I Can't, He Can, so We Will
Are you victorious in your life? In some parts? In
everything? Not at all? The truth is when we walk by the Spirit, we are
victorious in all things. Everywhere we go, God leads us in a victory lap and a
parade to celebrate the triumph we have through Jesus Christ.
While it’s truth we are victorious in all things, the sad
fact remains many Christians are living life defeated. They’ve been beaten
down, they’re worn out and they’ve lost hope. They are simply trying to survive
until the end when the Lord will graciously remove us before the worst
overtakes the world.
I want to do more than survive, don’t you? I want to thrive.
Right here, right now.
So, what do we do if our life experience is not victorious?
Do we change our theology to fit our experience, or make our experience fit
theology?
The Bible is a [partial] biography of God, and we learn how
he moves and acts on behalf of the people he calls his own. As Christians, we
are named by him and called by him; we qualify in the stories - stories of
victory and triumph. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy
(Revelations 19:10). Testimony means to do it again, and prophesy is the word
(rhema) of God. All of Scripture is the testimony of Jesus; therefore all of
scripture is prophesy for God to do it again – in your life, in your
circumstance.
Not only is scripture a testimony, but we have specific
verses of promise to validate and back up what God is going to do. 2Corinthians 2:14 tells us God always leads us in triumphal procession (parade)
in Christ, and in Exodus 13:17-18 we see an example of how God leads. It’s not
always in the shortest route, from A to B, but the route to ensure our victory.
Often, we gain victory little by little (Deuteronomy 7:22) so we are not
overwhelmed. The Lord knows we have opposition that is stronger than we can
take on alone (Deuteronomy 11:23) but he is strong and mighty (Psalm 24:8).
When things don’t work out as we want them to, the
temptation is to change our theology about God (that he can’t, or worse, won’t act on our behalf). But we have
testimony God does work out all things for our benefit (Romans 8:28), and his
plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). We live caught in the tension of
popular culture thinking – bigger, better, faster – especially faster. God isn’t caught in the tension of faster =
better. He lives outside of time; we need to get his perspective instead of
bringing him down to ours.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he exhorts them to put
them minds on things above because that’s where we are already seated (Colossians3:1-2). Throughout all of creation, God is enough to ensure victory. Forget the
temptation to dwell on earthly problems and be transformed in your mind to think
on heavenly things. If we do that, I guarantee, we will see our heavenly
victory and we will begin to live victorious earthly lives.
I can’t, He can, so we will. Victory.
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