An Encouraging Word

2 Timothy 4:18 ~ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

I John 5:4 ~ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

I Cor. 15:57 ~ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil. 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

These Scriptures give Christians great comfort, especially to those who have long and hard grappled with their sinful nature, have felt as Paul did that the very things they knew they should do, they didn’t and the things they knew to avoid, they found themselves doing. We all have periods of our lives where we wonder why the struggle is so difficult. But we also have times when God makes our feet like hinds’ feet, and He causes us to walk upon the high places.

The victories we have on Earth are a result of Christ and His Spirit dwelling in us. If we believed that Christ was incapable of bringing us victory in this life, if we thought that all our earthly struggles will end in defeat then we would be the most pitiable of people.

John Piper in Why Jesus Came to Die rightly states, “God gives us this power for change through the person of His Holy Spirit. That is why the beauty of ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ are called ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:22-23). This is why the Bible can make the amazing promise: ‘Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace’ (Ro. 6:14).”

These are victory verses! We are not condemned to continual defeat. Someone much smarter than I has said that the Christian walk is a long, slow, steady obedience in the same direction. We will surely have defeats, but Christ gives us the power for amazing victories, even in this life. And as we proceed in the direction of holiness we will experience triumph. We are being sanctified by the grace that God pours down on His children daily.

Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth wrote, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.” This does not sound like stoop-shouldered, bowed-down, never-ending defeat. It sounds like continual victory...Christ ALWAYS leads us in a victory parade.

Further in I Cor. 10:13, a verse which by God’s grace has given me many victories, states “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

The Galatians are instructed with these words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is so, therefore, if Christ lives in me how could I live in perpetual defeat? If my body is the very temple of the Holy Spirit of the Living God, would He reside in the state of my continuing defeat?

Paul further tells the church at Galatia, “But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” And, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Additionally, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

And to the Philippians he says, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Christ Jesus will bring us victory because He is the author and finisher of our faith.

And finally, to the Colossians Paul writes, “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” These are verses of victory, not defeat; of confidence, not trepidation; of comfort in knowing that through our dear Lord Jesus we can have victory every day of our earthly sojourn and then forever in the glorious Kingdom.

Rejoice!