Truths That Set Free 4 of 7

 

 

Welcome to MemCare.

 

The Gospel of Christ is Good News, the Good News of forgiveness from sin and the gift of a new life of fulfillment for those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  Shouldn’t therefore every genuine Christian be radiant and happy? Why are there so many who still struggle with sin and defeat? Are there any guaranties for a life of victory in Christ?  Edmund, what do you have to say about that?

 

Scott, when we mention the word victory we normally think in terms of being the first, the fastest, the strongest, having made it to the top before others and earned the most desirable position. The whole focus is on us.

 

That is exactly where the root cause for our defeats in the Christian life lies. We need to understand again that Christ came to save us from a hopeless situation. Man is lost and destined to die eternally because he is unable to do anything to change the very core of his being, his sinful heart. But as we recognize this and approach Jesus Christ with faith and sincere confession, asking Him to be our redeemer, God not only forgives our sins but also changes our heart.  The Bible says, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) The believer receives a new life, the very life of Christ.

 

There is peace and victory in Christ.  He is the overcomer of sin, the world and the devil. If my life is in Him and He is in me there will be victory.

 

What has to happen, though, is that the believer understands and takes up his new position. We already talked about this in prior programs of this series Truths That Set Free. It is critical to remember that the believer in Christ has a new identity. He is now a child of God.  We mentioned how his thinking pattern will be changed as He starts reading the Bible, God’s Word. As a newborn child needs to be nourished and open his mouth to be fed, so he participates actively and intentionally in applying the biblical truth in his life.

 

Edmund, just sticking with the example of a child that growths and then learns to walk... and as it does this it so many times takes a tumble and falls, gets hurt... isn’t this exactly what we are talking about? How can the believer walk in faith, avoiding being on the floor all the time?

 

Scott, I remember having a discussion in this very office some time ago with somebody who declared that the Christian life was a life of constant ups and downs and many frustrations.  The person actually mentioned what Paul the apostle wrote in Romans 7 when he confesses, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”  Note that Paul is speaking about his conditioning to the old flesh nature. He goes even further and says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” If this doesn’t sound desperate, I don’t know what does.  We must understand, though, that Paul is trying to make a point.  His point is that as long as we try to have victory over sin, the world, and the devil, based on our natural resources, or the conditioning of the flesh, we will always be defeated! 

 

Remember Paul was the blameless pharisee who had tried to get God’s favour by obeying the law. He lived frustrated. But then He experienced how only Christ can fulfill the deepest need and said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.”

 

Spiritual victory is only possible through Jesus Christ.  That is also Paul’s conclusion in Romans 7 at the end of the chapter.  The position of the believer is in Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in his heart.  That makes us children of God. The more we understand this truth, the easier our mind keeps focused and the more victorious will be our walk.  The critical factor is that we, the people of God, apply the fact of our position to the very outworking of our condition in daily life.

 

The Bible tells us, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

 

Edmund, you are affirming that the Christian life is not void of struggles. That certainly is sobering.  Scripture affirms that victory is ours as we yield our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, by resisting doing things that come naturally from the old conditioning of the flesh.  In other words, we must constantly make choices.

 

Yes, Scott, this is how I understand the Scripture. But it must be said at this point that spiritual victory is not any merit I get by my own effort.  Actually the opposite is true.  Only as I relinquish my fleshly rights and desires and allow the Holy Spirit to take control of my mind, will and emotions, I will start walking in God’s ways and be doing God’s works.  So this in the end is not about the old self, but rather the new self; Christ in me.

 

This victory grows out of weakness, brokenness, and surrender. This is the reason why a Christian should not be afraid when problems and suffering come into his life.  The apostle Paul recognized this so well when he mentioned how he was suffering from a thorn in the flesh, probably a physical illness, and how he had asked the Lord to relieve him of  it.  He said.
“I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”  Later in the same breath he says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

This means that a victorious Christian life is a life that is lived in the power of God and not in the effort of self.  It means not necessarily to excel, to advance, to be number one and have it all, but it means to let go our self-efforts and allow Christ to live in our hearts.

 

That is exactly true. Let’s once again go back to the initial question in the program “ Are there any guarantees for a life of victory in Christ?” As long as we allow for Christ to rule in our hearts there is victory! He is our guarantor, but we are not automatons. The Christian life is not lived in an auto-pilot kind of condition.  We need to constantly refocus and recommit.  This is why the Lord told us, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses  his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”