VICTORY!!!

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 KJV 1900

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 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 giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Text

1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV 1900

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction

This morning our thought is our victory through he Lord Jesus Christ. Before we get there I do not want to ignore the context entirely in which this verse sits. God, through the pen of Paul sent His word to Corinth and to us. In Corinth, there were two camps of people. In one camp there were those that abused the liberty of the Christians and the other camp rejected the liberty of the Christian. Paul addresses both camps reminding the one that there is such a thing as Christian conduct and that it does matter how we live. On the other hand he reminded them that the law of moses had passed away. It was no more in either its demands or its effectiveness. It was a new law of Love written on the heart and mind of every believer that now ruled Christian conduct. Throughout the book he seeks to emphasize this balance of freedom from the bondage of the law of Moses and a new servitude to a new law. Not one of bondage and chains but one of freedom and love which binds not just the body but the heart to its precious master. As Paul closes out his letter to the Corinthian church he touches a bit on eschatology. End times theology.

Our Passage

I promise this morning I am not going to delve deep into end times prophecy debates. I have not seen much good come from this. In our passage though Paul gives some important comments on what will be. “Behold I shew you a mystery” Listen up, he says, I am about to tell you about something that has not been explained before! I am about to tell you about what God is going to do in the future. We shall not all die, but we all will be changed.

Now to delve just a bit into eschatology. We shall not all die, Christ shall return while some remain alive on earth. We ought to be ready for that day. It is unclear when it shall be, but Paul is letting them know so many years ago that some would be alive when Christ return. He seems throughout this passage to be warning them almost to stay ready. to live ready for the end may come before death. The trump shall sound and in a moment in a twinkling of an eye we shall be changed.

Now this is a special promise for us. A warning to stay ready, but a blessed promise. We shall be changed! This corruptible, this old dying body will be changed, will put on incorruption.

I often say, and I firmly believe that the story of the Bible is God remaking us into what he originally made, before sin entered and corrupted His creation. While different opinions on this particular point swirl I believe that God, through Jesus death and resurrection and the work of His Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives remakes us morally into what He had initially created Adam to be! I believe we are remade to be able to live and walk in fellowship with God, remade into a perfect moral creation.

Yet it must be admitted that no matter how sanctified an individual becomes the mind and the body are still wracked with the consequences of sin. The corruption, or death of our physical bodies not stopped or reversed by God working in our lives. While Adam was certainly capable of logical failures and physical mistakes even in his initial state, his body was not dying, his mental abilities were not being diminished, his strength was not wearing down. The process of death that we face and the corruption of the curse were not faced by Adam. We face these things no matter how close to God we are.

Yet God’s work is not yet done in us! When that trump sounds, when God calls us home we shall be changed from corruption to incorruption. What does that mean? I believe that at that moment God will complete that re-creation in us! We will be changed from dead or dying into the pre-fall state of man. Living forever! Our physical bodies will be healed of their pains and their problems. The moral effects of the curse I believe have already been dealt with when God cleanses and fills a heart, but I believe that at that moment God will deal with the physical effects of the curse. no more will our bodies be dying, be filled with pain. No more will our minds be subject to the myriad of problems that the curse and physical decay have caused. The heart has already been healed, but the mind and the body will then be healed. We shall not be God but we shall be as He made us to be both in our hearts and in our bodies.

Victory!!!

Victory over physical pain and death

You see this is where we really begin to get into the message for today. Victory. God has conquered death. When this mortal puts on immortality death has no more grasp on us, no more claim to our bodies. Those alive in Christ truly live, not just here but in the eternal hereafter. Christ has conquered death.

Yet our eternal lives shall not be exactly as our lives today are! For today we are all wracked with physical results of the fall. I think some of us would be pretty disappointing if our eternal physical states were reflected in our current physical states. Growing up this thought meant nothing to me but it is beginning to. I know it means much more to many of you than it does to me.

Victory my friends is total. That victory over death is not just that death is staved off! Death is destroyed! The pain, the limitations, the physical degradation and the physical ailments you and I have are part of death! In the destruction of death so too are these ailments destroyed!

Victory over sin

Physical death is the result of sin. If sin is not defeated then physical death would return but thanks be unto God. He also defeated, entirely and completely sin.

Victory over the acts of sin

Sin my friends is a twofold problem God gives victory over both aspects. There are the acts of sin and there is the nature of sin. An act of sin is disobedience to God. We are born in sin though we have not yet disobeyed God. Yet at some point in our lives we begin to commit the acts of sin. We begin to disobey God. We are bound and ruled by sin. Many do not even realize that they are in such bondage. Yet all are. Without the divine intervention of God no man can obey. Just like a single act of sin cursed the whole world and brought death into a world designed to live forever. So too does a single act of sin bring spiritual death. Yet thanks be unto God for His glorious sacrifice. Each act of disobedience we have done bring make us worthy of eternal death if justice were to be meted out on us. There is no payment we can make for we are a corrupted creature and our payment would only be a corrupted payment. Not only could we never pay for our sins, we are unable to turn from our sins, we are bound in these chains of sin. Unbreakable by us. Yet God will break these chains for us if we choose to follow Him! He will, with each temptation that we face make a way to escape that temptation! God brings victory over the acts of sin.

Victory over the nature of Sin

Not only my friends does God bring victory over the acts of sin He brings victory over the nature of sin. You see our hearts are evil from birth. God did not create us that way, but since the fall all men and women save Jesus Christ was born with this inbred nature of sin. Scripture tells us that this is passed down through the seed of man and thus Jesus, being born of a virgin was not born thus. Because of his birth sinless in nature and his life sinless in deed He became the perfect sacrifice, the propitiation for our sin. He offers forgiveness for sins that we could not atone for. That is one part of His twofold solution for our twofold problem.

The other part is just as important. Within is a drawing toward the world. When one has had the chains of sin broken by God, the guilt of sin forgiven by God far too often that one finds once again these chains, these sins to bind them, not too long hence. Why? For the very reason we began in the first place in such a path. That nature within us is corrupted. We often believe this to be the permanent human condition for we were born this way so we see it as just part of being human, but it is not! It is a cancer that must be removed else it will cause our death! God did not forgive us so that we could sin again, but he forgave us to live unto Him! God does not satisfy Himself to simply forgive us. He came to destroy the works of the devil and to save us from our sin! That includes forgiving us for what we have done, but it more importantly includes the destruction of that cancer, that sin nature, that carnal mind, that stony heart! Christ bring entire victory!

Egypt to Canaan and Personal Testimony

God bring Victory over death, over Satan, over sins the acts, and over sin the nature. Yet hearing that, knowing that, seeing that, understanding that, and believing that are all different things. I have told you about it as I was often told. Yet I often struggled to know, see, understand, or believe in these facts. Hopefully I can make this theme of victory more real to you as it has become more real to me.

Within Scripture there are many types, or illustrations. Many things are a picture that point to the real thing but are not in themselves that thing. The largest or most self evident of these is the sacrificial system pointing to the eventual sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Another is the tabernacle and the temple as the dwelling places of the Spirit of God until the veil was torn and each believer was made a temple of God.

I want to illustrate the thought for today in two ways. In one way with my story and in another way with one of the key scriptural types that can be found. Israels journey from Egypt to Canaan.

I really do not like to talk about my own spiritual life but a verse has been ringing in my mind for a few months. Revelation 12:11 says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The word of our testimony is key in overcoming Satan.

I have been re-reading Samuel Logan Brengle’s books recently. In The Heart of Holiness Brengle reminds us in a chapter entitled “Testify to the Blessing” of Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Brengle contends that if one does not testify to what God has done in his life he is likely to lose it.

In the Old Testament we find the story of Isreal being enslaved by Egypt. They could not escape for they had no military and the military of Egypt was mighty.

I remember finding myself enslaved in this way. Really my first spiritual memory was feeling God’s call to preach in my life. With that calling I realized that I needed Him in my life. I answered that call and I believe that in that day I left that slavery of Egypt. Because of my Godly upbringing I knew the answer and as soon as a realized my predicament I trusted God for forgiveness.

Yet sadly I turned back to Egypt. I turned back to a life of sin. I found myself truly enslaved with no way of escape just like Israel found themselves. God stepped in on behalf of Israel and sent Moses and sent the plagues. Israel left their old life of slavery behind and headed into the wilderness as God defeated the armies of Egypt behind them.

After years of slavery I too found God to be my rescuer. I left Egypt again and headed into the wilderness.

Leaving Egypt is an example of leaving a life of sin. That crossing of the Red Sea and heading into the wilderness represents Salvation. No more are you in your life of bondage to sin, but you have not yet reached Canaan.

Israel in the wilderness faced may struggles and trials. They struggled for food and God sent manna. They struggled for water and God sent water. They struggled with serpents and God sent healing. In each struggle they found God sufficient.

My story was a little different than was Israels. I did not yet trust God. When I ran out of food so to speak I ran back to Egypt. I tired of the slavery and headed out into the wilderness only to run out of water. I turned back over and over. I crossed and recrossed the Red Sea over and over. Victory was certainly not a part of my life. I had not learned how to trust God in the struggle and I had certainly not as Hebrews 12:4 teaches “resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

In their journey across the wilderness Israel found God sufficient in every struggle yet they had one particular problem that showed its ugly head over and over. Every time something went wrong they wished to turn back. They tired of the manna and asked to go back to Egypt for the garlic and leeks. Whenever it got difficult they wished to go back to slavery. There was an element to safety in that slavery. Though chained they were not in the battle. They had already lost the battle and in slavery they could rest in their misery.

Finally Israel reached Canaan. Yet when they saw the battle that it would take to occupy Canaan their hearts melted within them. They did not trust God for their victory. Yet when they realized that turning back would equal their death they tried to head into Canaan on their own strength. They were defeated and headed back into the wilderness where they would wander until all the men over 20 died.

Entering into Canaan is a type of example of Sanctification. I believe that it ties in so well. We must trust God to Sanctify us. We cannot do it ourselves. So often Sanctification is confused with consecration. We must consecrate ourselves to be in a place to receive this second blessing, yet we are not sanctified by our consecrations. We are sanctified by the cleansing and infilling work of the Holy Spirit. Israel’s attempt to enter Canaan on their own looked to me like man’s attempts and self sanctification. To be rid of that turn back within, to be rid of that inward draw toward the false security and false pleasures of Egypt seems to be impossible. It seems that we are doomed to the struggle of the wilderness until we either die in the struggle or give up and turn back.

On the other hand so many strive to enter in on their own. They realize that one cannot reject God’s plan and blessing without spiritual death and believing that they must enter in and yet not trusting in God’s provision they strive to enter in on their own. They surrender themselves but have to faith. They find that this full surrender of all but their doubts does not bring the promised blessing. They too head back into the wilderness to hope to struggle until they die.

I too, like Israel found myself on the doorstep of Canaan, but sick of the struggle and my constant turning back I pressed on! I trusted in the promise of God and I entered into Canaan! Yet I failed to take possession of the land. I had not yet learned to strive against sin unto blood. I had not yet learned to trust God in the battle. I thought that no more battles would rage. Though the turn back within had gone from my life the attacks of the enemy had not. As I camped complacently on the banks of the Jordan, content with this life in the doorway of Canaan the armies of Jericho ambushed my camp and sent me running alway the way back to the secure misery of Egypt and my old life of sin and defeat.

This began a pattern in my life of beating a path across the wilderness. I would leave Egypt and head to Canaan. There I would longingly look at the promised land then tuck my tail and run back to Egypt. While Israel wondered around the wilderness getting rid of all those who turned back I kept turning back and crossing back and forth across the miserable wilderness. I spent some more years in this place.

There came a day that Israel was back on the banks of the Jordan. This time they did it God’s way. The priests walked with the Ark of the Covenant into the swollen waters of the Jordan river. As their feet touched water their faith in God’s provision paid off. The waters were opened before them and they were welcomed into the promised land!

The turn back was gone for Israel. No one wanted to go back. That struggle within had been vanquished. Yet the battles from the enemy outside still came at them. They continued on and began to take possession of the land in God’s way through God’s strength. They conquered Jericho. Yet after their victory against mighty Jericho they began to rest in their victory. Something that seemed too easy to cause them problems nearly disheartened the people entirely. Without stopping to consult God they headed into battle against Ai. They were defeated but instead of turning back they bowed before God. Cleaned up their camp and then cleaned up the enemy.

Finally I grew so tired of walking through the wilderness, and I began to recognize that Egypt was likely to be my final resting place unless something changed. I came back to the doorstep of Canaan and instead of looking over, instead of trying to do it on my own I settled to head into the Jordan and trust God to get me to the other side. It seems to me that God didn’t act as soon as my feet touched the water. It seems to me that He waited until I was swept off my feet and had nearly drowned but He acted! He brought me into Canaan. We marched together on Jericho and took down the stronghold of the enemy. But just like Israel I became too complacent once again. I did not worry about Ai. I was staggered by the little things. Yet I did not turn my tail and run. I turned to God and asked for help and guidance. With His help we defeated Ai. Through his power the enemy within has been vanquished and I trust Him for strength in the battles that come.

Yet I notice something further in the story of Israel. First I notice the path to defeat illustrated so plainly in their story. Whenever Israel begins to forget who got them where they are, whenever they rest in their own armies, whenever they take the glory for themselves they are defeated. Eventually Israel is cast from their land once again because they trusted in their own strength and not God’s.

You see entering into Canaan is not the end. Defeated Jericho and Ai is not the end. I see and old man in the story of Israel who was not satisfied to dwell on the banks of Jordan. He was not satisfied with the foothills of freedom. He looked on toward the mountain. Caleb stood up at 80 years old and said give me this mountain! He conquered the highest heights he could find. He pressed on the upward way literally and climbed new heights in his victorious conquest.

So too must we. I cannot be satisfied to rest near the banks of Jordan. I cannot be satisfied to dwell in the foothills of victory. I want to press on to the mountain strongholds. In the ever shifting sands of life we must press onward and upward or we will drift downward. Crossing the Red Sea is not the end. God has more for us in this life than wilderness wanderings. Crossing the Jordan is not the end. We are not to visit Canaan but we are to occupy it. Yet we are not called to be conquerors in this life. We are promised that we can be made more than conquerors! I do not claim to have ascended to the highest peaks and greatest heights of God’s earthly provision but I intend to! He said that we are become more than conquerors. We don’t just have victory, we can climb the mountain! To dwell in the foothills would make us nothing more than conquerors but to drive out the enemy and scale the mountain makes us more than conquerors. Onward and upward must be the cry till we find that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye this corruptible body will be changed. We shall not all die, though many will, but we shall all be changed. In that moment, when we see Christ we will be able to look back and see the picture of what was and look forward and see what then will be! If in this life we can not only have victory we can be made more than conquerors what will the next life have in store?

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.