Jesus and a New Spiritual Israel! - More than Overcomers! Chapter 44

 

Jesus and a New Spiritual Israel! More than Overcomers!

In the last chapter, I touched on how Jesus’ view of the New Israel was the same as the Apostle Paul’s. Let’s look at Jesus’ comments in greater detail. In John, the scribes and Pharisees bring unto Jesus a woman who was found “taken in adultery, in the very act.”[1] The scribes and Pharisees want to condemn her to death by stoning, which was written in the Law of Moses. But Jesus says unto them,

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.[2]

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.[3]

An interesting point here is that the older men were the first to be convicted by their conscience. The younger men in the height of their zeal felt more justified in condemning the woman to death and were ready to cast the stone to fulfill the Law. But the older men, worn down through the toils of life and aware of their own shortcomings, failures and sins, and knowing that their own lives were coming to an end, were conscious of their own necessity of receiving forgiveness.

I recently read about an incident that occurred at the end of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s life. Montgomery was the highest British commander in World War II. He fought under Eisenhower and with Patton against the Germans in the invasion of Europe. At 88 years of age, nearing the end of his life, Montgomery was unable to sleep. In desperation he asked for his closest friend to be called for. When his friend arrived, Montgomery confessed he was unable to sleep because he knew he was soon going to face God. His conscience was weighing heavy upon him and he had no idea how he was going to justify the death of all those young lads in the war, lads who had gone to their deaths because of Montgomery’s decisions. His conscience was causing him to seek God, to seek God’s forgiveness.[4] No doubt, those older Pharisees were sensing the same feeling.

Paul tells us that in the Latter Days men shall be past feeling, their conscience seared with a hot iron.[5] In other words, they will not have a conscience to tell them that they are doing wrong. Their conscience will be hardened. Jesus Himself said men’s hearts would grow cold because of the abundance of iniquity.[6] Was He talking about the world we live in today?

In the incident with the woman taken in adultery, Jesus tells the Pharisees or religious rulers that they are judging after the flesh. He tells them they are not behaving as children of Abraham because they are seeking to kill Him,

a man who has told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.[7]

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. 

Jesus said unto them, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.[8]

Jesus goes on and says,

You do the deeds of your father. 

Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? even because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.[9]

He that is of God hears God’s words, you therefore hear them not, because you are not of God.[10]

Jesus is showing that the children of the flesh are not really the children of God. It is the children of the Spirit who listen, hear and obey God’s Word and God’s voice of conscience in their heart, who are the real children of faith. As we find in Hebrews,

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (Israel according to the flesh): but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.[11]

In Jeremiah we read,

For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youths even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.[12]

In other words, we haven’t obeyed the voice of conscience, God’s voice within our hearts. The point I am trying to make here is as Jesus said,

The flesh profits nothing.[13] 

God’s Kingdom is not a flesh-and-blood kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom of those born of the spirit. One night during Jesus’ ministry, a ruler of the Jews who was member of the Sanhedrin came to Jesus secretly to know Him more intimately or up close and personal, as we say today. Let us read from the Gospel of John.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus says unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?[14]

Jesus begins talking to Nicodemus about the importance of the spiritual birth. Nicodemus does not seem to be getting the point, even though he is an important religious leader and member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, their “Supreme Court.”

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.[15]

Here Jesus is making a comparison between the two types of birth; the physical or water birth and the spiritual birth. It behooves us to seek for God. God promises that if we seek for Him with all our hearts, we shall find Him,[16] and experience the "new birth."

Jesus said we should

hunger and thirst after righteousness.[17]

He goes on to say to Nicodemus.

The wind blows where it lists, and thou hears the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it comes, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be?

Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and know not these things?[18]

Have you experienced that birth of the Spirit? Paul tells us:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, everything is made new.[19]

Jesus said,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.[20]

Are you longing for personal fellowship with a love that will never let you go, never disappoint you, never leave you, nor forsake you?[21] Then call upon the name of the Lord,

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.[22]

You could say a little prayer like the following from your heart:

Jesus, I need Your help. I have gotten to the point that I just cannot go on any more. Please, reach down and touch me. Cleanse me from those things that are offensive in my life, where I have screwed up. Make me new. Give me a new start and a new heart. In Jesus’ name. I pray.

If you’d prayed that little pray or one like it, God has promised to answer and come into your heart, your life. As you draw closer to Him, He will manifest Himself unto you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.[23]

Back in the 60s and 70s we used to sing the song We Shall Overcome. Watch Joan Baez's rendition.[24]

The song was originally a Christian spiritual song by the Black Americans as they peacefully waited to overcome the injustice of their servitude. One of the lines of the song says, “We shall live in peace one day.” The youth of the 60s used the song as a protest against the war in Vietnam and the Godless materialistic society we found ourselves in. Our hope was that one day the world would live in peace.

However, man has shown time and time again that he is incapable of living in peace and harmony. Man cannot have peace without peace on the inside, without peace of heart, peace of mind and peace of spirit. He cannot find peace within himself because he is troubled with doubt, anguished with his own inability to always be good and do good. Like the great Apostle Paul said,

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that do I… Who shall deliver me from the bondage of this death?[25] 

But Paul, the murderer and persecutor of the new religious sect, found the answer. He says,

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.[26] 

It's only by letting the love of God in our hearts in His Son Jesus that we can overcome, overcome our selfishness, overcome our lack of love, overcome our depression, overcome our fears and anxieties, overcome our anger, overcome our pains, overcome our murmurings, overcome our failures and overcome our sins. Jesus has overcome and He offers us His overcoming grace, His overcoming Holy Spirit, His overcoming love, His overcoming forgiveness. But without Him, we are nothing and will accomplish nothing of real value.[27] But with Him all things are possible.[28]

Have you got that overcoming “feeling,” God’s Spirit, down in your heart? Call out to Jesus, because through Him, you can overcome! He says,

To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.[29] He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.[30] To him that overcomes will I give power over the nations.[31] He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.[32]

John the Apostle tells us: 

Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?[33]

Do you want to be an over-comer? Then let God’s overcoming Spirit into your life through the Lord Jesus Christ, and you can become as Paul said

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, (in other words, more than overcomers), through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.[34]

Join the team! Be an Overcomer!

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Notes:

[1] John 8:4
[2] John 8:7
[3] John 8:9
[4] Spufford, Francis; Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity can still make Surprising Emotional Sense; Faber and Faber Limited, London, 2013; pages 39-42. 
[5] 1Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
[6] Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
[7] John 8:40
[8] John 8:39
[9] John 8:41-44
[10] John 8:47
[11] Hebrews 4:2
[12] Jeremiah 3:25

[13] John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

[14] John 3:1-4

[15] John 3:5-7

[16] Jeremiah 29:13

[17] Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

[18] John 3:8-10

[19] 2Corinthians 5:17
[20] Revelation 3:20
[21] Hebrews 13:5
[22] Romans 10:13
[23] James 4:8
[24] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM39QUiAsoM&ab_channel=John1948SevenB (accessed 09/2020)
[25] Romans 7:19-24

[26] Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

[27] John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

[28] Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

[29] Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

[30] Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.

[31] Revelation 2:26 And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.

[32] Revelation 21:7

[33] 1John 5:5
[34] Romans 8:37-39