Victory!

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.



It is often preached that Christians are given the victory in Christ, and that they have the power to resist any temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). This fact is proven again and again throughout Scripture. But although victory from sin is preached, it is often minimized.
Recently, I listened to a sermon in which the preacher frequently referenced Galatians 5:24. "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." After passionately affirming the implications of this fact, he began preaching just as fervently that Jesus knows that Christians will sin again, and just wants to love us and gently coax us out of our sin. Unfortunately, when he said that even Christians would sin every day, the preacher implied that God will never succeed in making us holy and sinless. According to this pastor, and many other people, although God crucified our flesh, it can still come to life. He tries every day to remove our sin. He fails.


When will people take God's holy Word literally?
When will they realize that God loves them too much to leave them in their sin?
When will they accept the fact that God is powerful enough to completely wash their sins from them, and crucify the flesh?

Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil...


I urge you to open your Bible as if you've never read it before. Erase from your mind all preconceived notions about doctrine. I challenge you to find a single verse of a true post-resurrection Christian sinning. You won't find it.

Praise the Lord for his victory! Praise the all-powerful God! He has shared his victory with those on earth, with those who choose to accept it!

Luke 11:9-10 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Currently my favorite passage:
1 Cor. 15:56-58 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God - he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

It's not in vain. He gives us the victory. We are not slaves of sin. We are victorious.
It's only because of Him.