How I Used Truth - Lesson 3 - Annotation 10
What is an "overcomer," and what is to be overcome?
10. An overcomer is one who has (first) "come over" into a new state of consciousness — the Christ consciousness; and (second) is learning to base his thinking, feeling, speaking, and acting upon the Truth.
To overcome means "to subdue; to put under." When we "come over into Truth" we find the way to handle the mental causes that have produced inharmonious conditions in our life. Only as we "come over into Truth" do we come to see ourselves as spiritual beings, as sons of God, with the insight and power to change (overcome) negative or limiting thinking.
The I AM, or divinity within every human being, is the same as it was in Jesus, for God created but one Son, the "only begotten of the Father" (John 1:14, A.V.). However, Jesus' recognition of divinity was so profound that His word was a perfect channel for the Word of God. As we follow Jesus we too become aware of the Christ (I AM) Presence, and we become overcomers.
"An overcomer is one who recognizes the Truth of his being and is renewing his mind and body and affairs by changing his thoughts from the old mortal beliefs to the new as he sees them in Divine Mind. He is one who demonstrates the divine law, not only in surface life but in innermost consciousness, Spiritual power, mastery, and dominion are attained by the overcomer" (Keep a True Lent 180).
What we are to overcome primarily is our wrong beliefs — our belief in separation from God, from our good; belief that other persons or conditions can keep our good from us; belief that sickness, poverty, war, inharmony, failure are inevitable. These error beliefs are the mental causes which have produced like conditions in our human experience. We long for release from such conditions but feel bound by them, until we know their cause and begin the work of overcoming through the indwelling Christ power. Limiting conditions will change as we change our thinking, directing it Godward. The conditions of our life are the "fruit" of our mind. Every thought allowed to grow in the "soil" of the mind must produce "after its kind." We may long for a change in conditions, or expect some other person to change, or to do something to produce different conditions. But changes can only be made when we ourselves "overcome" the wrong beliefs that are the mental "seed" for the conditions.
"No external condition or circumstance can hold man in bondage when he makes mental contact with God.
"It was to the overcomer that Jehovah spoke when, through one of the old prophets, He said, 'I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten'" (Keep a True Lent 180).
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Preceding Entry: Explain how all power is given to the Christ.
Following Entry: What fact seems particularly difficult for one person to remember in regard to another?
