In Revelation 2:7, it says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” What do the churches need to hear? “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
The key word here is overcome. What does overcoming mean? To conquer or defeat something. What are we to conquer or defeat? SIN, the old, polluted nature we were born into. That thing that doesn’t want us to serve God or be like Jesus. That thing that does not want us to repent, or to be baptized in Jesus’ name, or to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, prophesying, loudly praising our Father. Our true enemy that dwells within us.
So how do we overcome?
Acts 2:36-39, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
So, to begin to overcome, so you can have access to the tree of life, you must repent of your sins, be baptized in the name or attributes of Jesus Christ so your sins can be remitted, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The baptism of repentance is step one in overcoming, being sorrowful for your sins. John the Baptist preached repentance.
Mark 1:4, John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Matthew 3:5-8, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”
Here John could see the true fruits of repentance coming forth from those wanting to be baptized; and those who did not display these fruits, he told them to go back until they were able to bring forth fruits, from their hearts, of being sorry for their sins.
In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul is talking to the church, saying, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
So, we see here that the baptism of repentance is the first step in overcoming.
The key word here is overcome. What does overcoming mean? To conquer or defeat something. What are we to conquer or defeat? SIN, the old, polluted nature we were born into. That thing that doesn’t want us to serve God or be like Jesus. That thing that does not want us to repent, or to be baptized in Jesus’ name, or to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, prophesying, loudly praising our Father. Our true enemy that dwells within us.
So how do we overcome?
Acts 2:36-39, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
So, to begin to overcome, so you can have access to the tree of life, you must repent of your sins, be baptized in the name or attributes of Jesus Christ so your sins can be remitted, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The baptism of repentance is step one in overcoming, being sorrowful for your sins. John the Baptist preached repentance.
Mark 1:4, John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Matthew 3:5-8, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”
Here John could see the true fruits of repentance coming forth from those wanting to be baptized; and those who did not display these fruits, he told them to go back until they were able to bring forth fruits, from their hearts, of being sorry for their sins.
In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul is talking to the church, saying, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
So, we see here that the baptism of repentance is the first step in overcoming.
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