PRELUDE TO THE BOOK “INCENTIVIZED TO OVERCOME” 

This is a brief outline of God’s Scriptural Plan for all mankind and more importantly, it’s written so that we will be able to comprehend the possibilities pertaining to where we can find our place in His Plan. The discovery of which adds lost incentive, confidence and assurance to our hearts of God’s designed order in this time, which has undoubtedly reached the time of the last generation before His return. (Matthew 24:34) We are going to start off by looking at the bigger picture which, if we grasp it, will help us understand the backdrop for the theme of this book, God’s Plan for all mankind.  

A Scriptural summary of that Plan begins with recognizing that we are created beings, and our bodies are of the material of this realm, as are the earth and heavens seen above. Scripture informs us of another realm, that being the “spirit realm”. And in that realm, God had previously created superior spirit beings; Angels. Scripture also reveals that 1/3 of God’s angels are in rebellion and along with their leader, satan, are jointly occupying, and ruling the nations of this earthly realm. They do so by usurped authority, having successfully tempted Adam, God’s first created man, to whom He had given authority over this earthly realm. So it is now that all man’s earthly government is controlled and corrupted by unseen evil forces who rule from spiritual high places, whose evil ways are checked by God by way of constant monitoring and oversight of His faithful Angels. And if any regenerated man, being then God’s child, would answer His call to be Godly, those wicked spirit forces will ever oppose him, as they resist God’s will for him. And therefore, man must presently resist and battle them in order to cooperate with God in His will.  

The reality then in which we live is that fallen angels rule over the present Earth/World and Mankind from high places in the unseen spirit realm surrounding us.  But Scripture holds forth that God has determined an end to their government. In that God has appointed a new administrating authority, the Messiah Who shall replace them and rule throughout the universe. He shall cast out of the heavenly places those evil angelic forces and break into pieces and consume all the earthly governments through which those unseen forces rule. (Daniel 2:44, Mark 13:35, Revelation 12:7-9 to name a few.)  

Then God will grant Man all authority, in the Person of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, Who then in association with His accounted worthies will reign in government with Him over His entire eternal Kingdom. “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” (Psalm 8, Hebrews 1:5-10) Having the understanding that men will rule over the world instead of/and replacing angels, makes it easier to understand why satan and his underling forces work so hard to keep God’s people from coming into their FULL inheritance. This would fulfill God’s original stated intent, which was to grant man authority in the Earth. (Genesis 1:26) And at the time of Christ’s First Coming, God added His intent to increase the realm of man’s dominion to the heavenly spirit realm as well. This was one of the great mysteries hidden until Christ’s First Coming. God had previously condemned the satanically perverted scheme of one species leaving its created estate and place and taking on the form, or joining itself with other species. (Genesis 6:2, Jude 6, Leviticus 20:6) This being the Law in Genesis that everything should produce after its own kind/species. (Genesis 1) For God had foreordained a holy uniting of a heavenly being with an earthly being, taking the form of the Son of God / Son of man. His intent was to bring many spiritual sons into being, whom would be fit or worthy to bring into His glorious holy heavenly realm and Presence. (Hebrews 2:10, 1st Thessalonians 2:12) This being the state or place which even the merely regenerated (much less natural fallen man) is not capable to inhabit. This is the state and place of the New Man. Certainly there shall always be the saved of natural Nations living eternally upon the earth, (Revelation 21:24) but this exclusive calling of place and position in the heavenly realm is the mysterious and magnificent part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has in view this New Creature; that is to say those chosen worthies caught up into new transcendent glory-filled bodies fit for that realm. (1st Corinthians 15:50-53) 

GOD’S PLAN FOR MAN IN SUFFERING 

The Son of Man is the critical centerpiece of this Plan of God: “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord….” He first needs to be willing to humble Himself and be born a Man, and to be tempted and tried in all points as a man, yet must be without sin. Through sacrifice and suffering, (Philippians 2:6-8) “…the forerunner is for us entered…” (Hebrews 6:20) that He might provide the path and opportunity to this mysterious heavenly kingdom of spiritual sons. He provided the path so that the regenerated man, a faithful follower of Christ, may be fit for the realm for which he was not nor would have ever been able to obtain unto. And that by faithfully overcoming the corrupted flesh and evil–spirit infected world in the power of Christ’s triumph that he might now attain unto the reward of this future joint heir inheritance in  “…ruling over the nations”. (Revelation 2:26–27, 2nd Timothy 2:11-13) 

Now this is the New Testament Gospel charge of Covenant, the Creator having done His part (John 3:16-21), and Jesus His anointed Son having done His part (Luke 24:26), and the Holy Spirit having been commissioned in Christ’s Atonement to do the empowering part. (John 7:37-39,15:26,16:7-14) Then our part is laid out before us. It is as follows. 1) By keeping Christ’s and His Apostles’ commanding directives which the Holy Spirit will fill with Truth and freeing meaning. 2) To willingly accept the Holy Spirit’s guidance into certain sufferings and disciplines that are indispensable for the conforming to the image of His Son, in order that we might be capacitated and have first-born inheritance and authority with Him in His Kingdom. (Romans 8) Being faithful to this now revealed mysterious heavenly calling, we then are to be His. 3) To be witnesses to evangelize the Nations with the gracious gospel of: not only the gift of eternal life, but of the opportunity of the Father’s Heart of incredible reward for overcoming faithfulness, an inheritance as a first-born son. 4) To aid in teaching and mentoring new converts in order that the children of God may not fall short of the grace of the Holy Spirit, but that they, at the Lord’s Coming, may be found worthy of this high calling. (Colossians 1:28–29) 

This faithful saying encompasses God’s entire Plan for mankind. “For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.…” The gracious gift of eternal life is set forth here as an accomplished event, in receiving His righteousness, declared in water baptism. But the suffering with Him unto reigning set forth here; is following His self–sacrificing suffering-filled life’s footsteps in Love that has trodden the thorny path daily set before us. It is further defined in Scripture as overcoming, in that “they loved not their life”. [Revelation 12:11] It is also found in Christ’s Words, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” This is that essential part of the Gospel of suffering in trial and testing for a Spirit–directed way of living unto unfathomable inheritance. (This accountability truth for inheritance is fully leavened by the tares in Christendom today).  

We are to be effectively arming ourselves with the same mind of Christ, in a willingness to suffer (1st Peter 4:1) for the prize set before us, insomuch as we are partakers of His sufferings, we may well rejoice, since at the revelation of His glory, we shall rejoice with exceeding joy. (1st Peter 4:13) Scripture declares suffering for righteousness sake is so sanctifying that one ceases from sin. And that they shall no longer live the rest of their time on the earth in the lusts of men, but surrendered to the will of God. Suffering brings us into closest intimacy with Christ.  

Persecution will now follow as the greatest days of evangelism of the World is closing. This call of Christ has penetrated the World. That forecast of world–wide great persecution is now no longer on the horizon, but it is in plain view.  The Christian is instructed that he must not provoke by offense and even yield up every right the world might afford him, save but that of denying His Lord in the face of persecution. Suffering in the spirit of love is the great testimony of Jesus Christ. We can be no greater witnesses of His than to suffer for Him as He exampled in suffering for His Father. This holds forth the great recompense of reward in His coming Kingdom. We then, like Paul, have this mind… “that the sufferings of this present time are insignificant in comparison with the glory that shall be revealed to us-ward.” (Romans 8:18] 

And if it be asked who is sufficient for these things? Again we say, no one in his own strength; but the grace (Divine influence) / power is promised to everyone who earnestly and sincerely desires it. We, like Paul, must strive and labor “…according to God’s energy which energizeth in me powerfully.” (Colossians 1:28–29, Galatians 5:6) God requires the whole man; spirit, soul and body. All of his faculties must be given up to Him; his ears and eyes, his heart and intellect, his will and emotion. All must be surrendered in loving service, yielded and then he will receive the corresponding promise to be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2nd Corinthians 3:18)