DOCTRINE OF THE WINNER

Introduction...

All believers in Christ are saved by grace through faith. Joh 3:16-18, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 3:24, 6:23.

The scriptures are very clear that a person is saved by faith alone in Christ alone. Acts 16:31, Joh 5:24, Gen 15:6

But the faithful believer who daily studies the Word of God and is daily filled with the Holy Spirit, he will receive great rewards from the Lord, both in this life and for all eternity.

Many pastors do not know about the 2 different judgment seats mentioned in the Bible:

The Great White Throne Judgment is for unbelievers only in Rev. 20:11-15, where the sins of unbelievers will not even be mentioned, and their deeds will not be good enough to please our perfect God and get into heaven.

The Bema Seat Judgment is for believers only, and this is actually an evaluation seat!

The works of believers will be tested to see if they were performed in human power or divine power; and if by divine power then eternal rewards will be bestowed upon the believer.

In 2Co 5:10 and 1Co 3:11-15, winner believers who lived their lives for the Lord will be rewarded.

And loser believers who performed their works in human power will not receive rewards, but they will still be saved, as they were saved by the grace of God at the moment of the faith in Christ.

2 Cor 5:10

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Cor 3:11-15

11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

A. Definition.

1. Both in time and eternity, believers are classified as either

winners or losers.

2. Winners are believers who live in the pre-designed plan of God, learn Bible doctrine, pass momentum tests, advance to maturity, fulfill the plan of God, and glorify Jesus Christ.

3. Losers are believers who live in the cosmic system, are servants of Satan, are constantly under the control of their old sin nature, are involved in both motivational and functional evil (cosmic 1 and cosmic 2), and cannot be distinguished from unbelievers.

Cosmic #1 refers to the arrogant religious believer who lives for himself and not for God.

Cosmic #2 refers to the immoral believer who lives in carnality and never rebounds and recovers to get back into the plan of God and word of God.

4. Losers are Christians who fail in time, but they do not lose their salvation. They have an inferior place in heaven, have no authority in the Millennium, and have no impact on history.

5. Winners are described in Rev 2-3 by the present active participle of NIKAO, as in Rev 2:7,11,17,26 and 3:5,12,21. In each case, the participle is translated like a noun, "the winner."

6. All historical blessing and prosperity in the Church Age results from unknown and unnamed believers who are living in the pre-designed plan of God and advancing to spiritual maturity, thus forming the pivot of invisible heroes.

This is why many nations don't prosper; because the believers in the nation have rejected Bible doctrine as their #1 priority, thus cursing the nation.

As goes the believer, so goes the nation.

7. The mature believers we call "winners". They provide blessing by association and historical uptrends, but are never recorded in any human history book.

8. Therefore these believers are the unknown, unsung heroes of history during the Church Age. They have used the hidden manna of Bible doctrine and logistical grace from God to advance to spiritual maturity. The winner is the secret to national blessing.

9. Winners have a prominent place in the Millennium. At the Rapture, they receive a white pebble, that is, a resurrection body with a new name of knighthood.

These believers have the greatest and most permanent of all fame for all eternity.

B. The Principle of the Winner.

1. The winner or mature believer receives distribution of his escrow blessings for time.

a. Eph 1 teaches that billions of years ago in eternity past, God the Father, as the Grantor, deposited greater blessings into an escrow account for every believer, i.e., greater blessings for both time and the eternal state.

b. Our Lord Jesus Christ as the escrow Officer makes distribution of escrow blessings in time and in eternity at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

c. Therefore, the winner has phenomenal impact and blessing in time as well as reward in eternity.

2. The invisible hero is a mature believer who has a dynamic impact in history.

a. During the times of the Gentiles, the Church-age in which we live, the greatest historical impact is not recorded in man's history books. Instead, impact is invisible and directly related to mature believers.

b. Mature believers have a tremendous influence on every area of our life.

(1) They have an influence on the establishment principle of freedom through military victory.

(2) They have an influence on law enforcement, from the judge on the bench to the police officer on patrol.

(3) They have an influence on the economy.

(4) They have an influence on the general life and culture.

(5) They have an influence in Christianity, e.g., in

evangelism, Bible teaching, and missionary activity.

c. But when the pivot (core) of mature believers shrinks, the cycles of discipline begin in a nation. Then the only solution is found in an enlarged pivot of believers who attain spiritual maturity and execute the pre-designed plan of God.

3. Invisible God plus invisible assets plus invisible power equals invisible heroes.

4. No one can become an invisible hero apart from post-salvation epistemological rehabilitation (the believer's mind being renewed or rehabilitated by the New Testament letters written to the Church).

This means the daily perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. (we must listen, believe, and apply the Word of God)

5. The mystery doctrine of the Church Age cannot be perceived or metabolized apart from residence in your very own palace, the pre-designed plan of God for your life; through your personal relationship with God through the filling of the Spirit (or spirituality).

6. No believer can execute the pre-designed plan of God and become an invisible hero and glorify God apart from the teaching ministry of the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. Eph 4:11-12

This shows the importance of the I.C.E. Principle: the pastor's Isagogical (historical context), Categorical (comparing scripture to scripture), and Exegetical (original languages) expository teaching of the mystery doctrine which specifically belongs to the Church.

7. In a nation, visible heroes are related to the laws of

divine establishment, while invisible heroes are related to the pivot of mature believers.

8. As goes the believer, so goes the client nation to God.

C. The Winner in the Future.

1. The winner will be at the Rapture, 1 Thes 4:13-18. All believers are resurrected at the same time.

The voice command of the archangel is for living believers. The trumpet command is for dead believers (1 Cor 15:22), "corruption takes on incorruption."

1 Cor 15:40-42

40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;

1 Cor 15:51-53

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Thess 4:13-18

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

2. The winners and losers will both be there together at the rapture. Winners have great happiness in time and even more in eternity.

3. The winners will also participate in the Big Genuflex, Phil 2:9-11; Rom 14:11-12.

Phil 2:9-11

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Rom 14:11-12

11 For it is written,

"AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD,EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

D. The winner believer is decorated at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

1. 2 Cor 5:10, "We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one of us may receive what is due him for the things accomplished while in the body, whether good [winners] or evil [losers]."

The winner believer is "good" because he fulfilled the plan of God.

The loser believer is "evil" because he lived his life for himself, but he will still be saved. 1Co 3:15, 2Tim 2:13.

2. The winner is not ashamed at the Judgment Seat of Christ as is the loser.

a. Rom 5:5, "And hope [3] does not make us ashamed at the Judgment Seat of Christ."

b. 2 Tim 2:15, "a workman who does not need to be ashamed."

c. Phil 1:20, "According to my earnest expectation and hope that I shall not be put to shame in anything [at Judgment Seat of Christ], but with all confidence, Christ shall even now as always be glorified in my body, whether by life or by death."

3. The loser does have shame at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

a. Phil 3:18-19, "that they are the enemies of the cross . . .

whose glory is their shame [at Judgment Seat of Christ]."

b. 1 Jn 2:28, "that if He should appear, we might have confidence and might not be put to shame by Him in His presence."

4. Two major decorations are given to the winner at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

a. The crown of life is given for living life in the pre-designed plan of God, Rev 2:10.

b. The order of the morning star is the highest decoration for living the Christian life. Rev 2:28, the Lord Jesus said "I will give to him the order of the morning star."

(1) The name is derived from the title of our Lord. In His strategic and tactical victory He is called, "The Morning Star."

Num 24:17, "A star shall come from Jacob [First Advent]."

2 Pet 1:19, "With reference to which you perform honorably by habitually concentrating in your right lobes on the lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns [Second Advent] and the morning star [Jesus Christ] has come."

(2) The uniform of glory worn by Jesus Christ as the Morning Star was displayed at the Mount of Transfiguration.

This uniform of glory is the translucent robe of light which Christ wears over His resurrection body.

The uniform of glory was modeled by Christ for Peter, James and John, Mt 16:28-17:2, "His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white, like light."

This uniform is now constantly worn by the humanity of Christ.

E. The Order of the Morning Star.

1. Rev 2:28, "I will give to him the order of the morning star." This is a decoration for life in the pre-designed plan of God. It is the highest decoration God can give a human being.

2. It includes the privilege of wearing the uniform of glory, a

uniform of translucent light over the resurrection body.

Rev 3:4, "But you have a few in Sardis, who have not soiled their clothes, in fact they will walk with Me in whites [the uniform of glory], because they are worthy."

The winner wears the uniform of honor in time and the uniform of glory in eternity.

3. The decoration includes presentation in the court of heaven to God the Father!

Rev 3:5, "Thus the winner shall be clothed in a white garment, and I will never blot his name [the new knighthood] out of the book of life, in fact I will acknowledge his name in the presence of My Father and before His angels."

While this occurs in the third heaven for all winners, the

losers will wait in the second heaven.

There are 3 heavens mentioned in the Bible; the earth's atmosphere, outer space, and then beyond space (where God's throne is).

The loser believer will not be in attendance for the winner's ceremonies.

4. The order of the morning star includes a new knighthood.

Rev 2:17,

"To the winner I will give him blessing from the hidden manna [blessing in time from maximum Bible doctrine in the soul] and I will give him a white pebble, furthermore on that pebble [resurrection body] has been written a new name [title of knighthood] which no one knows except he who receives

it."

Each winner alone knows his place in the eternal order of chivalry.

F. The winner returns with Christ at the Second Advent. All Church Age believers return with Christ at the Second Advent.

1 Thes 3:13, "with all His saints," but the winners come wearing their uniform of glory and order of the morning star!

Col 3:4, "On the occasion when Christ our life shall become manifest, you also shall become manifest with Him in glory [wearing the uniform of glory]."

G. Winners are involved in operation footstool and our Lord's triumphal procession.

1. Ps 110:1, "The Lord [God the Father] said to my Lord [Jesus

Christ], `Sit down at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.'"

2. Operation footstool begins at the Second Advent and includes the termination of the Armageddon campaign, the baptism of fire, the overthrow in which Satan loses the rulership of the earth, and the imprisonment of Satan and all fallen angels for 1000 years.

3. Ps 110:1 is quoted in the New Testament in Mt 24:22; Mk 12:36; Lk 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb 1:13, 10:13.

Obviously "Operation footstool" is a major event in which God the Father honors His Son like no other time.

It is the Lord honoring the Lord, one member of the Trinity honoring Another who stepped out of heaven for the salvation of His creation.

4. "Operation footstool" includes the three phases of the triumphal procession. Our Lord's triumphal procession relates to our Lord's victories over angelic and human enemies. Unbelievers are dealt with in the baptism of fire.

a. The prisoners, Satan and fallen angels are marched in disgrace in the front of the column.

b. Next comes the triumphant ruler, the Lord Jesus Christ.

c. Then follows the army, the Church Age believers.

5. All the demons are disarmed for public exhibition,

Col 2:15, "And having disarmed demon archons [generals], and demon commissioned officers, He [Jesus Christ] made a public display of them, having celebrated a triumphal procession over them by means of it [the strategic victory of the cross]."

6. At the end of the procession the prisoners were imprisoned, Zech 13:2; Col 2:15, or executed, 1 Cor 15:23-25. The last one to be imprisoned is Satan, Rev 20:1-3.

7. Then Christ gives the rulership of the world to God the Father, who in turn gives it back to His Son through a coronation.

H. The Winner at the Coronation of Christ and the Wedding Supper, Rev 19:6-9.

Rev 19:6-9

6Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, "Write, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

1. Winners have prominent places at the coronation and the wedding supper!

2. Verse 6, the "great crowd" is Church Age believers; the "many waters" are Old Testament believers; the "mighty thunderings" are Tribulational believers who survive the Tribulation.

3. Verse 7 is the wedding supper.

4. Verse 8, the "fine linen" includes all believers of the Church Age; and refers to their imputed righteousness from God parlayed into ultimate sanctification at resurrection.

"Bright" refers to the winners of the order of the morning star.

"Unsoiled" refers to winners exchanging their uniform of honor for their uniform of glory.

1. The Authority of the Order of the Morning Star in the Millennium,

Rev 2:26-28. "And so the winner, even he who keeps My assignments until the end [of his lifetime], to him I will give authority over the nations; and so He will rule them with an iron scepter as pots made of clay are shattered [capital punishment], so I also have received authority from My Father.

Furthermore, I will give to him the order of the morning star."

J. The Function of the Morning Star in the Millennium, Rev 20:4. "And I saw thrones; and they that sat on them and rulership was given to them."

They will rule for 1000 years on the earth.

K. The Privilege of the Morning Star Decoration in the Eternal State, Rev 2:7.

Rev 2:7

' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

Only winners who have the order of the morning star have the privilege of access to the gazebo garden and tree of life.

The gazebo garden is the party place in heaven where only winner believers will have free access.

L. Other Special Rewards for the Winner.

1. A special pillar in the temple, written in gold, which tells the

winner's story. His name remains in the temple of God as a permanent history record of who was really important in human history. (invisible heroes will become visible in heaven)

2. He has a coat of arms, Rev 3:12, which allows him to enter the New Jerusalem. Only the winner can enter the New Jerusalem.

3. The mandate to the winner is given in Rev 3:11, "I will be coming suddenly; seize [hold, master, attain, grasp] what you have [your portfolio of invisible assets], that no one may take away your crown [military decoration]."

The winner is ordered to hold on to, master, grasp, attain doctrine in his soul.

Maturity from Bible doctrine in the soul is transformed into crowns in the eternal state.

This is a demand to learn the mystery doctrine of the Church Age, now while on earth, so that the believer can attain spiritual maturity.

The crown is a part of the escrow blessings of the eternal state.

There are at least 5 crowns mentioned in the scriptures...

a. The crown of righteousness, 2 Tim 4:7-8, is awarded to winners who execute the pre-designed plan of God through maximum Bible doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness.

2 Tim 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

b. The crown of life, Jam 1:12; Rev 2:10, is awarded to invisible heroes for maximum production of divine good through the execution of the pre-designed plan of God with emphasis on invisible impact.

James 1:12

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Rev 2:10

'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

c. The crown of Rejoicing (Joy), 1Thess 2:19-20, Rev 4:10-11, awarded to believers for soul-winning.

1 Thess 2:19-20

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Rev 4:10-11

the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 " Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

The wise believer wins souls and is a tree of life to those he reaches. Prov 11:30

d. The incorruptible crown (for controlling the Old Sin Nature) 1 Cor 9:25-27

1 Cor 9:24-27

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

e. The crown of glory, 1 Pet 5:4; Phil 4:1, Rom 12:7, is awarded to pastors and teachers who are faithful in teaching the word of God.

1. This crown is awarded to pastors who faithfully study and communicate Bible doctrine to their congregation, doctrine by which the pastor and some members of the congregation will attain spiritual maturity.

There are four categories of pastors in the Church Age...

a. The cosmic pastor who lives in cosmic one and cosmic two is distracted by social action, crusader arrogance, and is totally disoriented to reality. He is very arrogant, self-righteous, and ignorant of Bible doctrine.

b. The baby pastor high-profiles his own personality while low-profiling the Word of God. All he does is evangelize and give little moral lectures.

c. The adolescent pastor teaches some truth but is distracted by various forms of high profile. He is selling his own personality (rather than teaching doctrine) by visiting the sick, calling on the congregation, and conducting programs.

101. He can be a pseudo-intellectual, a crusader, a bleeding heart, self-righteous, a pleasing personality, or arrogant.
103. He appeals to those with negative volition toward Bible doctrine. He doesn't have the time to study.

d. The mature pastor through personal study and teaching advances to spiritual maturity in the pre-designed plan of God and is leading his congregation there.

He has fulfilled the principle of rightly dividing the Word of Truth in 2Tim 2:15; therefore, he receives the crown of life and the crown of righteousness as well, Heb 6:10.

2 Tim 2:15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Heb 6:10

"For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."

He emphasizes doctrine and is a prepared person academically, knowing where he stands theologically. He focuses on the message, not his personality.

2. The motivation for the pastor is occupation with the Lord. 1 Pet 5:4, "And when the chief shepherd appears [Rapture], you [faithful pastors] will receive the unfading crown of glory."

3. Phil 4:1 personalizes this concept. "Therefore, my brethren, loved ones [congregation who is respected for their faithfulness], deeply desired ones, my happiness and my crown, keep on being stabilized [winners of the crown of righteousness]."

501. 4. 1 Thes 2:19-20, "For who is our hope or happiness or crown of boasting [glory]? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and our happiness."
503. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, those who have attained spiritual maturity are the crown of glory for the pastor.

5. The pastor's boasting or crown of glory is received because certain members of his congregation do two things by listening to the teaching of the Word.

a. They take the giant step to spiritual self-esteem.

b. They take the victory step to spiritual maturity.

7. So the happiness of the pastor comes from the positive response of those faithful to the teaching of the Word of God.
8. The pastor's happiness is different from that of anyone else.

1. Believers who lived in the pre-designed plan of God are the basis for the pastor receiving the crown of glory.

4. The order of the morning star is the highest decoration that can be awarded to a Church Age believer, Rev 2:26, 29.

This is awarded for the ultimate in impact through Bible doctrine.

5. The winner also receives the uniform of glory, Rev 3:4, 18.

6. There is a new order of knighthood for winners, Rev 2:17ff. This includes a special royal title written in the Lamb's book of life along with the divine good he produced in time.

7. There is a coat of arms of glory for the winner, Rev 3:12.

8. The miscellaneous privileges include:

(a) A pillar in the Temple, Rev 3:12; this is a record of great deeds of the winner.

(b) The name of the winner appears on the honors list, so that he may be presented in the court of heaven in a resurrection body, Rev 3:21, 5.

(c) Winners will rule with Christ on earth during the

millennium, Rev 5:17; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26; 3:21; 20:4.

(d) The winner is a member of the Paradise club forever. This includes three special privileges: eating from the Tree of Life, access to the gazebo in the Garden, access to the Paradise of God, Rev 2:7.

Rev 2:7

7' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

All believers will be saved by the grace of God, but not all believers will receive these incredible rewards.

God is not shy about rewarding those who serve Him. He will do exceedingly beyond all that we ask or think, if we choose to live for Him instead of ourselves.

Eph 3:20-21

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

2 Peter 1:10-11

10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

The believer who rests in Him, who lives one day at a time relying on God and His Word, God will transform him into the Winner, and all these rewards will be granted him by the grace of God!

Phil 1:6

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil 2:13

13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Wisdom says in Prov 8:17-18

17 "I love those who love me;

And those who diligently seek me will find me.

18 " Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring wealth and righteousness.

This is the destiny of the Winner Believer; the one who lives this life for Christ.