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Touching lives with the truth of God's Word.

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Location: Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Monday, May 05, 2008

THE FOUNDATION OF VICTORY

May I say that Jesus did not die just to take you to heaven, but to indwell and empower you here on earth! The same God that spoke John 3:16, also spoke Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Yet, you may ask, “Because I struggle so much with sin, I wonder how I could really know victory?” Well in Romans 6:6, Paul makes the answer crystal clear. (Are you ready for this?) “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” This simple verse is the very foundation of your victory over sin. In fact, the verses above can become your personal declaration of independence over the power and domination of sin. When Christ died for your sins, He not only removed the penalty of sin, which is eternal separation from God, but also it’s power over you. By the Holy Spirit, this same risen Christ now indwells every saved person. The Christian life is not you trying to grit your teeth and somehow live for Him, it’s learning to let Him live through you! We do this through a moment by moment faith in His indwelling life and power.
Galatians 2:20 further describes the liberating truth of Christ living in us. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Do you see it? When you received Christ, all that He accomplished on the cross is fully alive and active in you. Because you are in Christ, His death to sin’s penalty and power is now your death to sin’s penalty and power.
Dear friend, when you are convicted of sin, don’t despair. Look straight to Jesus to overcome it’s grip. Just as you are forgiven by His sacrificial death, you are empowered by His resurrection life, working in and through you. Let this cleansing process point you to Jesus and victory, not to yourself and defeat.
You may ask how do I do this? In Colossians 2:6, we find God’s answer. “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him.” That’s it. We walk in Christ the same way we received Him. So how did you receive Jesus? You received Him by simple faith. You simply took Jesus at His Word and trusted Him to save you. And friend that’s exactly how you walk in victory over sin and self. When you face temptation and weakness, you simply claim Christ’s forgiveness and indwelling power to be your victory. You choose to turn from the sin and trust Jesus for His power to live through you. What happens if you still feel tempted? You just keep trusting and resisting the sin. In God’s time, you will see complete and total victory. Jesus Christ cannot fail! You think about that. God bless…