Victory in Jesus...the Wayfarer 4/8/16

Victory in Jesus
 4/8/16

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 King James Version (KJV)

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ 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.

Victory, the opposite of defeat, having won, not having lost, having completed, not having failed to complete the mission that has been given, is important in all aspects of warfare, and even more important in in the foremost aspect of life itself.

Victory in warfare comes often on the coattails of what seems to be imminent defeat, comes with a cost of blood, pain, losses suffered along the way that at times seems insurmountable. So it is too with life itself.

Victory is not found in any single battle being fought, in any single skirmish, in any single action that results in the gain or loss of each small piece of territory, that for the moment seems to be the only priority of those who are for that moment in command, but in the totality of all actions being fought, throughout the length and breadth of those territories that lies within the battle plan of a single commander with access to the entire battle plan instead of small pieces of it.

Past losses and defeats become meaningless, yet remain painfully remembered as the master plan takes effect when the final battle is fought and won.

Life itself is a constant and ongoing state of warfare, as sides are chosen, orders given, actions initiated, that lead to yet further actions, until the reason for those actions become clear, and their results final, resulting in either victory or defeat.

One of the songs heard in my youth, and again in the churches attended during that youth, as well as still being heard was written by E. M. Bartlett, and copyrighted in 1939, during a time when the stormclouds  were gathering for this nation, and the storm was already raging for others.

The length of that storm and it’s severity are paltry when compared to the looming storm on the horizon as those clouds gather once more, and as the storm rages within lives throughout the world in anticipation of an eventual final war that must be fought according to the battleplan established long ago, whose outcome is predetermined by the Planner Who alone knows the sequence of actions that must be fought for each life that is a participant, knowingly or unknowingly in the battles comprising a war for the souls of each and every man, woman and child ever to have been born, or yet to be born.

Whether that storm comes soon, or comes many years from now, the battles are already being fought, individual victories are being won, or individual defeats are finalized with all chance of victory being taken upon the physical death of that individual.

“I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

I heard about his healing, of His cleansing power revealing,

How he made the lame to walk again, and caused the blind to see;

And then I cried Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,

And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.

I heard about a mansion, he has built for me in glory,

 And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing and the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.

Oh victory in Jesus, My Savior forever, He sought me and bought me, with His redeeming blood.

He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.”

Victory, true victory will only be found through that cleansing flood that was given as a sacrifice when Christ was crucified.

Victory over death was accomplished through His action. His fight has been won.

Victory over our own death, inevitable for mankind, both individual and collective, is only obtainable through faith in what HE did.

Victory is only possible for those choosing the winning side of the battle, and these are required to give proof of that choice through the repentance that is accepted in return for the redemption that is assured by HIM.

Battles will and must continue.

Skirmishes will continue to be fought, and at times that victory may seem distant as they are being fought.

Each skirmish, each action, each battle fought brings us closer to the end of the war that is being waged.

Endurance will be tested, devotion to the side chosen will be revealed, deserters will be encountered, and they too have chosen a side.

Confidence in the commander chosen will be reflected as His orders are given and obeyed or ignored.

There is victory to be had, victory that will be had, victory that cannot and will not be denied by any single battle, or any single skirmish that may create the illusion of loss.

Philippians 3King James Version (KJV)

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

² Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

³ For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

⁴ Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

⁵ Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

⁶ Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

⁹ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

¹⁰ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

¹¹ If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

¹² Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Pressing toward that mark begins with the first step toward the promised victory, accepting Christ Jesus by giving the required repentance, then continues as each battle is fought along the way to that final victory that is assured.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer