"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." I John 5:4
God is preparing us to rejoice in victory. As Paul tells us in I Corinthians chapter 15, "the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.", then the sting and victory of death will be gone. Death is handed its final defeat and God gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.
We Have Victory in Jesus
Even in the midst of persecution, famine, peril, war and other tribulations, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. In Romans 8:37 Paul says, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." We can conquer because of Christ's love for us and nothing can separate us from that love.
Jesus is our Overcomer
Christ is our overcomer. Through His strength and faith in Him we also can be overcomers of the world. Revelation 3:21 says that to those who overcome He will grant us to sit with Him on His throne because He also overcame.
He is Worthy
And in Revelation 5:5, John weeps in his vision, as he looks and sees no one worthy to open the scroll and its seals until one of the elders before the throne of God cries out,
"...“Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”"
It is our overcomer, our Savior, who can open the scroll, the Lion from the tribe of Judah!
With Jesus We Are Overcomers
You and I will be victorious. As Christ is an overcomer so, through Him, are we also. How can we be victorious in times of trial? By remaining faithful to Him who died for us. By rejoicing in suffering that may lead others to Him. By living with Him, not just in Heaven after death, but living with Him daily. By dying daily to our flesh and becoming more like Him. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us that God goes with us; that he doesn't leave or forsake us. This verse reminds us to be strong and courageous.
We Can Live in Victory
Victory is something we can live in today as well. Eugene Bartlett had a long career writing many hymns we are familiar with. In 1939, at the age of 53, he was struck down by a stroke which left him unable to walk or talk. At this time he wrote one of his most beloved hymns, Victory in Jesus. One of the lines goes like this, "I cried, Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit and somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.’’
In Hard Times We Know Where Victory Lies
It isn't hard to live in victory when everything is going our way and life is easy. When we face challenges and hardships, when we see our world crumbling around us, that is the time to remind ourselves where our true victory lies.
In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul says,
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
In this verse, Paul is looking towards the end of his life. He knows his time is short, but he also knows that he has the victory because he has "fought the fight" and "kept the faith". Hopefully we can all say this as we approach our end.
In the midst of sorrow and suffering we have the victory. In the midst of trials and persecutions we can overcome. We know this because of faith. Not faith based on wishful thinking, but faith based on the things we have seen God do in our lives, and the lives of others. Why can we overcome? Because our God goes with us and before us, ever present in time of need. Overcomer of death and giver of abundant life we thank you, O God!
Enjoy Shane and Shane's version of Victory in Jesus.
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