Word of the Week - Victory

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57)

We all love the idea of winning and Victory and generally focus our lives around how to achieve Victory in our pursuits of this world.  We spend most of our time and invest heavily in positioning ourselves for Victory.  Just look at college and professional sports teams and the money, time and resources that are invested to win and achieve Victory, it is quite amazing.  On the other hand, if we really look at our lives, how much time and energy are we investing toward God’s kingdom and allowing His will to reign over our lives? What is most amazing about our Christian faith is that we attain Victory through losing and surrendering our lives; not by striving to win but by yielding and accepting death through Christ Jesus.  From a Kingdom perspective Victory means God working His will through us for His glory.  Thus we only realize the Victory of Christ when we are fully submitted and make Jesus Lord over all.Paul makes it clear that God gives us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  This isn’t about us figuring out a way to win Victory, we find Victory only in Christ through surrendering our lives.  Paul also tells us that we find Victory when death is swallowed up by the resurrection life of Christ.  So practically how does this work?  We know that if we are saved and in Christ, we have the ultimate Victory over eternal death.  Even though salvation is most important, it is not all that Christ desires for us.  He has so much more in the way of Victory and life.  In order for us to walk in full Victory we must fully surrender our lives and submit everything to the Lordship of Christ.  In short we cannot be Lord of anything in our lives and need to allow Jesus to be Lord of everything.  Thus if we want to find life in Christ, we must fully lose our life in Christ.  “Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me for the gospel will save it”. Mark 8:34-35 We have to relinquish control over everything by faith and fall into his hands.  In doing so, we will live in Victory because He has Victory over us.  This is the ultimate Victory for a believer in Christ Jesus.So what is the victory? OUR FAITH. Not us getting what we wanted from God. Our faith IS the victory because by faith in Jesus, Jesus becomes our living Lord. And then, because we are then rightly related to Him, our Victory is over everything over which HE has Victory. Victory is IN Christ Jesus. But only if we are UNDER Him can we be OVER what He is OVER. Thus, if you want to know why there must be trials and suffering in the Christian life, this is your answer. WE must be conquered through surrender to Christ. Only then can we be overcomers, "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Romans 8:37I pray we will submit fully so we can live in full Victory today and forevermore in Christ Jesus.-Duane