Fall 1989
More Than Conquerors

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" I Cor 2:9-10.

The fullness of all that God both planned and carried out in our behalf is greater than our comprehension. Only as we begin to understand "What the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:18b-20) are we able to identify ourselves with the fact that "He raised us with Him and through union with Christ Jesus He made us sit down with Him in the heavenly realm" Eph 2:6 Williams.

This in-working of God's power profits us little unless we believe. Unbelief hinders the working of His power in our behalf. It is greatly a failure, as far as God getting glory is concerned, if we limit Salvation to being saved from hell and death. The Lord did not save us with heaven as His objective. He saved us that He might get glory to His Name throughout the endless ages. We are to be to His glory, not only then, but here on earth while we are yet in these bodies of our humiliation.

When we fail to grasp the far-reaching meaning that is embodied in the purpose of God through redemption, we are unable to "lay hold" on that for which Christ laid hold on us. If we do not draw largely upon the grace and power which are "in Christ," our lives will be marked by spiritual poverty.

It is as though a man had fallen heir to a large inheritance, but only believed that it was in the thousands, whereas it was in the millions. Therefore, he lived to the lesser amount, and derived no benefit from the rest. Thus it is with the spiritual provision which God has made available for us inour blessed Lord. Through neglect, or a careless indifference, we have notsearched deeply enough into the extent of our riches "in Christ Jesus." Whenthe riches of God's plan for us has not broken in upon our consciousness, Godis robbed of the glory which He has purposed to receive through our lives.

The Word clearly sets forth our possessions in Christ Jesus and invites usto enter therein and possess them. It urges us to do so, that we may not fallshort of the grace of God. God's purpose in leading the children of Israel outof Egypt was that He might bring them into Canaan. Yet, they did not fullybelieve this and were unable to enter into the land. They had faith to comeout of Egypt, but they did not have faith to enter into Canaan.

Thus it is with many of us in regard to our position in Christ. We haveread of our vital union with Him. But because our understanding has beendulled by not having the word of God mixed with faith in our hearts, many of ushave not viewed our possessions from the mountain top, as did Moses; much lesshave we entered in and possessed the land as did Joshua and Caleb.

We must embrace the ever-working abounding grace which flows as a river tous through the cross of Calvary. As sinners condemned to death, without a germof divine life or righteousness within us, we were dead unto God and holiness,and were alive unto Satan and sin. Being children of wrath, we could not haveaccess to God. He could only move upon us in conviction of sin.

But when we were born again and became new creatures in Christ Jesus, Godput to death that old sinful nature, and in its place birthed the divinenature. Satan and sin, with their power and bondage, were taken out of ourlives, and in their place God put the power of the divine nature, which makesus alive unto Him in Christ Jesus. We have been given the very life of Christ,and have become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.

That sinful nature which was once alive in us, is now dead. The divinenature, which had been destroyed by the fall, is now alive. We must not onlysee ourselves hanging upon the cross, crucified with Christ, which is thebeginning of God's work in making real to us our union with Him; but we mustalso see ourselves to be risen with Him, and living in Him. Made bone of Hisbone and flesh of His flesh, we have been raised up to live in Him in newnessof life.

Our identification with Him in resurrection has been too much lost sight of. It becomes the key to victory when this fact is quickened to us and made realwithin our being: We not only died in Him, but we were raised up in Him as anew creation. In Him, God has amply provided the enabling grace to live anovercoming life. We are to "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be deadindeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:11.

We are not to "make believe" that we are dead to sin and alive unto God. Weare to accept it as a "finished fact" that has life and victory in it. We havebeen made dead to every moving of our self life, and have been made alive tothe virtue that is in Christ. If we have any pride or impatience seeking tomove within us, we are made dead to these, and are made alive to humility andpatience in Christ.

But one may ask why this transforming power has had so little effect uponthem. It is because they have not believed that it applies to them. We mustconfirm the fact, moment by moment, as we come up against temptations, thatthey no longer have any power over us, because we are dead to sin and alive toGod in Christ Jesus.

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have beentaught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" Colosians 2:6-7.

In a dim general way, we may believe this truth; but it must be appliedspecifically to every condition and event of our life. Only thus, will thisfact of His transforming power become active and bring victory to us. Throughthe neglect of putting this into practice and the weakness which results fromsuch negligence, it may at first be difficult for us to believe.

We are to humbly ask God to remove the vague general ideas that we have hadconcerning our privileges in Christ, and the unbelief that this has engendered. As we keep our eyes upon Jesus, and by faith apply this work, which God hasaccomplished in our behalf through Christ, to every situation and condition, weshall find the Truth will begin to be quickened to us. And though it may notbecome, all at once, a sweeping victory, we shall be brought to the place whereChrist's promise that we will have power over all the power of the enemy, willbe proven true in our lives.

It is because we are "in Christ" that this is possible. Here, we have atour disposal all of the power that is in Him, that we might become more thanconquerors. We are to wait upon Him until our union with Him becomes a livingreality within us. It is when this reality of our being "in Him" is made tolive and take hold of our lives, that we begin to see that God has put at ourdisposal that working of the strength of His might, which He wrought in ChristJesus, when He raised Him from the dead.

Now we can abide as "more than conquerors through Him who loved us."