As an Overcomer you may ask yourself this question:

What am I going to get out of it for following Christ?

Some of His disciples asked that very question of Jesus Christ. Here is the scripture-
Then Peter said to Jesus- see, we have forsaken everything and followed You- what then will be our reward? (Matthew 19:27 Weymouth Translation).
So Jesus said to them- assuredly I say to you- that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life
(Matthew 19:28-29 Modern KJV).

Christ could have answered the question this way-

 Christ could have told them they would get tested and tried for following Him-
...that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(1 Peter 1:7).

Christ could have told them they would get persecuted-
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution
(2 Timothy 3:12).

Christ could have told them they would have to deny themselves and carry a cross-
Then Jesus said to His disciples- if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom
(Matthew 16:24-28).

Christ could have told them they would get hated, rejected, lied about, and betrayed-
Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake
(Luke 6:22).

Christ could have said that martyrdom was a possibility for each of His Overcomers. He told the Apostle Peter-
...most assuredly, I say to you- when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished- but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him- Follow Me. Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said- Lord, who is the one who betrays You? Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus- but Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him- if I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me. Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but- if I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?
(John 21:18-23).
So, what happened to some of God's Overcomers who did follow Christ?

Are their examples of martyrdom in church history? Yes, here are just a few-
The Apostle Andrew was crucified to death.
The Apostle Peter was crucified to death upside down.
The Apostle Paul was beheaded
Timothy was beat to death with clubs
The Apostle John was thrown alive into a pot of boiling oil but it did not hurt him as God worked a miracle so he was exiled to the Roman prison on Island of Patmos where he started writing the bible book of Revelation written on several scrolls.

But this is the answer-

 This is what each Overcomer in Christ will get as a reward for following Him:

You get spiritual salvation now-
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures
(1 Corinthians 15:3).

Sonship by adoption- you are an heir of the King. What He has is yours.
For...you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out- Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together
(Romans 8:15-17).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who in His great mercy has begotten us anew to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled and unfading, that has been reserved in Heaven for you
(1 Peter 1:3-4 Weymouth New Testament).

And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies
(Romans 8:23).

But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law, in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons
(Galatians 4:4-5).

For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ- such being His gracious will and pleasure...
(Ephesians 1:5).

You make a new friend-
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother
(Proverbs 18:24).

Freedom from crippling anxiety and crushing fear-
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God- and the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:6-7).

There are many blessings for His Overcomers mentioned in His holy scriptures. Here are a few from Deuteronomy-
If you fully obey the Lord your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world.

You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God-

You will be blessed in your towns and in the country.

You will be blessed with many children and productive fields. You will be blessed with fertile herds and flocks.

You will be blessed with baskets overflowing with fruit, and with kneading bowls filled with bread.

You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going.

The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!

The Lord will bless everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.

If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as His holy people as He solemnly promised to do.

Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.

The Lord will give you an abundance of good things in the land He swore to give your ancestors- many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops.

The Lord will send rain at the proper time from His rich treasury in the heavens to bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.

If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God and carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always have the upper hand.

You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today to follow after other gods and worship them.
(Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

and here are a few from the Psalms-
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people
(Psalm 3:8).

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous- with favor You will surround him as with a shield
(Psalm 5:12).

The Lord will give strength to His people- the Lord will bless His people with peace
(Psalm 29:11).

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked
(Psalm 94:12-13).

Blessed are those who keep justice and he who does righteousness at all times
(Psalm 106:3).

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth- the generation of the upright will be blessed
(Psalm 112:1-2).

and here are a few rewards and blessings for each Overcomer as mentioned in various parts of His Word-

Each Overcomer will get a mansion or place in Heaven
In My Father's house are many mansions- if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you
(John 14:2).

Each Overcomer will get a glorified body
...it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption- it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory- it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power- it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body
(1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Each Overcomer receives love now from Christ
But the effect of the order is love coming from a clean heart, and a knowledge of what is right, and true faith
(1 Timothy 1:5).

and in Heaven you will be soaked in love for eternity because God is love and you will be in His presence
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8)...and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him
(1 John 4:16).

Each Overcomer gets spiritual salvation now. That includes:

Your sins are forgiven
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received- that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures
(1 Corinthians 15:3).

Christ gives you peace in your heart
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God- and the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
(Philippians 4:4-7).

You get a conscience free of guilt
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5)...having faith and a good conscience, that some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck
(1 Timothy 1:19).

Each Overcomer will receive eternal rewards
But as it is written- eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him
(1 Corinthians 2:9).

God answers the prayers of Overcomers, gives wisdom, and helps us solve our problems
Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel- sun, stand still over Gibeon- and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the middle of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man- for the Lord fought for Israel
(Joshua 10:12-14).

Divine healing is offered to all of God's Overcomers who have faith
Then they brought him (a boy with a mute spirit) to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father- how long has this been happening to him? And he said- from childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said to him- if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears- Lord, I believe- help my unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it- deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more! Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said- he is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose
(Mark 9:20-27).

For many Overcomer Christians, there is no fear of death
O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Overcomers receive a hedge of protection around them against the devil
So Satan answered the Lord and said- does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land
(Job 1:9-10).
My note: Satan falsely accused God of paying Job to serve God and then protecting Job.

Each Overcomer will receive the necessities of life (food, water, money, and clothes)
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink- nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns- yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow- they neither toil nor spin- and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying- what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble
(Matthew 6:25-34).

Each Overcomer will receive joy from God for following Christ

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying- Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name
(Luke 10:17).

Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
(Luke 24:51-53).

...and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit
(Acts 13:52).

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full
(John 15:11).

Each Overcomer is a member of the extended family of God and will receive eternal life

And Jesus said to him- assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise
(Luke 23:43).

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent
(John 17:3).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
(Romans 6:23).

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens
(2 Corinthians 5:1).

And there are more blessings that God has for each one of His Overcomers that are not listed here.

A sideline note- James and John's mother wanted her sons to get the best from Jesus-
Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her- what do you wish? She said to Him- grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said- you do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said to Him- we are able. So He said to them- you will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I AM baptized with- but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father
(Matthew 20:20-23).
Here is my note- blessed are the mothers who want their children to come to Jesus and take what He has to offer and drink from the Living Fountain.

The best answer for wanting to follow Jesus Christ is the answer that you love Him and that you are willing to follow Him and serve Him no matter the circumstances. So, here is my question to you- why do you want to follow Jesus Christ?





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