You Were Created For Victory

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. (NRSV)

The idea of living a victorious life is a seductive one, but also one that’s easy to misconstrue in an age where success has become the holy grail of human existence. It’s all too easily to imagine that victory is about winning at everything, when God has a completely different and much more powerful take on what a victorious life truly looks like.

Living in victory, according to God, means overcoming the sting of death that our own bad behaviour, our own sin, dumps on us – both here and now and for all eternity.

Great … but at first glance, that doesn’t sound anywhere near as appealing as success in whatever you turn your hand to; as having victory over your circumstances; as erasing all your problems out of your life once and for all. Would you agree?

So humour me. Let’s look at this whole victorious living thing from God’s perspective:

1 Corinthians 15:56,57 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NRSV)

So, victory is a gift from God through Jesus Christ. By having a rich, vibrant relationship with Jesus and yes, walking in obedience to His commands, you and I are given victory over our sin. It’s not about having no troubles in this life (Jesus promised his disciples – us! – plenty of those) but overcoming the sting of death – both temporal and eternal – that our own sin brings.

That’s so much better than mere success. Friend, you were made to live a victorious life – now and for all eternity!

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.