and unless the church speedily arouses from sleepiness and world-love it will go into darkness, be ensnared, and be overcome by the enemy instead of overcoming to sit with Him.

The message applies to those who professed to follow Jesus but dishonored their profession by false paths until corrupted and leavened, and sitting with Him and having eternal life are given only to him that overcomes by seeing sinfulness, repenting and being converted, ceasing to boast, receiving Christ, wearing His yoke, learning meekness, and doing His works, though appeals have been resisted His hand is still stretched to save all who receive Him. The downcast Laodicean church may arise and share His overcoming as each person individually takes hold in earnest, is zealous and repents, rights every known wrong, believes God accepts him, does not go mourning but takes God at His word, seeks diligently and believes he is received, climbing by faith because He who promised is faithful, with believing itself part of the work.

The message applies to many in New York, joined to seeking gold tried in the fire, white raiment and eyesalve and being zealous and repentant, where zeal is earnest determined effort to conquer worldly selfish love and become consecrated, and heart-culture is necessary to be ready for His coming and enter heaven. The promise is a matter of living interest and a prize worth striving for, an incentive to overcome given by grace to students and others tested as they seek to become like Him, to be heard with an ear alert to the Spirit to understand its meaning, and making a desperate effort is worth it a thousand times over by subduing self and body and coming into close communion so God sanctifies and gives the immortal reward.

The call is to know there is a right side and a wrong side and be on the right side, of highest consequence for young men and women though the largest number as in Noah's day choose the wrong side sustained by popularity, which does not lessen one principle of Jehovah, for gaining the world's pleasures while losing the soul is eternal loss and heaven is worth any cost as shown by God's giving His Son, and overcomers share His victory. Laodiceans are called to make a mighty effort to get victory and sit with Him even as He overcame, by looking to Him as the Pattern and following Him for He is meek and lowly, shutting the eyes to everything but present saving truth.

Heeding means independence from human counsel, humbling before God, drawing near, turning purposes, working out salvation while God works in the heart, and bringing His purity and lowliness into the work. The message applies to many who do not see it applies to them, exposing selfish pride and calling them to fall upon the Rock and be broken and together make decided changes before God and His people, calling for more than common efforts while God works, requiring deep personal interest, afflicting the soul, turning eyes within, mourning, praying and begging for salvation.

The promise is given not to those who give up to darkness and yield to every influence, but to those who overcome as He overcame, meaning standing in the allotted place and work God gives with the whole armor of righteousness and continuing without giving up, refusing to yield to darkness. A deceived brother drunk with worldlings' spirit and unsanctified ambition for worldly praise is called to take the message personally, follow Jesus by coming out and being separate in heavenly wisdom rather than leading astray, for life's gates stand open for return and the blind may have eyes anointed to make no mistake.

The warning not to remain in the Laodicean condition applies to families to reform their homes and faithfully meet God-given responsibilities to children, with each believer having personal responsibility and none excused, requiring cooperating with God, answering calls from unworked fields, laboring for all for whom Christ died, with self-denial. Parents must be overcomers as He overcame to lead children step by step up the heavenward ladder, and children and youth can overcome by knowing the Word, having simplicity of godliness, learning His language, taking hold of the divine nature, being people of prayer, and being brought up without scolding with prayer and forgiveness, for winning heaven requires each person to do something, with youth educated in God to meet temptation.

For a married couple united in God's work, overcoming means being blended to strengthen one another, going wherever heaven's light shines, and doubling influence for higher future work, and believers can strengthen one another, while those who overcome set the aim for teachers and students together to seek help, draw in unity, and be true to a high calling with daily life under God's Spirit. Power to overcome is given with the Spirit's inspiration to students as well as teachers, meaning resisting temptation to be thoughtless and putting earnest effort into daily duties such as school work, acting nobly, using time faithfully and being obedient, which encourages instructors, while failure makes very hard the work of character formation.

Overcoming exactly as He overcame makes one a representative in whom brethren can place confidence, by hiding in Jesus, seeking power to reveal His meekness, ceasing fretting, refusing offense, accepting restraint when wrong, and enduring trials without dishonoring God, requiring seeking to be forbearing and ever striving to imitate Him. Being an overcomer means more than many suppose, made possible through imparted grace with required human cooperation by keeping mind pure, body healthful and passions subjected, refusing to neglect light, praying unweariedly for control of spirit and actions, coming in penitence for pardon, receiving repentance as God's gift, going directly to Jesus in humiliation believing for all needs, abasing self, seeking His merit, and resisting agencies that urge indulgence.

Overcoming as He overcame and sitting with Him requires acquaintance with His life of self-denial, for those indulging in gaiety and feasting cannot partake with Him for lack of meditation on His sufferings, and it requires careful study of His pattern, meeting temptations, overcoming obstacles, and through toil and suffering in His name overcoming to mingle with the glorified company. It means treading His footsteps and reflecting His image, with constant aspiring after holiness rather than easy outward conformity, requiring soul conflict, wrestling with God, self-denial, desperate daily struggle, dying daily, grasping grace by faith, subduing the carnal mind, laying aside every weight, and counting all gain as loss.

Overcoming is this life's work calling for earnest striving to reach the set standard, not as penance but as the only means of gaining true happiness, peace and joy, done through living connection with Christ who died that others might live and now lives to unite His power with strivers' efforts, as a daily experience through prayer, watchfulness and Scripture searching growing stronger over a lifetime and blessing others. It requires lifelong, persevering, untiring effort of self-denial, crucifying the flesh, taking up the cross, and continual warfare through watchfulness and prayer in dependence on His Spirit, to be wide awake with no unguarded moment because Satan is vigilant and never sleeps, so the enemy must be out-generaled, with reward at last when every case is decided according to works.

Overcoming is possible even for those who have failed to go forward, by beginning anew, taking hold decidedly in His name and showing what God's power can do in transforming the natural man into the spiritual man, for men and women may reach a high standard by acknowledging Christ as personal Saviour and by watching and praying in full surrender, knowing striving strengthens and comforts. It requires genuine individual sanctification through obedience to truth, with mind, soul, heart and strength fully on His side and faith working by love purifying the soul, producing true unity, meaning taking Him as pattern, destroying selfishness, disciplining self to fulfill sacred trusts, magnifying God, and being lights in thought, word and action.

By believing in Jesus the overcomer saves his own soul and by precept and example seeks to save other souls, and those who glorify their Redeemer will be given a place in His kingdom, for overcoming is a work followers are called to pursue and teach with joy, with true conversion bearing fruits as believers reveal God's love through earnest work turning people from sin. Being a triumphant overcomer means going forward decidedly and serving God for oneself even if requiring separation and going to heaven alone, with God and angels pitying and strengthening such a one, and straightforward confidence making him triumphant, for Christ wants people to turn from worldly anxieties, consider eternal realities and be purified so they may sit with Him.

Believers must pursue the course that overcomes as He overcame to escape the dangerous perils of the last days, with God giving light revealing characters, dangers, defects, and the course imperiling the soul and the course to pursue, for sitting with Him and keeping title to the inheritance is granted only to him that overcomes, requiring reconversion, softened hearts, working out salvation, putting away selfishness and criticism, and representing His life, without which comes loss. The Laodicean message represents the need for complete waking up, calling those with ears to hear Jesus' voice inviting them to accept His presence, with faith and love moving beyond professed belief to practiced faith representing Him in spirit, words and character with Him as chief Cornerstone, and the essential qualifications for sitting with the suffering Christ are learned by searching heart and Scriptures, including merciful treatment of animals while cruelty is incompatible with heaven.

The victory set before the Laodiceans, who are the nominal first-day adventists, will not be gained by them though they make a mighty effort, for they come into close quarters yet cannot tell where they are, lost in fear with anguish seizing them, daring not admit the door is shut, having said the shut door was of the devil which is the sin against the Holy Ghost of ascribing to Satan what belongs to God, and now it is against their own lives, for victory belongs to the one who has the truth. Overcomers are a poor despised company yet honored of God, and to obtain victory they must not tarry but fly with the message, buckle on the armor and fight the good fight of faith, for integrity, determined effort and moral strength through His name enable victory, while knowingly destroying mental, moral and physical health through indulgence sacrifices God-given powers and loses heaven.

Overcoming as He overcame in man's behalf is by becoming partakers with Him of His self-denial and sacrifice, denying appetite and passions for others' good out of love, following Him who sanctified Himself that followers may be sanctified, with fathers and mothers giving children an example of steadfast principle, through wholehearted obedience, resisting temptation, surrendering plans, and pressing toward the high calling, and those who turn risk having names blotted from the book of life. Power to overcome as He overcame is given through obedience to God's law, which is for good and safety not hardship, and by obedience believers are recognized as His sons and daughters under His protection, with those who count it honor to stand on His side receiving covenant blessings while the unwilling cannot expect to share them, for through His gift, suffering and death people may be restored to obedience and favor and gain eternal life.

He overcame during His earthly life on behalf of followers and they are to overcome through His strength, bringing natural temperaments under His rule amid trials, with overcomers looking forward to heaven, seeing the King in His beauty, receiving the crown of immortality, and being welcomed by the Father and Son into the city, for those who follow His footsteps through trials will overcome and sit with Him. He overcame and was seated with His Father and promises the same kind of victory and fellowship to those who overcome, with following Him meaning denying self, bearing hardship and shame, sharing His suffering, and living a self-sacrificing life, for His self-giving work makes it possible to share His throne's glories, calling followers to carry forward the work He began.

His victory and exaltation open the way for fallen humanity to be raised to a place with Him, as Jesus took humanity and reached the degraded to elevate them to His throne, with His self-denying life as example for seeking the lost, for through His humiliation and victory people may be raised to share His place, and His sacrifice makes elevation through righteousness possible with His blood bringing divine power within reach. He overcame temptation on humanity's behalf and gives help to overcome by following His example, conquering appetite, love of the world and honor, and prideful display through which Satan sought ruin and making a righteous character for people who could not do so themselves, with His suffering preparing the way, and His victory pledges victory through His name by accepting His yoke, abandoning self-reliance, and trusting fully in God.

He overcame in conflict with Satan and followers can overcome temptation as He did, receiving heavenly help as He did, with heavenly beings ministering to those who shall inherit salvation, for even severe prolonged attacks need not defeat believers, since God helps them overcome and victory comes through His strength. He is the one who overcame, facing humanity's temptations and defeating the enemy, and He gives power especially in conquest of self, for overcoming requires control over natural propensities and over self, without which they cannot overcome as He did, and one who does not overcome traits such as stubborn independence, disrespect, selfishness and excessive self-confidence will fail to sit with Him.

The overcomer's reward is obtained only by decided change of humility before Him, requiring laying aside dignity, placing oneself at His feet as learner, becoming as little children, and studying and obeying God's will, without which one will fail, be overcome, be led to strange things, and be disqualified, for sharing His throne requires humbling the heart, laying aside critical dealing with souls, and receiving a childlike spirit. Believers are to overcome as He overcame by living by faith in Christ and uniting to Him, for Jesus lived by faith in the Father and surrendered fully so the Father alone appeared in His life, and though tempted He remained untainted, and believers overcome only by becoming partakers of the fullness of God that dwelt bodily in Christ, who remained free from sin while surrounded by corruption.

He overcame as a human by divine power working through humanity and followers must overcome in the same way, for His obedience was that required of humanity not from special unavailable power, and through faith people may share the divine nature and overcome, with His victory including appetite as example to copy. Overcoming as He overcame is part of the science and way of salvation by union with Him in developing Christian character with unwavering faith in God and His Word, giving strength to overcome every evil, part of the hope of salvation, and the strongest desire to overcome is kindled by feeding the mind on His mission and the plan of salvation while frivolous tales enfeeble the mind.

Overcoming means trying to overcome and persevering through trying time by God-granted grace to come off victorious winning an immortal crown, following His example by willingly sacrificing to welcome and care for His suffering people, and refusing brings everlasting punishment, while suffering merely from living under the curse without suffering for Him does not make fellow heirs. Jesus through unexampled suffering and shameful death opened a way to follow in His footsteps, with those who turn from worldly ambition and walk the narrow humble path of obedience finally exalted to His throne with immortality and unfading treasure, while those who refuse to sacrifice talents for God forfeit honor from above, for to be with Him in heaven requires being like Him on earth as the meek crucified One by self-abasement rather than decorating the body or gaining influence by worldly means such as wearing gold.

Those who follow Jesus' footsteps through trials will sit with Him, for Christ overcame, rose, ascended and received power, and He promises to exalt the faithful, having humbled Himself, left throne, took humanity and died so human beings might be exalted to share His throne, and He will raise the faithful and make them heirs. He overcame and followers must also overcome, and in special need they are to win victory as He did, for He did not use a miracle to escape suffering but entrusted His case to His Father, and believers are to keep faith, refuse discouragement, and stand every test to glorify Him, so His victory for them is not in vain, while young people who neglect duties and live carelessly instead of watchfully fall under temptation rather than overcoming.

He overcame temptation and self-indulgence as the pattern for self-denial and doing good even amid conflict and shame, and turning from His example and refusing received light rejects the way of overcoming, for He endured physical suffering and mental anguish as example, and resisting appetite, practicing self-denial and enduring discomfort to master harmful habits is this overcoming. Followers overcome by studying His life, denying self and meeting temptations and obstacles through toil and suffering in His name, and they cannot share His victory while seeking pleasure and avoiding sacrifice, but believers can overcome every temptation through prevailing prayer and His grace and finally sit with Him in His kingdom.

Jesus overcame and offers overcomers a share in His glory, making it possible to develop Christian character and overcome as He did, with obedience and submission the conditions for belonging to God's family, and overcoming through the Conqueror includes determined effort against unnatural cravings, with those who persevere gaining health, favor and hold on immortal life, while those who destroy powers through indulgence lose heaven. Overcoming as He overcame is infinite gain, for He overcame through fasting while assailed, suffering shame because God withheld not His Son to bring many sons to glory, and when sinful man discerns that love in giving His Son to die, he understands the gain of overcoming and the eternal loss of gaining the whole world yet losing the soul, and heaven is cheap enough at any cost.

Overcoming exactly as He overcame means copying Him as the only safe pattern, requiring self-denial after His example especially denial of appetite following His long fast, earnest comparison of life with His, and rejection of over-indulgence and levity, since His divine power combined with humanity gained an infinite victory deciding man's salvation and raising humanity's moral value. He overcame on behalf of people so everyone may overcome, standing the fiercest temptations yet without sin as the Pattern, with those who take hold by faith, walk humbly, and take Him as Pattern certainly overcoming to have salvation, entrance, see the King, enter the gates with right to the tree, meet the holy family, hear the welcome to inherit the kingdom, and cast crowns at the Redeemer's feet.

Sharing His throne, identified as the Man of Calvary's throne, is promised only to those who on earth work as He worked as great Missionary and Restorer, going place to place preaching and healing, blessing and helping instead of criticizing, and using talents in unselfish medical missionary service, with the high privilege of overcoming through power from above to those who conscientiously cooperate with the Source of strength. The close relation between Christ and members as head with body and shepherd with flock means fallen sinners can become one with Him, partakers of divine nature, refined and glorified through grace, and those who follow His footsteps and labor for souls will overcome and when He comes will enter into His joy, sitting with Him at His table in His kingdom.

Followers can overcome as He overcame because they depend on Him and receive power to resist evil, with overcoming and being prepared for eternal life going together and the reward being to sit with Him, including resisting unnatural cravings and controlling appetite through determined effort in His name. His victory over temptation in His humanity makes it possible to overcome as He did, with each victory He won securing its fruits for those who receive and believe, giving them power to become God's children and share in His victory, for through faith in His blood believers are granted more than pardon, even restoration, crowning as joint heirs, and sitting with Him.

Overcomers receive the reward, and they can overcome evil and resist strong temptation by looking to God for strength, trusting He hears prayers, and uniting with Him, for overcoming is gained through His strength as the will is surrendered to His will, enabling victory over self learned day by day as His life of self-sacrifice is lived. Those refined and made holy through God's correction will finally be exalted to sit with Him, and those who overcome through obedient life can finally be exalted to God's throne, resting on His death which carried redemption forward and made reconciliation and life with Him possible.

The righteous may finally be exalted to His throne as everlasting reward through the merits of His blood and obedience, and He offers overcomers the honor of sitting with Him as He overcame and sits with His Father, an immortal honor that is reason to give Him love and service rather than choose friendship of the world. He overcame Satan's temptations and remained victorious through trials and suffering, and His followers can overcome as He did, for Jesus overcame Satan's temptations and won victory through trials, and disciples can overcome as He did, and though they face persecution Satan's temptations do not make victory impossible.

He endured humiliation without sin so He could lift, cleanse, refine and ennoble fallen people and make them joint heirs, for He humbled Himself and suffered to save humanity so that those He lifts as God's sons may share His riches and throne. Overcomers may share His throne, with His victory through suffering giving hope, strength and courage amid trials including persecution and painful treatment by fellow believers, resting on His victory and help rather than carrying burdens alone, with hope and courage from His death, resurrection, ascension and intercession to endure trials.

Followers overcome through light and strength given by the Holy Spirit abiding in the obedient and faithful to resist Satan, and the promise belongs to the message where members who receive reproof, repent and open the door receive blessings, and the church's faults do not mean it will cease to exist, for wheat and tares remain until harvest. He overcame temptation as a man in the same way every person may overcome, humbling Himself, being tempted in all points, redeeming Adam's failure, and conquering to testify that man can keep God's commandments through divine power, enduring temptation on humanity's behalf with assurance that no one will be tempted above what he is able.

Humanity must overcome to sit with the Father as He overcame and sat with the Father, and He showed what humanity must do by leaving His dignity as Son, stepping from His throne, laying aside robe and crown, assuming human likeness, and coming as head of humanity meeting inherited tendencies and opposition yet living a perfect life with Not my will but Thine always uppermost. Overcomers will share His throne just as He overcame and sits with the Father, and overcoming means responding to loving rebuke with repentance, opening the heart, giving up sin, and obeying commandments, with the promise as reward of willing obedience, for all are able to overcome by striving toward His standard, going to Him for help, and conquering day by day.

Overcomers will share His throne as He overcame and shared His Father's throne, meaning enduring trials with courage and dignity and never growing faint-hearted, because faint-heartedness harms oneself and others, with Christ the Man of Sorrows standing as example for living this life and representing heaven's character. Those who overcome as He overcame will sit with Him, and this sets the aim for teachers and students together to seek God's help, draw in unity, and be true to a high calling, for overcoming is possible only through Christ-given power, without whose grace no one can form a Christlike character, applying to children in school to strive to fit them to associate with unfallen beings.

He gives the overcomer the right to share His throne as reward, having Himself overcome with His victory being the pattern and source of strength, for He overcame as a human and promises faithful followers a share in His throne, with them overcoming through His Spirit by combining human effort with divine power. He overcame and those who come to Him can receive power to overcome as He did, with His victory as pattern and source, and His victory over Satan is the pattern and ground for the promised place, with His triumph after overcoming connected with presenting those rescued from death and placing immortal crowns on them.

His sacrifice makes it possible to be elevated through His righteousness to a place with Him, with His blood bringing divine power within reach so believers may become partakers of divine nature, calling them to grow in faith and serve effectively, for redemption makes it possible to share God's throne as part of gospel provision through His sacrifice. A place among worthy overcomers is promised through grace, with overcoming meaning a great deal and being overcome instead being sad, requiring constant vigilant watch over mind and heart, not thinking one's own thoughts, and abiding in Him to have His mind with self dead, for eternal life requires daily subduing of the natural heart point by point with each victory strengthening for the next, with drawing near to God bringing angels near.

Overcoming the enemy and gaining eternal life to sit with Him is not easy, requiring constant striving through faith and perfect obedience with diligence and vigilance, with no one borne aloft without effort, where looking back brings dizziness and relaxing diligence leads to selfishness, for believers are to obtain victories and overcome as He overcame, with daily God-honoring living enabling them to share the divine nature. Overcoming requires leaving what belongs to the world and following Jesus' example, as Jesus overcame through meekness and suffering, not by pleasing Himself or enjoying the world, and those who hope to be with Him must be like Him on earth, for He wants people to turn from worldly anxieties and be purified so they may sit with Him.

Entering heaven's courts and enjoying eternal life is for overcomers and winning heaven requires each person to do something, with children and youth to be saved in God's appointed way by education in God that prepares them to meet temptation, meaning humbling self and practicing self-denial imitating Christ who pleased not Himself, requiring moral courage, bearing life's burdens, consecrating self, and reforming almost everything including appetite to be fitted for heaven. Those who overcome will finally be exalted to sit with Him as everlasting reward and future home, through the great sacrifice of the King of glory and merits of His blood joined with obedience, bringing favor, renovation by grace and subjection of appetites, a high theme for the young instead of frivolous pleasures giving peace from right-doing.

The call to renew the straight testimony and revive spiritual life shows overcoming and His promised place belong with renewed vitality, for the words are being fulfilled today and must be read as present truth, leaving no time for idleness but requiring striving to develop character with mind purified by obeying truth, while a heavenly Watcher marks words and all are choosing blessing or curse. The message to Laodicea includes many people, calling Christians to advance the Lord's work, let light shine, treat one another with kindness, encourage one another, correct errors, and perform Christ-given duties without allowing hindrances to hold it back, clearly representing its spiritual condition.

It is part of the Laodicean message applicable to churches, giving the Lord's admonition to those who have strengthened themselves in their own way and grown careless, which Christ presents to show the organized church its dangers and correct its evils, given to the church rather than as reason to abandon it. It belongs to His message to Laodicea, wholly applicable to the present time, as the message of Revelation 3:14-22 to be given now to arouse a slumbering church to earnest effort because time is short, calling for putting on God's whole armor, renewed energy, vigilant action, and calling on angels for aid.

It belongs to the message that affects every way and everywhere, whose promise calls for more than common efforts while God works, requiring deep personal interest, afflicting the soul, turning eyes within, mourning, praying and begging, as the counsel of the True Witness which tests God's people and calls them to overcome, patiently giving time to show whether they will obey. It applies to members showing pride and self-sufficiency, yet their faulty condition does not blot out the church, applying to professed followers who have resisted appeals and dishonored their profession, who must repent and be converted, with His hand remaining stretched out to save those who receive Him, for these faults do not make the commandment-keeping church Babylon and tares and wheat grow together until harvest.

It represents the need for a complete waking up, calling those with ears to hear Jesus' voice inviting them to accept His presence, as part of the message to awaken a slumbering church, with shortness of time calling for earnest untiring effort amid Satan's deceptions. The message of Revelation 3:14-22 applies to the church now and shows it far behind in spirituality, proved by the tame way camp meetings have been held, showing the present Laodicean state, the condition of people in California and through churches in America, meaning they need to fall upon the Rock, arouse and act as one, while destruction multiplies and the Lord's day comes as a thief.

The message puts the church to the choice whether to remain in that condition or change, calling every family to show its true colors by reforming the home, offering hope to a church He finds repulsive, with reception bringing thorough reformation, reviving testimony, purging sinners, and restoring favor. It warns lukewarm members to receive faith and love, His righteousness and spiritual sight and exchange lukewarmness for zeal, for persisting unresponsive they will be rejected and unfit for His family, and unless converted will never enter the mansions to sit with Him, while those overcoming this condition will sit with Him as He with the Father.

Overcoming may require any sacrifice, and those who refuse purification by obeying the truth remain unprepared, while sharing His throne is promised to those who faithfully bring souls to Christ, with persevering faithfulness in receiving grace and imparting it in soul-winning rewarded with a place with Him. It is the solemn rebuking testimony that ministers preaching present truth must preach and apply practically, declaring those supposing prosperity in need of everything, given in tender love by Him who died to redeem, calling them to endure being told of wrongs rather than shielding each other from correction.

Overcomers will share His throne as He overcame and now sits with the Father, and His overcoming included enduring crucifixion while teaching with a voice that reached hearts, while believers overcome as He overcame, meeting temptation with Scripture, with the repeated struggle including overcoming appetite and passion. Followers can overcome as He overcame, and bound to God's throne by His love, they receive power to resist evil and persevere through obstacles, just as Christ lived and worked with enduring faith, with those who overcome through Him sharing His exaltation at His right hand, as He shares His Father's throne.

Those who overcome as He overcame share in the acceptance and honor given to Him, being accepted in Him, sharing suffering and glorification, and becoming joint heirs, for those who remain true will share His exaltation, since He will raise them to His throne and make them heirs. He overcame and followers are called to overcome as He did, with the overcomer sitting with Him as He sat with His Father, meaning overcoming temptation even under bodily suffering by trusting Jesus, doing what can be done through grace, speaking right words, talking faith, praying always, and claiming God's pledged word in whole surrender.

Overcoming means resisting temptation rather than yielding to appetite or habit, with obedience and faith as means, including self-denial to resist intemperance, requiring control over natural propensities and over self, with victory including resisting unnatural cravings through determined effort in His name. It is the path to the promised reward and crown of life, requiring earnest effort, self-denial and perseverance against the natural heart, with mind centered on God, and overcomers receive the reward by looking to God, trusting He hears, and uniting with Him.

His victory is the pattern for believers to overcome as He overcame, teaching that prayer and communion bring grace and power to resist Satan, and contemplating His mission and the plan of salvation strengthens the mind and awakens desire to overcome as He did. He overcame where Adam fell, and His victory makes it possible to receive forgiveness, be changed, and become more than conquerors, for He overcame as the sin-bearer and head of humanity on humanity's behalf so believers may overcome in His strength, depending on receiving Him and the faith made possible through His righteousness.

Salvation involves overcoming as He overcame, with His wilderness victory pledging victory through His name by accepting His yoke, abandoning self-reliance, recognizing weakness and trusting fully in God, lifting the sinner from degradation, purifying and raising him to honor with Him, with beholding Jesus transforming him. The call to triumph over Satan and enter God's city as a conqueror receiving the immortal inheritance shows overcoming a victory God desires with sin able to disqualify yet not making repentance and righting wrongs too late, for men and women may reach a high standard by acknowledging Christ as personal Saviour and by watching and praying in full surrender.

The opportunity to sit beside Him is promised to those who overcome by the Lamb's blood and word of testimony, which those wrapped in desire to be honored lose when older ones fail to voice His message, so the work of voicing the third angel's message passes to young women, maidens, girls and boys. Sitting with Him at last is promised to those who daily gain clearer understanding of God's will and improve talents to the fullest in accord with given light, working under the oversight of the One who paid infinite price for their service, calling for parents' and children's service and giving the heart to God, while refusal leaves a person unthankful and unfit for the throne.

The overcomer's reward is promised only to those willing to be faithful soldiers in the conflict between good and evil, requiring active faithfulness shown in being God's helping hand, helping where needed, taking hold together to assist workers, and giving to establish the work in Nashville. Sitting with Him is given to those who overcome as He overcame, with perfection attained through conflict and daily march, entering the kingdom through much tribulation, showing the honor and glory awaiting the ransomed overcomer for whom Christ died to elevate and share His throne.

He is the pattern for overcoming, having overcome as a human and perfected a character demonstrating people can keep God's law in a sinful world through sharing the divine nature, with overcomers promised a place with Him, for He overcame in humanity by clothing divinity with humility without violating human principle, enduring every temptation, calling to heaven's powers, and keeping His Father's law through humiliation and the cross. The message in which the True Witness examines character and calls to faithfulness is here applied to using abilities in service, applying to people who are neither cold nor hot and need to heed God's warning.

The Laodicean condition is shown in people who profess much but whose works deny profession, consisting of those living for self, where love of self excludes His love. The message comes with special meaning at this time as mercy still being sent, to be read while asking Him to show its import, standing against theories about God that make the plain Word of no account, which if believed would finally lead a person to regard the whole Bible as fiction.

To be an overcomer is a blessed thing meaning to sit with the royal family in heaven's kingdom and have a place in the mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love His appearing, calling for good courage and keeping cheerful under the Sun of Righteousness, for a lukewarm church stands no more in favor than fallen churches, and professed keepers with no more vitality than nominal churches will receive plagues, while the lukewarm who do not repent will be spewed out.

He conquered temptation for them, and His victory makes it possible for even those enslaved by appetite to overcome, while during His forty-day fast He endured keen pangs, and followers must likewise resist temptation in continual struggle. He pledges His help to all who join His army and work with Him against seen and unseen enemies, promising joint heirship and rule as kings and priests, with sharing humiliation leading to sharing glory, and choosing to suffer with God's people leading to a place with Him.

Overcoming as He overcame requires humbling self and practicing self-denial, imitating Christ who pleased not Himself but came to do good, requiring moral courage, bearing life's battles, consecrating self, using probationary time to perfect character and reform almost everything, without which decided reform there will be failure. Believers overcome as He overcame, meeting temptation with Scripture, with the repeated struggle including overcoming appetite and passion, for He overcame as a man so every person might be an overcomer as He was.

Sharing His throne connects with possessing the character needed to live with Him, and those hoping to sit with the suffering Christ must search Scripture and hearts for qualifications, with personal piety shown in merciful treatment of animals, while cruelty is incompatible with heaven. The message that has been sounding must be taken in all its phases wherever Providence opens the way, to be given now to arouse a slumbering church to earnest effort because time is short.

He overcame and followers must also overcome, and in special need they are to win victory as He did, for He overcame during His earthly life on behalf of followers and they are to overcome through His strength. The one who overcomes will sit with Him, even as He overcame and sat with the Father, meaning responding with repentance, open heart, forsaken sin and kept commandments.

Jesus gives the saved a seat with Him, having overcome where Adam fell, and followers overcome through trials as He did, with overcomers sharing His reign. Overcoming means resisting temptation rather than yielding to appetite, with obedience and faith as means, and those who overcome as He overcame share in acceptance and honor, being accepted in Him and becoming joint heirs.

Those who overcome through obedient life can finally be exalted to God's throne, for Jesus with pity took humanity to lift the degraded to a seat with Him. The Lord reproves professed law-keepers to separate sin so they may perfect holiness and finally be exalted, and overcoming means holding fast to living faith through trial rather than surrendering when dark clouds come.

Overcoming includes conquering self and resisting inherited tendencies with perseverance and zeal following the divine Pattern, with believers obtaining victories and overcoming as He overcame, through daily God-honoring living enabling them to share the divine nature. Overcoming Satan through divine aid connects with being welcomed into heaven, with those who use talents to bless others and form characters through divine help admitted to share its privileges, for His victory is the pattern and assurance, as He overcame as a human through God-given strength showing obedience is possible.

Overcoming exactly as He overcame makes one a trusted representative, meaning trying to overcome and persevering by grace to win an immortal crown. Overcomers may share His throne with hope from His victory, requiring genuine sanctification through obedience to truth, with mind, soul, heart and strength fully on His side.

The overcomer's reward follows progress in Christian character, promised as opportunity to sit beside Him to those who overcome by the Lamb's blood and word of testimony. Sitting with Him is given to those who overcome as He overcame, with perfection attained through conflict, calling for earnest striving this life, not as penance but as the only means of gaining true happiness.

To overcome as He overcame means treading His footsteps and reflecting His image, while overcoming the enemy and gaining eternal life to sit with Him is not easy, requiring constant striving through faith and perfect obedience. Overcoming as He overcame comes through humility rather than self-exaltation, as Christ by self-denial redeems the dominion lost through desire for self-exaltation.

Those who overcome through the Lamb's blood will share heaven's treasures and have a place at God's right hand, belonging to His message to Laodicea in which He clearly represents its spiritual condition. He overcame in conflict with Satan and followers can overcome temptation as He did, receiving heavenly help, while the overcomer's reward is obtained only by decided change of humility before Him, requiring becoming as little children.

Every provision has been made so all can sit with Him, belonging to all who lay hold of merits and wash robes in His blood on condition of harmony with law, while sitting with Him means everlasting life where life measures with God's life, requiring giving all to Jesus and keeping commandments to have right to the tree. Overcoming is possible through His strength claimed by faith, as He was victorious in assumed humanity and gives help to those asking, with each victory preparing greater strength, for the redeemed must be overcomers, pure and one with Him, developing character as counterpart of God's character.

Eternal life requires daily subduing of the natural heart point by point, while overcomers will receive a reward from Christ, with faithful service leading when He comes to the crown of life. The honor and glory await the ransomed overcomer, while sharing His throne requires humbling the heart, laying aside critical dealing, and receiving a childlike spirit.

He overcame in humanity by clothing divinity with humility without violating human principle, enduring every temptation and keeping His Father's law through humiliation and the cross, as the pattern having overcome as a human and perfected a character demonstrating people can keep God's law through sharing the divine nature. The church's indifference is pictured with the burning of the earth very near, while He overcame and calls followers to overcome as He did, with overcomers sharing the royal inheritance as heirs of God and joint heirs with Him.

Those who suffer with Him will share His glory and sit with Him, as Christ laid aside honor and took humanity to show how to overcome even to death, while being an overcomer means more than many suppose, made possible through imparted grace with required human cooperation. Overcoming as He overcame and sitting with Him requires acquaintance with His life of self-denial, while Christians overcome as He overcame through strength Jesus gives, by resisting temptation by faith and clinging to Him.

The Laodicean message rebukes blindness, fault-finding and seeking power, calling for humble seeking, discerning deficiencies and purification, applying to those in trust and institutions in Battle Creek, as part of the straight testimony that brought God's people out point by point into present truth, requiring holding confidence steadfast to the end. Promises are given to those overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies, which is not easy because masterful self strives for victory, with the Lord presenting the right way but compelling none, belonging to His message to the church consisting of those living for self, where love of self excludes His love.

Overcoming as He overcame means victory over appetite rather than gratification, with excess, smoking, gluttony and drunkenness being its opposite, as a daily experience not a momentary achievement, through prayer, watchfulness and Scripture searching growing stronger over a lifetime. Redemption through Him makes it possible to share God's throne, while overcoming is possible only through Christ-given power, without whose grace no one can form a Christlike character, applying to children in school life.

A glory awaits the overcomer, seen by faith by God's commandment-keeping people who therefore work with hope and courage, promised as sharing His throne, identified as the Man of Calvary's throne, only to those who on earth work as He worked as Missionary and Restorer. The True Witness speaks against workers who divide by publishing opposing views, presenting broken ranks and turning weapons against brethren, exposing confidence in human judgment above His words, and calling for a different order where God's children love one another as He loved them.

Christians overcome as He overcame through Jesus' strength not their own, with endured temptation cultivating patience, as a work followers are called to pursue and teach with joy, with true conversion bearing fruits as believers reveal God's love through earnest work for others. Being a triumphant overcomer means going forward decidedly and serving God for oneself even if requiring separation, for He overcame as a human and promises faithful followers a share in His throne, with them overcoming through His Spirit by combining human effort with divine power.

The call to triumph over Satan and enter God's city as a conqueror shows overcoming requires being wide awake, with no unguarded moment, because Satan is vigilant and never sleeps. Overcoming requires lifelong, persevering, untiring effort of self-denial and continual warfare, with the reward of sitting with Him coming at last, when every case is decided and each is rewarded according to works.

Men and women may reach a high standard by acknowledging Christ as personal Saviour and by watching and praying in full surrender, meaning taking Him as pattern, destroying selfishness, disciplining self to fulfill sacred trusts, and being lights in thought, word and action. By believing in Jesus the overcomer saves his own soul and by precept and example seeks to save other souls, and those who glorify their Redeemer will be given a place in His kingdom with Him.

Overcoming is joined with heeding His remedy, receiving rebuke, repenting, opening the heart for the Spirit, making confessions, humbling self, obeying truth, and separating from sin, shown in unselfish service, winning souls, bearing fruit, trading talents, witnessing by good works, answering calls from unworked fields, and thorough home work. Overcoming requires following His example of self-denial and victory through temptation, obstacles, toil and suffering, with those who overcome joining the glorified company before God's throne, connecting overcoming sin and developing character with receiving the reward and entering God's city, with children needing a true example and godly parents making the path clear.

He will raise the faithful to His throne and make them heirs of the inheritance He purchased, following the pattern by which He overcame and was enthroned, having overcome as humanity's representative enthroned with the Father, through whom believers are made complete and fit subjects, with His death and resurrection making immortality available. The exalted destiny made possible is that people can be redeemed and raised to share God's throne and inherit immortal riches, with victory the way to belonging to the heavenly King's family and receiving an immortal inheritance of royal honor.

Believers are to overcome as He overcame by living by faith and uniting to Him, for Jesus lived by faith and surrendered fully so the Father alone appeared in His life, and though tempted He remained untainted, requiring decided reform in habits of economy and appetite, guided by principle rather than impulse. Overcoming means resisting appetite and temptation through self-denial and enduring suffering as He did in the wilderness, with His triumph after overcoming connected with presenting those rescued from death and placing immortal crowns on them, representing all redeemed to be raised at His second coming.

His victory and exaltation open the way for His people to share His throne's glory, for He humbled Himself and endured the cross so they might be lifted to purity and royal glory, while to be with Him in heaven requires being like Him on earth as the meek crucified One by self-abasement rather than decorating the body or gaining influence by worldly means. He began redeeming humanity where its ruin began, since Adam fell through appetite, by fasting to break appetite's power, with victory through completing redemption and trusting His Father even without assurance, and through His death Satan was defeated so obedient people may finally be exalted.

He ascended in the same human form the disciples knew after overcoming, and angels assured them He would return in the same manner, while salvation lifts the sinner from degradation, purifies and raises him to honor with Him, with beholding Jesus transforming him. Reigning with Him is granted only to him that overcomes by not living to gratify self but living for Him, with His victory over wilderness temptations as example and ground for overcoming, benefiting no one unless each gains victory personally, with strength provided in His name.

Believers are to overcome as He overcame by coming to Him to receive sufficient strength, for He took humanity and died to make it possible to share the divine nature, involving human effort cooperating with God's inward work, having humbled Himself and suffered to save humanity so that those He lifts as sons may share His riches and throne. Jesus overcame Satan's temptations and won victory through trials, and disciples can overcome as He did, though they face persecution, having endured humiliation without sin so He could lift, cleanse, refine and ennoble fallen people and make them joint heirs.

He will raise the redeemed to share His throne and everlasting life, seeking the lost but not forcing entry so people must welcome Him, pointing to entering God's city when the dead are raised, the living changed, both caught up to meet the Lord. He wants people to turn from worldly anxieties and be purified so they may sit with Him, for no one overcomes in his own strength but only by His power, requiring earnest cooperation, constrained by His love, filled with the Spirit, and discerning sacred from common.

Laodiceans are called to make a mighty effort to get victory and sit with Him even as He overcame, with heeding meaning independence from human counsel, humbling before God, drawing near, turning purposes, working out salvation while God works in the heart. Overcoming is possible through dependence on His divinity, not by human effort, for grace provides victory and perfected character, with overcomers tried, chosen and found faithful, character purified because without perfection none can enter, and abiding in Him and partaking of the divine nature essential.

Sitting with Him is given only to those who overcome by self-denial, lifting His cross, following Him, and lifting burdens in service, with no one living for selfish pleasure and doing no good expecting a place, as part of the Laodicean message applying to God's people in their present condition calling them to open eyes to discern spiritual things. Those who receive Him by faith as personal Saviour become God's sons, chosen ones and joint heirs, embraced in the Father's acceptance of the Son, overcoming as He overcame, sharing by covenant redemption in His exaltation, through wholehearted obedience, resisting temptation, surrendering plans, and pressing toward the high calling.

The message to Laodicea is wholly applicable to the present time, with power to overcome as He overcame given through obedience to God's law, which is for good not hardship, recognizing believers as sons and daughters under His protection. Overcomers who will sit with Him are God's co-workers filled with His Spirit who work out Jesus' mission, sowing deeds of love and words of comfort, while those who exalt themselves and oppress fellow men do not overcome, for every soul was purchased at infinite price and through faith is capable of receiving immortality.

The strongest desire to overcome as He overcame is kindled by feeding the mind on His mission and the plan of salvation, which fortifies the mind, while feeding on frivolous tales enfeebles the mind and takes away desire to search Scripture. Overcoming as He overcame in man's behalf is by becoming partakers with Him of self-denial, denying appetite and passions for others' good out of love, following Him who sanctified Himself that followers may be sanctified, with followers overcoming temptation as He did through His miracle-working power rather than their own strength, by faith entrusting helplessness to Him.

Eternal life in glory is gained by overcoming as He overcame with Christ as Advocate knowing every weakness and answering prayers for strength, with prayer answered as the whole heart asks for help and then lives the prayer by working to do what was asked, applying most decidedly to those whose experience is insipid and who bear no decided witness. The message applies to all lukewarm members today whose religion has degenerated to a form, with those overcoming this condition sitting with Him as He with the Father, applying personally and practically, proffering richest blessings yet met with reluctance, with those stubbornly refusing light becoming destitute of the Spirit and unless converted never entering the mansions to sit with Him.

Even severe prolonged attacks need not defeat believers, for God helps them overcome, as part of the hope of salvation, with integrity, determined effort and moral strength through His name enabling victory, while knowingly destroying health through indulgence sacrifices powers and loses heaven. Yielding to appetite can prevent Christian character from being perfected, while the downcast church may arise and share His overcoming as each person individually takes hold, is zealous and repents, rights every known wrong, believes God accepts him, and climbs by faith.

The message affects every way and everywhere, with the promise given not to those who give up to darkness, but to those who overcome as He overcame, meaning standing in the allotted place with the whole armor on and continuing without giving up. For a married couple united in God's work, overcoming means being blended to strengthen one another and doubling influence for higher future work, while sitting with Him requires seeing sinfulness, repenting, being converted, and doing His works.

Reward and Final Hope

The reward is future and conditional, not present possession, granted only to the one who overcomes as Christ overcame, to share His reign and exaltation and glory through eternity, represented by sitting with Him on His throne and wearing a crown. It means entering the golden gates of the holy city with the nations that keep truth, walking with Him in white, remaining in the book of life, being acknowledged before the Father and angels, receiving the crown of immortality, a life that measures with the life of God, and the eternal weight of glory. This immortal honor offered to overcomers following His victory and enthronement with the Father makes friendship with the world a lesser choice than giving Him affection and service, and it is an incentive worth wrestling for, requiring coming out and being separate, walking humbly, and getting ready to meet the Lord coming soon in the clouds, for each has a soul to save or lose and it is not too late. Overcoming that gains it is not belief alone while doing nothing but work added to belief, studying His life and being as He was though tempted in all points, showing faith by works, watching against self-will, and giving up spiritual evils and natural dispositions ruling over reason even when turning from inclination and human standard to God's great moral standard is unpleasant.

Those who overcome the devil's temptations will sit with Him and rule in the earth made new, even as He overcame and sat with the Father, and no one will share that rule without overcoming through cooperation with divine power. Those who overcome through humility and self-surrender rather than self-exaltation become heirs with Him and share what was lost when sin ended the first parents' dominion over the earth, for the meek will inherit the earth, the new earth where righteousness dwells and death and sorrow and sin and the curse are gone. Eternal life comes through union with Him and is available to those who accept Him as Saviour, distinct from having a name to live while spiritually dead. The promise follows conversion when God's power takes hold and the heart's door is opened, and belongs to all who receive Him by faith, live the new life, become sons and daughters of God, and live in holy union with Him justified and sanctified, requiring attentiveness to what the Spirit says to the churches, keeping every precept of God's law and loyalty to Jehovah as subjects of His kingdom.

All identified with Him and bound up in Him will share His glory and sit with Him, exalting fallen man in the exalted Christ through conversion, sanctification through truth by grace, formation of acceptable character, and wholly relying on God. There is no uncertainty about being washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb as precious divine reality, and the fragrance of His blood is the odor of the overcomer's perfection. He asks for His people who have overcome through faith in His blood to share His glory and sit with Him just as He overcame and sits with His Father, with reward including pardon and justification, restoration to humanity's first dominion and Eden home, and honor as joint-heirs. His sinless humiliation and sacrifice make it possible for the redeemed to be lifted up to share His throne as joint heirs, and coming to Him brings cleansing, refinement, and acceptance with God through His atoning blood open even to the guilty, but coming is not forced.

The Saviour will place immortal crowns on those He rescued from death, representing the redeemed from every nation who will rise when He returns, whose greatest joy will be being in the presence of the enthroned Christ whose glorified body still bears the marks of Calvary. Those sharing His throne will have abundant entrance into God's kingdom, more than permission to enter, escorted in triumph and welcomed to its joys, belonging to those who honor life by well-doing and advance step by step in Bible sanctification. Overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil as He overcame in humanity's behalf gives access to the tree of life and to the knowledge that gives that access, for He came to cut human beings loose from sin's originator, give mastery over the destroyer, save from the serpent's sting, and through imparted righteousness place them on vantage ground with complete mastery over self-indulgence and selfish ideas tarnishing the soul. He lived God's law so man can stand in God-given manhood, pride as sin expelled, and as Physician of soul and body He gives wisdom and complete victory over warring lusts and every facility for perfecting completeness of character.

Sitting with Him means everlasting life and eternal weight of glory where life measures with God's life, with streets of pure gold like transparent glass and the tree of life whose leaves heal the nations, where there is no sickness, sorrow, pain, or death. It requires giving all to Jesus, mental powers and every bodily organ because those bought with His blood are not their own, lifting His cross which in lifting lifts the bearer as pledge of everlasting life, and denying self and sacrificing at every step as He did, while turning from this inducement for this life's things is yielding to Satan's bewitching power, and standing under Him means keeping the Father's commandments so as to have right to the tree and entrance through the gates. The overcomer's reward is life eternal in the haven of eternal bliss, given to no one without first overcoming every sin and to no one except through divine grace. Overcoming means loving God with whole heart, soul, strength, and mind and neighbor as self, keeping His commandments, being careful and conscientious in home life, claiming promises in prayer with expectation, and faithfully discharging duties with the Lord present by His Spirit to guide.

Those who overcome through faith and persevere in following Him will share His throne as eternal reward for victory gained through experience in faith, following a life of costly obedience and suffering with Him, coming when the warfare is over. The honor and glory awaiting the ransomed overcomer, for whom He died to elevate and ennoble and give a royal diadem to live in His presence and share His throne, is fully understood only by valuing immortality and sensing the second death's pains, and is especially precious to soul-winners when they and those saved through self-denying labor behold the redeemed made sharers of His throne. With infinite pity He took humanity to touch and lift it, coming to seek and save the lost, reaching to misery's depth to take man tainted, degraded, depraved and united with apostasy and lift him to a seat with Him, for salvation lifts the sinner from degradation, purifies and ennobles and raises him to honor, and beholding Jesus transforms him. His victory and exaltation provide the pattern and ground for the promised reward.

The promise is an exaltation for fallen humanity and a hope for His people when He comes, for faith brings His virtue and prepares for service and kingdom, and the exalted destiny made possible is that people can be redeemed, raised to share God's throne, and inherit immortal riches. Those who overcome through Him will be redeemed and share close unity with Him, elevated and made pure with character like God's and counterpart to God's character bearing His likeness, which prepares them to dwell with God, for none else can dwell in holy heaven. Sharing His throne is in and through Him in whom believers are complete in every grace, made possible because as Author of being and redemption He gave His blood as ransom and by death brings life and immortality to light, revealing God's glory in creating man in His image and redeeming him, showing one soul worth more than a world with every faculty made for the divine mind. Grasping it calls for divine perception to know Christ's love and be filled with God's fullness, looking on fellow men as purchased possession, keeping souls in His love, and not lording it over His heritage.

A glory awaits the overcomer, seen by faith by God's commandment-keeping people who therefore work with hope and courage while showing the world Christ's grace transforming sin-defiled hearts, and contemplating through Scripture how through His humiliation and victory over darkness people may be raised to His throne purifies and ennobles the student. His followers overcome through trials and suffering as He did and will share His reign, with trials testing faith like gold to remove impurity so He can present His people without spot, and the heart's desire should be to share His sufferings to reign with Him. Those who suffer with Him will share His glory and sit with Him, for He laid aside robes of honor and took humanity to show how to live and overcome step by step even to death on the cross, and those following Him in overcoming and suffering receive a place with Him. Those who remain true will share His exaltation, for He will raise them to His throne and make them heirs of the inheritance purchased with His blood, following His pattern of overcoming and enthronement with the Father, and bound to God's throne by His love they receive power to resist evil and persevere through obstacles with enduring faith.

He overcame and offers overcomers a share in His glory, making it possible to develop Christian character and overcome as He did, with obedience and submission the conditions for belonging to God's family and receiving immortal glory and eternal life. Sitting with Him is promised only to overcomers who follow His footsteps through trials on to know the Lord, singled out from a sin-corrupted world, refusing the side of transgressors and lawbreakers, standing under His banner at enmity with sin and Satan rather than building Satan's kingdom. The opportunity to sit beside Him belongs to those who overcome by the Lamb's blood and word of testimony, which those wrapped in desire for honor lose when older ones fail to voice His message, so voicing the third angel's message passes to young women, maidens, girls, and boys. The overcomer's reward follows progress in Christian character like Peter's ladder and gives abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom, and faithful service in this life leads when He comes to the crown of life granted to every overcomer.

Overcomers may share His throne following His example of resisting temptation where ruin began, for His victory over appetite in the wilderness through divine power joined with humanity on humanity's behalf makes overcoming possible, raised humanity's moral value, and encourages the struggling that godly people may overcome through the Lamb's blood and testimony, His long fast having strengthened Him to endure. Sitting with Him is given to those who overcome as He overcame, with perfection attained not easily but through conflict and daily march, entering the kingdom through much tribulation as partakers of His suffering, learning obedience by suffering and made perfect through suffering, meeting trials without timidity or complaint. It means enduring trials with courage, fortitude, and dignity and never growing faint-hearted, because faint-heartedness harms self and others, with Christ the Man of Sorrows as example for living this life and representing heaven's character, ever preserving His love and presenting truth as in Him. Those who overcome through the Lamb's blood will share heaven's treasures and have a place at God's right hand praising Him with immortal tongues, for He pledges help to all who join His army against seen and unseen enemies, promising joint heirship in an immortal inheritance and rule as kings and priests, where sharing humiliation leads to sharing glory and choosing affliction with God's people over sin's pleasures leads to His throne.

He directs His people beyond this life to the great future eternal weight of glory the overcomer will share, belonging to those who fear God rather than man and will not go against conscience when proscribed and denounced, when laws are against them and church and state unite to enforce their own standard while God's law, the only standard of right, is trampled and despised. Those with eye single to God's glory lay hold of the promise by looking continually to Jesus as author and finisher of faith.