
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:35, 37-39
Sinful man naturally assumes the role of the "victim" when life is unfair or harsh and he wants to revenge his hurts. But Jesus Christ tells us to love and bless those who hurt us. The "natural man"(2 Corinthians 2:14) says, "What? No, I must have an enemy. It is not my own sinful response that has enslaved me!" The carnally-minded Christian may decide he cannot blame another human for his sinful responses, so, "Hey, the devil. That's it! He's invisible and does not speak up for himself. I'll make him the culprit, the enemy I can hate and blame and curse."
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Lord of Lords, has "overcome the world," "saved us from our sins," and "destroyed the works of the devil." (John 16:33; Revelation 1:5; 1 John 3:8) By God's grace and mercy, those who believe have been given eternal life. That means the threat of death no longer need paralyze us. Sin no longer has the power to enslave us because the Son has "set us free." With the attitude that we must fight the devil (within or without), we end up not living as free men but as oppressed people seeking to free ourselves from our oppressor. How misleading is that concept! It is our own lusts that tempt us. And when we give in to them, then we are carried away to sin. But we don't have to do that! We can stand in the Lord's strength and authority and not be swept away. We are free to live for God now! No longer are we slaves to anything (sin) or anybody (the world or the devil), who would want to capture us again. We are safe in the Kingdom of God, if we love Him and obey His commandments.
Many think that to love and serve God and others, as Christ taught us, leads to a mundane, subservient existence. How wrong an idea! To be given life by the Spirit of God and to live by the Spirit is the most soul-satisfying, lively way to live. We are not victims who must fight for our existence! We are more than conquerors! We are children of God, freemen, eternally alive. And, God has made us kings and priests of His Kingdom through His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore, do not look for sin to capture you again, when God in Christ has set you on the path of righteousness and has promised to keep you in His care forever. Let the given Holy Spirit and the Word of God convict, teach, reprove, correct you and train you in righteousness, so that you "may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Our God is more than enough! Think about it.
© Sherron M. Hudson, Hidden Treasure Ministries, December 2003. All rights reserved.
Categories: discipleship
Labels: discipleship