Choosing To Overcome

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)
Two doctrines appear to prevail in our day:
First: It is impossible to overcome sin and Satan while we are living in this world.
Second: Divine grace has been given to us as an alternative to overcoming sin and Satan.
Anyone who knows the Bible realizes these are deadly errors.
If you think about it, these two teachings remove our ability to choose to lead the life of victory in Christ.
If it is impossible to overcome sin through Christ, and if God has given us "grace" because it is impossible to overcome sin and God wants us in Heaven anyway, then the challenge to be an overcomer disappears.
It is no wonder so many of God's people are spiritual babies!
The second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation present steps toward spiritual maturity that accrue to those who gain victory over the problems in the churches. But if it is impossible to gain victory over these problems, and grace serves as a substitute for such victory, then the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation have no meaning.
Take, for example, the first step toward maturity presented in the series of seven steps:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)
The problem in the Church in Ephesus was that of falling in love with Christian activities and churches and losing sight of the Lord Jesus Christ.