• To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. {Proverbs 8.13}

• This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” {James 4.6 (BSB)}

• Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” {1 Peter 5.5 (BSB)}
  

God consistently and almost immediately disciplines me not only for prideful actions but even for prideful thoughts.

How about you? How does God deal with your pride?

Actually, all of us STRIVE toward immediate gratification instead of long-term rewards. Most of us even justify our nature by quoting some Bible verses out of context:

• But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” {Isaiah 22.13 (BSB)}

• Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ {Luke 12.19 (BSB)}

• “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” {1 Corinthians 15.32b (BSB)}

• Let’s continue in sin so that grace may increase! {Romans 6.1b (ABV)}

But ripping sound-bites out of the Bible actually leads to sin. The Bible is clear: “the wages of sin is death” {Romans 6.23a (BSB)}

In addition to the “stick”, the Bible also offers “carrots” in the form of rewards!

Here are just seven from the book of Revelation. The context is omitted for brevity, but please read the whole passage!

• To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. {Revelation 2.7b (BSB)}

• The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death. {Revelation 2.11 (BSB)}

• To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it. {Revelation 2.17b (BSB)}

• And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery — just as I have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. {Revelation 2.26-28 (BSB)}

• He who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. {Revelation 3.5 (BSB)}

• The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name. {Revelation 3.12 (BSB)}

• To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. {Revelation 3.21 (BSB)}

So, I ask again, why is it so hard for all of us to exercise self-control and overcome????

###############################################

Authorized Bud Version (ABV) courtesy of Scott!

Some observations:

• There are 28 occurrences of the Greek word, nikaó (Strong’s G3528) in the New Testament.

• John, as author used 24 of those 28 in his writings.

• Thirteen of the 28 occurrences (almost half) are in the book of Revelation.

• With so many occurrences of a powerful and loaded verb like “to overcome” in the final book of the Bible, “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” it would seem God is making a point to which we should pay attention!

» But what point(s)?

• The Greek word, “nikaó” (Strong’s G3528) is translated by the NASB as follows:

  • overcome (11), overcomes (10), overcame (2)

  • conquer (1), conquering (1), overpowers (1), prevail (1), victorious (1)

• An interesting “factoid”

  • “nikaó” (Strong’s G3528) comes from niké (Strong’s G3529)

  • Not only does the word niké (Strong’s G3529) look like the name of the sports equipment giant, but it is pronounced “nee-KAY” and means “victory”

So, as a first thought about what it means “to overcome,” it could be related to being victorious

Over the next few days, I plan to look at all 28 of the occurrences. Hopefully, through the process the Holy Spirit will reveal what He wants me to know.

{1 John 2.12-14 (BSB)}

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I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.

How about you? What sets of three do you see?

Note
This post and the previous one were inspirited by observations from my son-in-law during our morning Bible study on our recent family camping trip.

This morning I recorded an m4a audio file of me reading Revelation 1. However, I learned that most social media outlets only accept video. So, soon I’ll redo the reading on mp4 video.

The audio is available on my website at: Revelation 1 -- Reading

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near. {Revelation 1.3 (BSB)}

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This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. {Revelation 1.1-2 (BSB)}

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This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. {Revelation 1.1-2 (BSB)}

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This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. {Revelation 1.1-3 (BSB)}

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Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. {Acts 13.46}

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Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” {Acts 4.18-20}

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As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. {John 12.47-48 (BSB)}

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“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. {John 10.1 (BSB)}

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God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. {Ecclesiastes 12.14 (BSB)}

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God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. {Ecclesiastes 12.14 (BSB)}

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• If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter {Ecclesiastes 5.8a (BSB)}

The resulting rise in wickedness is not surprising either.

• Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. {Ecclesiastes 3.16 (BSB)}

The judges in America will find out when they have to give an account to The Creator!

• For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. {Ecclesiastes 12.14 (BSB)}

The solution is simple, fear God and keep His commandments!

• When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. {Ecclesiastes 12.13 (BSB)}

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