by T. Austin-Sparks
Conference messages as spoken. First published in "A Witness and A Testimony" magazine, 1932, Vol. 10-2 - 10-3.
We see that the end time is going to have this central thing, the securing of this overcomer group, this overcomer company. In the securing of that company through spiritual travail, and the rapture of that company, God is going to secure His original purpose, His pre-eminent thought. Changes in heaven and in earth will be related to that. That company will be raptured on a three-fold basis. 'They overcame because of the blood of the Lamb.' That is one of the things we have got to consider carefully, more fully, 'because of the blood of the Lamb.' That is foundational. 'And because of the word of their testimony.' The blood of the Lamb was that which was provided for them, apart from them: the word of their testimony is their part. We have got to know, first of all, God's basis of victory, and then our side of the victory, what the word of testimony is by which we overcome: and then, as to the cost, the third factor, 'and they loved not their lives (their souls) unto the death.' That is the position as I believe we have it, perhaps only at its beginnings, just now. Maybe we are coming into it.
