The Key to Victory
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The Key to Victory is found in Three Words: KNOW, COUNT, OFFER
Escape Our train rolled into Kansas City at 1 a.m. Dim lights came on to help the new passengers find seats. Many of us who had been riding home through the night had spread out to occupy two seats apiece.An attractive woman made her way down the aisle with her bags. She was looking from side to side, hoping for someone to move. I turned toward the window and watched her in the reflection.“May I sit here?” she asked.“Sure.” I looked up and smiled as I moved over. She threw her things into the rack above and sat down. Near the back of the car, only one of my colleagues had managed to keep his extra space. Lucky guy.“My name’s Kathy. What’s yours?”I told her, and we talked quietly for a while. She was on her way to visit her mother after some rough spats with her husband. I was eager to get home and see my wife and family after an exhausting church leadership conference.Soon we had both slipped off to sleep. At some later stop, I awoke to find Kathy cuddled next to me. “You don’t mind if I lean my head on your shoulder, do you?” she said sleepily.“Uh, no. I guess not.” She was just tired … wasn’t she? And besides, I had a wonderful wife and a great marriage and would be home before noon. I looked around to see if anyone was noticing.She cuddled closer. I wondered what she really wanted—or would allow. At first I couldn’t believe what I was thinking. But then it was her fault. She knew exactly what she was doing. I might as well enjoy it. After all, what could happen on a train full of people? Nothing, nothing really … except what Jesus warned about happening in the heart.Finally, I excused myself so I could go back and talk with my friend—the “lucky” one with the empty seat beside him. Or maybe I was the lucky one since that extra space was still available. I only knew I didn’t need to stay where I had been.Perhaps it wasn’t luck at all. Maybe that was the “way of escape” that 1 Corinthians 10:13 talks about, which God had provided from the beginning.
Know about Sin and What Jesus did for it!!!
Know about Sin and What Jesus did for it!!!
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
I became my own only when I gave myself to Another.—C. S. Lewis,
Daily Victory: Jesus broke the stronghold of Sin, now and forever and that means TODAY
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Baptized in New Life and Death of Old
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
A man sits in front of a bad television program and doesn’t know that he is bored; he joins the rat race of commerce, where personal worth is measured in terms of market values, and is not aware of his anxiety. Ulcers speak louder than words. Theologians and philosophers have been saying for a century that God is dead, but what we confront now is the possibility that “man is dead,” transformed into a thing, a producer, a consumer, an idolater of other things
Jesus offers New Life that Triumphs over the Old
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
Death no longer holds mastery over sin but we are freed by the Master and he now extends that freedom to us
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Count(consider) the truth about our own sin yesterday and today
Count(consider) the truth about our own sin yesterday and today
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Our souls may receive infinite hurt, and be rendered incapable of all virtue, merely by the use of innocent and lawful things. What is more innocent that rest and retirement? And yet what more dangerous than sloth and idleness? What is more lawful than eating and drinking? And yet what more destructive of all virtue … than sensuality and indulgence?… It is the right and prudent management of ourselves, as to these things, that all the art of holy living chiefly consists
Jesus did the hard stuff but we need to refuse to allow sin to continue to reign. We MUST regard ourselves Dead to sin and alive in Christ
Offer Ourselves
Offer Ourselves
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
We ARE going to struggle with sin but it is those who yield to Jesus that will find victory
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Submit to Holy Spirit
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
This dual submission will build a Christ Like Character in us
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This is not a One time things for us as it was for Jesus. This is a daily offering.
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
When all the dust clears, it is still all about GRACE
Are there any specific sins that still threaten to dominate your life? Make it a point to take this to God in prayer today!