Victory in Christ Alone
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Victory in Christ Alone
Victory in Christ Alone
November 8, 2020
Know Who The Enemy Is
Know Who The Enemy Is
God created all things good!
This word Good comes from a Hebrew word meaning > pleasant, desirable; in order, usable; and efficient; / morally good
God created all things “Good” for man whom He created “Good” unto Himself.
Man was giving dominion over all which God created to use and enjoy.
There was one commandment. “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Following this command, man would only know and experience good.
Why the forbidden tree? Why even the opportunity for disobedience?
Man had a choice – a volition – to reciprocate love toward God through trust and obedience.
However, another voice would speak to man.
Genesis 3:5
The enemy came after man with one purpose in mind; he came with an absolute evil intent.
“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
He was and is a liar and murderer.
He came cunningly with crafty words laced with poison (as a modern politician), knowing just what to say.
Suddenly, the trap went off!
Through one-man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:12
Every evil can be traced to sin’s entrance into the world.
Do you hate sickness; disease; death? Do you hate poverty; inequality; and injustice?
Do you hate prejudice? Do You hate racism?
Then you hate Satan! You hate Sin!
These things emanate from Satan, not from God.
Satan has worked his will of ruin in this present world through the lust and controlling power of sin.
By these he has seized control over the hearts of mankind.
You think you have liberty, but you are really a prisoner of your sin.
The wages of sin are death!
People today are being led to an eternal Hell through their willing deceit.
As foretold by God, the world is going down the broad road to apostacy, and you have to decide whether or not you’re going to go with them.
Romans 1:28
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
2 Thessalonians 2:7–17
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
THE CHURCH IS A HINDRANCE TO EVIL
We hate sickness! We hate disease! We hate death! We hate poverty! We hate inequality! and We hate injustice!
Therefore, we long for Christ! Therefore, we fight with Christ!
We do not fight by our own strength, but we fight by the power of God’s Spirit.
We have been called and chosen to battle!
We are called and sent to
Fight the Enemy
Fight the Enemy
We are told to first “Count the Cost.”
Becoming a soldier for Christ involves way more than saying a prayer, signing a card or being made wet through baptism.
You say you believe, but is your faith real?
Luke 14:25-35
Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
“Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
“Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
“Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
“Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?
“It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Are you willing to:
• Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ?
• Endure hardship as a good soldier?
• Suffer persecution?
1 Timothy 1:18
…Fight the good fight!
We fight:
1. in prayer
2. through our personal witness to Christ;
3. by upholding truth;
4. by being faithful to obey God’s word;
5. through good works from sincere hearts;
6. with sacrificial giving of our resources to the work of God’s kingdom.
7. our own flesh and weaknesses by trusting God and His word.**
The battle is not easy, convenient, or self-serving.
Many are called, but only few are chosen.
We are called to the cause of Christ!
Acts 26:18
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
In Christ, we battle to
Defeat the Enemy
Defeat the Enemy
In Christ, we are not overcome by our circumstances
Paul the apostle understood that our circumstances are the place where God places us to fight.
Philippians 1:20-21
according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
The ultimate victory has already been won by our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Hebrews 10:12–13
but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,
waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.
The Bible reveals to us what the future, eternal reign of our Lord and savior looks like:
Isaiah 9:6–7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Choose today who you will serve!
Save yourself from this perverse generation!
Cry unto God for His mercy in Jesus Christ!
Believe in Him for your forgiveness!
Trust in Him for your salvation!
Surrender your life to Him in obedience!
Stand and fight for Him and His cause!
Be joined to His church who will inherit eternal life in His eternal kingdom!