Victory (Through Jesus)
LIVE AS CHRIST HAS COMMANDED YOU AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE VICTORY
May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope. Romans 15:13 ESV
“This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before Him whenever our hearts condemns us; for God is greater than our hearts and he knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight.” 1 John 3:19-22 CSB
There are times when we as believers do not love as we should. We realize we are sinning, failing. We may even become “stuck” in our walk with Christ. It is then that we seek reassurance. We fail to see ourselves as God does. As believers we are made righteous through the sacrifice of Christ - not because of anything we have done or what we may do. It is a gift.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” CSB
It is only because of our Lord and Savior that we may pray with confidence before God… “This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have whatever we asked of him.” 1 John 5:21 CSB
When we refer to verses 21-22 in 1 John 3:19-22 we know that we are “in Christ” as we keep his commandments. We are not acting or performing like trained seals, but are interested in and are compelled to please God in our desire to be obedient. Obedience, not obligation. Our obedience reflects the sincerity of our heart.
“Obedience ... viewed not only with respect in the relations existing between God and man and society but also with respect to the example of Christ and man’s relationship to him ... the object of our constant endeavor ... the example of our imperfect results of our efforts reveals the accessing of God’s grace in Christ ...”
GOD’S PROMISE TO YOU IS … LOVE
“God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” 1 John 4:16: Jeremiah 31:3 KJV
::::::
“Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.” 1 John 3:23-24
Praise God for this; “the way that we know…” it is an answer to our doubt. If we believe correctly then we will act out ethically as we should. We certify the reality of our faith by obeying the commandment to believe Christ and be loving to others. “If - then” … it is actually easy to understand. And it reveals that our success in the assurance of our victory hinges upon our conduct. We still operate out of free will here. We make a choice and receive our wages. I am sure you understand the profound importance of this. God is not indebted to us and cannot be in debt to us. The more we love and obey the more fruit we produce and the better off we are. A self-replicating fire in our souls to be warmed by.
“You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” Romans 8:9-10
9 VERSES THAT AFFIRM YOUR VICTORY
From the New International Version of Scripture
2 Cor 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
Rom 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Deuteronomy 20:4 “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
Romans 8:31 “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
Galatians 2:2 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do anything through him who gives me strength.”
Galatians 3:26 “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”
Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Galatians 6:8 “Whosoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whosoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
DO NOT BE LED ASTRAY - TRUST IN GOD FOR YOUR VICTORY
1 John 1:6 CSB
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how to know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming: even now is already in the world.
‘You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.”
Christ and our relationship with him provides the power for our victory in him. We can overcome the sinful world because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Christ has conquered death. Romans 6:9 “Because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him.” CSB
We must always be wary of false teachers. Satan and his minions are smooth and stroke our fleshly desires. They offer the alluring but remain liars. “…since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 God does not allow or create confusion for those who believe; Satan does. Do not yield to the confusion of a sinful world and be led astray and do not listen those who teach that your flesh should be your guide.
::::::
PRAYER POINT: YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED
2 Peter 1:3, 5-6, 10-11 “His divine power has given us everything required for life through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior will be richly provided for you.”
1 Chronicles 16:11 “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power and love and self-discipline.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous; be strong.”
Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Isaiah 40:10 “Fear not for I am with you: be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”
These few scriptures are a wonderful place to ponder and formulate your prayers for God’s help in staying on course and in trusting in the victory you are promised. Heed what Peter tells us and seek God’s support through Bible study and yes, fasting. He is there through the Holy Spirit to hold us up as we do His will.
Psalm 143:1 “Lord, hear my prayer, in your faithfulness listen to my plea.”
I AM NOT YELLING AT YOU. THIS IS CRITICAL FOR ALL OF US; TAKE HEED.
GOD IS NEVER FARTHER AWAY THAN OUR WORDS TO HIM. HE IS PURSUIG YOU THIS VERY MINUTE. WHATEVER YOUR NEED HE IS THERE TO LISTEN. IN PAIN, WORRIED, FEARFUL OR NEEDING TO BE ASSURED HE IS REAL? JUST TALK TO HIM. THE WORDS THAT COME FROM YOUR HEART IS WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR. EVEN IF YOU ARE ANGRY AND CONFUSED BRING IT TO HIM. PRAYER IS FREE AND YOU MAY TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REACH OUT. ANYONE CAN ACCESS GOD IF THEY ARE SINCERELY SEEKING HIS FACE. WHY NOT REACH OUT TO HIM RIGHT NOW? YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE AND EVERYTHNG TO GAIN! CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOR HAS PAID THE PRICE FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO ACCESS HIM.
