Since God Is for Us, We Will Always Overcome (Tamil) — Zac Poonen

As I was saying in the last session, there are so many blessings in the New Covenant that we do not possess because we are ignorant. Let me show you one verse, Philippians in chapter 2, which shows us the balance there is in the Christian life.

Working Out Salvation With Fear and Trembling

It says in Philippians chapter 2, verse 12, the last part, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Now many people have only one understanding of the word salvation. That is because they listen more to preachers in their church rather than read the Bible.

Salvation means much more than salvation from judgment. Just by the way, you never read in the Bible about salvation from hell. You can read from Genesis to Revelation, there is not a single verse that talks about being saved from hell.

The Bible, I mean preachers talk a lot about it. And if you listen to them, you will speak their language and not the language of the Bible. The Bible speaks about being saved from the wrath of God. When we confess our sin and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, salvation is by grace and through faith.

But salvation is more than that. There is salvation from this wretched life we have inherited from Adam. That's what the Bible calls the flesh. And that is a progressive thing that should take place all through our earthly life.

And then we will experience salvation from the very presence of sin itself. When Christ comes again. So salvation has got three tenses. Past tense, present tense, future tense. In the past, I am saved from the judgment of wrath of God.

And now in the present, I have to be continuously saved from my flesh, from the life of Adam that dwells in me. My past salvation is through the blood of Christ. And my present tense salvation is through the operation of the Holy Spirit.

That's what the Bible calls sanctification. Then one day I will be saved when Christ returns from the presence of sin itself. So what does this verse mean? Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

I am sure you have read that verse if you have read Philippians. Have you even tried to obey it? If you have tried to obey it, you would have first tried to understand what it means. I think most of you sitting here will not be able to tell me what it means.

Even believers. Because either you read the Bible carelessly. Or you read it too fast. Or you read it but you don't meditate on it. If you studied your school books like that, you would have failed in every subject.

If you studied your school books like that, you would have failed in every subject. We have studied our school books to read the Bible. I want to ask you. Do you really believe that there is only one book in the whole world written by God?

I believed it when I was a little boy but I didn't take it seriously. But when I was 21 years old, I got baptized. And I decided that I am going to study this book. In the middle of my work. And in 5 years, I really got to study this book.

In the middle of my work, during my spare time. Of course, after that, the next 45 years, I have been understanding more and more and more. I want to encourage you to study God's word. If there are two things that have changed my life.

If there are two things that have changed my life. It is the study of the word of God. And being filled with the Holy Spirit. And I want to encourage you to study the word of God and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit everyday.

And I want to encourage you to study the word of God and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit everyday. To work out your own salvation means. You have to do something to be saved from this wretched life of Adam.

That makes you sin everyday. You can be saved in such a way that your tongue gets controlled. Your thoughts come under control. Your attitudes to people come under control. You have control over your discouragement.

And your fear and your anxiety. And every wretched thing that the devil has put upon the race of Adam. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. But we have to work it out. If you just sit back and don't work it out, nothing will happen.

So if you find that you are being defeated by the same sin you were defeated by many years ago. Look at it like this. That your child has gone to school and started studying addition. You know 2 plus 2 is 4.

And then they have bigger sums of addition. You know 2 -3 lines of numbers. And how to total it up. And if you find that your child is struggling to learn that in 1st standard for 10 years. You would be really worried.

What type of son have I got? And when you are defeated by the same sin for 10 years, God is also concerned about you. I am not saying that a child learns addition in 1 day. I am not saying that you will overcome all sins in 1 day.

But if you are being defeated by the same sin even for 10 years. Something is seriously wrong with your spiritual education. You are not working out your salvation with fear and trembling. You are taking sin lightly just like some children take their academic studies lightly.

You know some children who are not serious about their studies. And they are a great sorrow to their parents. And there are many God's children who are not serious about giving up sin. And they are a great sorrow to our heavenly father.

The Holy Spirit Works Within Believers

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. But that's not the end of the sentence. Because here it says. Verse 13 God is at work inside you. Whenever you read in the New Testament. That God is working inside.

It's always the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. God the Father works outside. Working all things for our good. That is Romans 8 .28. But God the Holy Spirit is working inside us. This is amazing. God the Father working outside of me.

God the Holy Spirit working inside of me. And God the Son pleading for me in heaven. What shall we say to these things? If God be for me who can be against me? Do you believe that? Father, Son and Holy Spirit all working for me.

What an important person I am. I believe that. If you believe that it will be true for you too. That's why I don't get depressed. Because I am an important person in God's eyes. Even if I am a nobody in the world.

You must believe that. I don't care if you are an uneducated person. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. I want to tell you today in Jesus name. You are a VIP, a very important person in heaven.

You are a very important person in God's eyes. And the Father will work all around to make everything work for your good. And the Son of God will work on your behalf there. And the Holy Spirit will work inside you.

What will He work inside you? See it says here. Two things. He will work inside me first of all to will His good pleasure. And then to do His good pleasure. So first of all He works in me to desire to do the will of God.

To desire to give up sin. Has the Holy Spirit already done that in some of you? Do you find in yourself a desire to be free from sin? Do you desire to give up your internet pornography? Do you desire to give up watching those dirty movies?

Do you desire to give up listening to that rubbish called rock music? Which has destroyed so many people. Do you find a desire to give up all types of sin? That is the Holy Spirit. Don't imagine that you had that desire.

You got to be pretty proud thinking that you had that desire. Let me tell you that is the working of the Holy Spirit. And I believe that it is because of such a desire that some of you have been coming here all of yesterday and all of today.

Because God has been working in you giving you a desire for a better Christian life than you already have. So the first part of this verse is already fulfilled in you. That God the Holy Spirit is already giving you a desire to do God's will.

Now I want to tell you the good news. That the same Holy Spirit will also give you the ability to do God's will. See the desire to do God's will people had in the Old Testament also. Let me show you a verse that David said in Psalm 40.

From David’s Desire to Christ’s Obedience

You know I will show you an example of how we read the Bible carelessly. Psalm 40. I don't know if even one person sitting here has discovered this. If you have heard any of my messages you probably already know.

But I have hardly ever found anybody who has discovered this. Because people don't read the Bible carefully. David says in Psalm 40 verse 8. I delight to do thy will oh my God. What did he say? I have a great desire to do God's will.

Oh but when I see Bathsheba I fall down. Are you like that? Oh Lord I have a great desire to do God's will. But I see some Bathsheba in my office and I am finished. That's Old Testament life. Jesus came to lead us to a higher life.

Now come to the New Testament where that verse is quoted. Hebrews chapter 10. He is quoting this verse. But now he says when Jesus comes into the world. He is quoting from that Old Testament verse. Hebrews 10 verse 5.

When Jesus comes into the world. He says to his father. Sacrifice an offering you have not desired. Have you ever heard a preacher tell you that God doesn't desire your offerings? I am probably the only preacher who will tell you that.

And I am probably the only preacher who will show you the verses in the Bible which says that God does not desire your offering. But what does he desire? A body you have prepared for me. I beseech you brethren Romans 12 verse 1.

I beseech you brethren Romans 12 verse 1. I beseech you brethren Romans 12 verse 1. You tell me which is easier. To give 10 of your income or to give your body to God. Supposing you are given a choice.

What is your income? 25 ,000 rupees a month. Give 2 ,500 rupees a month to God. Other alternative. Give your body. Lord here are my eyes. For 31 days I will never look at anything that you don't want me to look at.

I will never look at or read anything which you don't want me to look at. Here is my tongue Lord I will never speak anything that you don't want me to speak for 31 days. Lord here is my tongue Lord I will never speak anything that you don't want me to speak for 31 days.

I will never speak a rude word to my wife. I will never speak an angry word to anybody. Lord here are my hands. I will never want to sin with my hands. Lord here are my thoughts. I don't want to have a wrong attitude even for one second in 31 days.

Lord here is my body. I never want my legs to take me any place where you don't want me to go. Here is your 2 ,500 rupees let me keep my body to myself. This is too much. It is easier to pay your tithe than to give your body.

Some people say brother Zach preaches against tithing. Some people say brother Zach preaches against tithing. Zach preaches against tithing. He says give your eyes, your tongue, your legs, your hands, your thoughts, everything to God.

Where did he get that from? Is that some new doctrine? No, it is written in Hebrews 10 verse 5. He doesn't want an offering but he wants your body. It is written in Romans 12 verse 1. Ok further. Verse 7.

Jesus says I have come. Does he say to delight to do thy will? No. I have come to do thy will. Do you see the difference here from Psalm 40 verse 8? This is quoting Psalm 40 verse 8. But there is a difference here.

David says I delight to do thy will. Here I say I do thy will. David says I delight to do thy will but when I see Bathsheba, oh I fall. But when we come into the new covenant. Lord when I see a thousand Bathshebas, I do your will.

Hallelujah. What a wonderful life. When I am tempted to be bitter against somebody. The Holy Spirit works in me not only to desire his will but to do his will. And just in case you missed it the first time.

He repeats it a second time in verse 9. I like that. Sometimes when you miss it in the first sentence God says ok I know you missed it but I will repeat it again. This is written for the benefit of those who read the Bible too fast.

Again in verse 9 I have come to do thy will oh God. Now let me show you Hebrews chapter 8. Now you will understand Hebrews 8. I often say this that my calling is to give people a new Bible. To show them things they have never seen in their Bible.

The New Covenant Writes God’s Law Within

Hebrews 8. Hebrews. The days are coming when I will effect a new covenant says the Lord. And what is this covenant? Verse 10. This is the covenant I will make. See it verse 10. I will put my law inside their mind and write them upon their hearts.

In the old testament he wrote it on two tablets of stone. Today the two tablets are my mind and my heart. It is not outside it is inside. In the old testament it is outside and God said do it do it do it.

Now the Lord puts it inside and says I will make you do it. That is much better. It is not like pushing the car it is getting inside the car and driving it. This is the new covenant. Where the Holy Spirit comes inside and he writes his law not in my mind.

In my mind. Do you know what that means? He gives me a desire to do the will of God. But he does not stop there. He writes it in my heart. That means he gives me the strength to do that will. He gives me a desire in my mind first.

And then gives me strength to do it. It says in Hebrews 13 verse 9. It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. What is that for? To do God's will. See it is like if there is a one ton weight here.

I try to lift it. It is like trying to keep God's law. I strain and strain and strain and get a slip disc. Life under the law is like that. I give up. But the Holy Spirit comes in and strengthens me. And almost without any effort I can lift up that one ton.

I can keep God's law. It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. So when God says I will write my law upon your mind. He gives us the desire to do God's will. And then write it upon our heart means he gives us the ability to do God's will.

This is the new covenant. The old covenant he wrote it outside. There is another big difference. If you read the old covenant in the ten commandments in Exodus 20. I will tell you what it is basically.

Thou shalt. Thou shalt not. Thou shalt. Thou shalt. Thou shalt not. Whole thing is that. Thou shalt. Thou shalt not. Thou shalt. Thou shalt not. Thou shalt not. You must do this and you must not do this.

You must do this and you must not do that. You must honor your father and mother. You must keep the Sabbath. You must not commit murder. You must not commit adultery. It is all you must, you must, you must not, you must.

The responsibility is on you. And you can read the Bible. And read it like the old covenant. I must do this and I must not do that. I must do this and I must do that. Brother you are under the law. No wonder you are weary and heavy laden.

The command, command to me all you who are weary and heavy laden is not for the unbelievers, it is for believers. Who are the weary and heavy laden people in the world today? Those worldly people are enjoying their sin.

They are not weary and heavy laden. It is the believers who are trying to keep God's law who are weary and heavy laden. Jesus says, come to me, I will give you rest. I will write my law in your mind and heart.

There it is, you shall, you shall, you shall not, you shall not. Now see the new covenant. Hebrews 8, 10. And 12. I will, I will, I will, I will, I will. Verse 12, I will, I will. Where is the you must and you must not?

Have you seen this big difference between Exodus 20 and Hebrews 8? That is the difference between law and grace. That is the difference between trampling under our feet and producing wine and Jesus producing it miraculously.

I believe the problem with many of you believers, dear brothers and sisters, is you are living under the Exodus 20 regime. You have accepted Christ as your saviour and gone back to the Old Testament way of life.

I want to set you free. I can compare it to three marriages. In Romans chapter 6, it says we were once had an old man. It says in Romans 6, 6 our old man was killed. And then in Romans 7, verse 4, it says we are made to die to the law so that we can be married to Christ.

Dying to the Law and Being Married to Christ

So I want to show you three marriages now. First, we are married to the old man. That is our unconverted life. You know, in all these three pictures, we are the bride, we are the wife. The old man is my husband.

He is a wretched husband. He tells me to do so many wrong things. And he forces me to do it. And I do it. I hate. I hate people. I am jealous. I steal. I tell lies. I lust constantly with my eyes. I get angry constantly with my tongue.

I am miserable, gloomy because this is my husband. I am his slave. And I am fed up of this life. But I can't do anything. Because this old man is my husband. And one day, God does a wonderful thing. That's the day I get converted.

The old man is killed. Romans 6, 6. And I say, Hallelujah. My husband is dead. At last, I am free. But I have to get married again, now to the right person. Thank God, this wretched fellow who made my life miserable is gone.

Now, I want to get married to Christ. And I look around to identify Christ. And I see somebody who looks like Christ. Who is so upright. Never does anything wrong. Never tells me to do one single wrong thing.

I say, this is Christ. And I marry him. And I discover after my marriage. This is not Christ. This is the law of God. Who never does anything wrong. Always tells me to do what is right. Tells me never to worship idols.

Never to tell a lie. He is not like the old man. He is the exact opposite of the old man. But my life is miserable. He is so demanding. Very exact. If he says breakfast at 8 o 'clock, breakfast must not be at 8 .01.

It must be at 8 o 'clock. But I am such a lazy wife. I can make breakfast only by 12 o 'clock in the afternoon. And everyday he condemns me. The shoes are not polished properly. You did not iron my shirt properly.

He never asks me to do anything wrong. Everything he asks me to do is right. But my life is just as miserable as when I was married to the old man. How many of you sisters would like to be married to a man who never asks you to do anything wrong?

But breakfast must be ready at 8 o 'clock. The shoes must be polished perfectly. When the clothes are washed, there must not be a spot on them. The house must be spick and span. What a miserable life.

This is religious life. Struggling under the law to please, to do what is right. Your old man is dead. You are not doing evil things now. You are born again. But you married the wrong person. You married the law.

And now you say, I wish this husband will die now. But he will never die. The law of God can never die. He has no diabetes, no blood pressure, nothing. He will never die. He is eternal. Lord, I am doomed.

I married the wrong person. Does God have a solution for this? He can kill the old man. But he will never kill his own law. Impossible. What is the solution? He kills me, the wife. And then I become free.

Doesn't it say that in Romans 7 and verse 2? The married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living. But if her husband dies, she is released. Old man died, I was released. But this new man, this law will never die.

So what to do? Verse 4. You, the wife, were made to die to the law. Did you understand that now? Did you understand Romans 7 for now? You, the wife, were made to die to the law. You, the wife, were made to die to the law.

And what did he do? Verse 4. He raised you from the dead. You know, he kills me as the wife. And breaks my connection with the law. And then raises me up from the dead. He says, your old marriage is cancelled now because you died.

Now you can marry Christ. He said, praise the Lord. What a wonderful way God did it. Now read Romans 7 verse 4 and see if that is not exactly what the Bible says. You were made to die to the law through the body of Christ.

That you can be married to another who was raised from the dead. So that we might bear fruit, children, for God. The children of love and joy and peace. And patience and humility. And bringing souls to Christ.

And building the church. This is true Christianity. So when you are married to the law, It's a religious life, very heavy. Now what are the standards of Jesus Christ? He also says, Breakfast must be ready at 8 o 'clock.

And here the lazy woman like me, Still making breakfast at 12 o 'clock. See, Jesus standards are not lower than the law of God, never. But he says, Never mind darling, I'll help you. Darling, don't worry, I'll help you.

He comes and helps me in the kitchen. This is not like the old husband, the law. And we work together. And after one week, breakfast is now at 11 o 'clock, I'm improving. And he says, don't get discouraged, we'll do it.

After another week, breakfast is at 10 o 'clock. Another week, 9 o 'clock, and I'm encouraged. Another week, I've made it, breakfast at 8 o 'clock. He did 90 of the work. Or 99%. I say, I want to live with this husband forever.

He says, the shoes must be polished perfectly. He does 99 of the work. And he says, just rub it perfectly, that's enough for you to do. I say, boy, Lord, what a wonderful life this is. You ask any woman here, sitting here, Would you like to marry such a husband?

Oh, he says, any day. Then why aren't you all surrendering yourself completely to Christ? I'm talking about Jesus. Many of you are married to the law. That is why you are so gloomy, long faced, Miserable.

I was married to the law for a long time. But one day, God killed me, hallelujah. And raised me up. And said, marry Jesus Christ. My life has changed. Many times when I stand up to speak, Some places, in three days, I have to speak 12 times.

12 hours in two and a half days. In between those 12 hours, Counseling people for hours and hours and hours. Many places I go to, I have to sit till 2 o 'clock at night, Talking to people. And in the days when I was married to the law, I used to get headaches, Struggle.

It was a burden. I was weary and heavy laden. But I can testify, I'm not weary and heavy laden now. Because I married Jesus Christ. He does 99 of the work. 99 of the work He does. Many times I say, Lord, I will never go and stand in a pulpit, If you are not standing there with me.

I'll just waste people's time. I will waste people's time. I will bore them. I will show off myself. I won't draw them to Christ. But Lord, you stand next to me. I'll go anywhere. Any number of times.

Have you experienced this type of marriage to Jesus Christ? There's only one condition. You have to surrender everything. It's not cheap. But it's wonderful. There are some things in the Christian life that are free.

See, that is the mistake that some Christians make. They think everything in the Christian life is free. No. Forgiveness of sins is a gift. It's free. The gift of the Holy Spirit, it's a gift. Free. The moment you ask Christ to come into your heart, His Spirit comes in.

But to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be baptized with fire, to partake of God's own nature, for that you have to pay a price. That's not free. Do we have to wait? You know, a lot of people have tarrying meetings.

Surrender, the Baptism of the Spirit, and Waiting on God

Yeah, we have to wait because God is waiting for you to open every area of your life to Him. You don't have to wait, God is waiting. When did you accept Christ? I accepted, surrendered my life to Christ when I was nineteen and a half.

Was I waiting? Yes. Jesus was waiting at the marriage wedding altar for nineteen and a half years. He was waiting for me. Have you ever seen a wedding where the bridegroom is waiting for nineteen and a half years?

Waiting, waiting. Waiting just for the bride to say, Yes, I'll marry you. Come in. When the man conducting the marriage asks the bride, Will you marry him? And she looks around for one minute. He'll say, something is wrong here.

One minute. Or if she says, I'm still thinking about it. That is what I said to Jesus for nineteen and a half years at the marriage ceremony. Was there a tarrying there? Yes. Who was waiting? Not me. The Lord was waiting.

The disciples had to tarry before the day of Pentecost. After that, the Lord is tarrying for us now. See Isaiah chapter 30, verse 18. Isaiah 30, verse 18. The Lord longs to be gracious to you. Verse 30, verse 18.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you. But he's waiting. He's waiting to have compassion on you. There is a tarrying meeting, but the Lord is doing the tarrying, not you. You don't have to tarry. When you tarry, you're waiting.

The Lord is waiting for you to surrender. That's the only tarrying meeting. Even for salvation, there's a tarrying. Jesus waited nineteen and a half years for me. What a long waiting that is. Finally, like some big Maharani, I said yes.

What a shame. I make the Son of God wait for nineteen and a half years. I'm really ashamed of myself. But he is long suffering with me. And then, he waits till I surrender everything in my life. That may also take time.

He says, I want to fill you with my Holy Spirit. But I must give every room in my heart to him. If you don't give every heart, he can't fill you. So some people have to wait twenty years, ten years. Some people ten years.

Some people forty years. That depends on you. When are you going to open all the rooms in your heart? It is the Lord who is tarrying. Don't forget that. A lot of foolish people go to tarrying meetings thinking that, I am waiting for the Lord to do something.

They are insulting God. God has already sent his Spirit to this earth. He is waiting for you to open up every area of your life. And then, he becomes your companion all the time. The Holy Spirit comes to fill us, to bring Jesus with us everywhere we go.

Holiness in Dress and Daily Conduct

The Lord wants to go with me everywhere I go. One of the sad things that I see in some Christian churches nowadays is the very immodest way in which some young girls dress. Young teenage girls and in their twenties with tight dresses exposing more and more of their body.

As it is, the poor brothers have a struggle by fighting lust. And these girls come and provoke them even more in the church. One day, one sister, a young sister came to me in my church and said, Brother, can you please tell me how I should dress?

I was very happy that she asked me like a father. I said, I will tell you. Imagine that Jesus is living in the next street to your house. And one day, Jesus calls you and says, Please come to my house.

I want to go for a walk with you in the market place. How will you dress when you go to meet Jesus to go for a walk with him in the market place? Will you walk with your tight jeans and your hip, your midriff exposed?

And those who wear sarees, will they have that six inch belt exposed around their midriff? And the big thing exposed at the back, the new cut of blouses? People say, Brother, it's hot. Why is it the brothers don't come with shirts like that cut at the back?

They are also feeling hot. Aren't they feeling hot? I have never seen any brother with a U-cut shirt like that coming saying it's hot. It's got nothing to do with heat. It's because you follow the film world, the models in the world rather than respect Jesus Christ.

And I said, if you want Jesus to come with you only to the church, then dress like that when you come to the church. If you don't want Jesus to come with you when you go to the office, then go as you like.

But if you want Jesus to come with you to the office, then dress like that when you go to the office also. But brother Zach, all the young girls will laugh at me. Let them laugh. Jesus will pat you on the back and say, I am proud of you.

We want young girls like that who want to please Jesus. And I hope your parents will bring up your daughters like that. I want Jesus with me every time I am in the pulpit. I want Jesus with me everywhere I go.

Jesus’ Presence, Spiritual Authority, and Victory Over the Devil

Some time ago, I was taking a flight from Bangalore to Delhi and an old friend of mine from the Navy who is a commodore now was traveling in that plane. We sat next to each other and he knew me very well from the old Navy days.

And when we were going to Delhi, the plane suddenly dropped in some air pocket. It went up and down and he held my hand and he said, Zach, I know as long as you are in this plane, nothing will happen to this plane.

He knew me from 40 years ago that I was a servant of Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful thing to travel in a plane with Jesus traveling with you. And nowadays, the scooters and cars are more dangerous than the plane.

I'll tell you that. In the old days, when I was traveling in a car, I was traveling with Jesus. We want Jesus with us every moment of the day. No demon will be able to stand before us. Let me tell you something.

I've had to cast out many demons in my life in different villages even in the United States once. Let me tell you my testimony. I have never had to ask a demon to leave a person more than once. Because I read in Matthew 8, 16 Jesus cast out demons with one single word.

He didn't have to tell a demon to go twice. And so I say, in Jesus' name, get out of him, get out of her. Every single time they have gone, they are not afraid of me. But they are afraid of Jesus. And if you walk with God and you use the name of Jesus, the devil will be afraid of you.

If your whole life is given to Jesus, the devil will be afraid of you. He's not afraid of those believers who watch dirty movies. He's not afraid of people who are committing sin and trying to cover it up.