Living the Victorious Life

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, WHERE Christ sits at God’s right hand in place of honour and power.  Col 3:1

We have been raised to new life with Christ but do we, as His precious people, live life this way?  Our old life is left behind us – Christ has given us new life.  Old things have passed away – behold the new has come. NEW! 

2Co 5:17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2Co 5:14  Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

We are now no longer born of just the earth but we are born from above. 

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

This means we have a new vibrant life where we should rise on the “wings of eagles”, the Holy Spirit beneath our wings, to a higher way of living than earthly living.

Adam was born from the dust, formed in the Loving hands of the Creator Father, but still born of the dust.  God breathed into him and so Adam became a living being made in the image of His Creator.  He bore God’s eternal spirit and therefore God’s characteristics of His kindness, His goodwill, His mercy, His Glory and comeliness.  (Is 40:6)  Adam walked in the Glory of God, intimate with His Maker and His Presence, learning of Him, being like Him until disobedience entered into his heart.  Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned. (Rom 5:12 )  In this state humankind became enemies of God, their Creator.  This state of living is way below what God intended for us and the wages of our sin is death.  Living in disobedience, enemies of God, we miss the mark of His Glory. 

Even before Christ came, God in His Mercy,  set before us the choice of life or death, blessing or cursing.  He spelt it out so simply, the choice we have.

Deu 30:19  I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.

I think that this is a beautiful promise that when we choose life, it affects our descendants as for those who choose life the blessing of God comes upon the next generation.

Christ came and died for us so we could be freed from the law of sin and death that reigns in our members.  Yet we still have the struggle between these two laws as they compete within our members.  What is the antidote?  The Apostle Paul so emphatically tells us in Rom &:24-25a, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!..”

Jesus Christ delivers us  from our evil nature and wicked deeds, (Col 1:21) but we need to look unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith who has purchased us and ransomed us by means of His blood on the cross. He clothes us with this new nature because He has taken up residence in our hearts through the Holy Spirit and He has become our new life.

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, Rom 8:4  that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Rom 8:5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

One of the keys to living this victorious life is in our thought life.  We don’t allow our thoughts to be filled with the earthly sinful things, but we look to Jesus, seated in honour and power at God’s Right Hand.  We are right with God for He obtained for us in becoming our sin His Righteousness. Christ who went through temptations just like us but remained without sin.  His blood cries out for eternity as the token of our salvation and forgiveness of sin.  We died with Him on that cross and our real life is hidden with Christ in God (Col.3:3)

Col 3:5  So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Col 3:10  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. Col 3:11  In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

Put off, put on!  Simple keys of understanding to live to the potential God wants us to live.  How do we do this in a practical matter, because it is not easy to walk the crucified life?  All of us have warnings when ungodly emotions begin to rise within us.  We can almost feel the heat rise from the stomach (ask any person who gets cut off in traffic, or anyone who has been the butt of a bad joke as two examples) and in that instant we have a choice – life or death!  We all have warning signals when anxiety or fear begins to come upon us.  Choose life!  Pull down every argument that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  Any untruth seeks the place of power in your mind in an attempt to dethrone Christ in your life.  Choose Life – Truth which sets us free.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

And be renewed in your mind as we learn more of the “word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;” Col 1:6 

God has chosen us to be His Holy people whom He loves and desires for us to live with heavenly potential bringing His Glory and His Presence to earth.  We are citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom, holy, thankful, speaking words of grace and healing, focused on Christ, eyes wide-open, magnifying His Glory and revelling in His Presence.

Christ did not bring us out of the kingdom of darkness so that we would stay in bondage to the law of sin and death but He brought us out to take us into the Kingdom of Light where His reign and rule brings Life and freedom.  For when Christ sets us free, we are free indeed.  He has redeemed us from the curse and died so that we would have the abundant life in Him, He promised.

Joh 10:10  The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

 

Let us love Him with all our hearts and obey Him in trustful surrender.  Let us choose life.  Let us with the Holy Spirit’s help, throw off the old nature and walk in the nature  and desires of  Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and present us faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy.  (Jud 1:24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And He made Himself of no reputation

But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Phl 2:7-8 NKJV

I was watching a program the other night about depression and they were saying that depression is a major sickness among the nations today.  I was contemplating this as I know many, including myself once, who suffered depression and seemingly lost some sense of hope to varying degrees. The main reason they gave for this is the fact that society today is so focused on self and I had to agree.

Jesus made us to be outward centred and not inwardly focused.  He himself lay down His life for others and gave up His rights and this I believe is the key to relieving depressive states in us.  Just think about it!

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. Jn 17:5 NKJV

 Jesus had glory with the Father and in fact the Word teaches us that He is the master creator of the universe.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Jn 1:3 NKJV

Angels worshipped Him, yet Jesus left His state of Glory to step into our time to heal, deliver and ultimately save us through His death on the cross.  He showed us another way of living and thinking, with a focus on relationship with the Father and relationship with each other.  And the Word tells us to have this same mind – be like minded with Christ.

When I look back on my past, before I met Jesus Christ, I was constantly thinking about myself and how life had thrown me the raw deal.  Being married and having children relieved this to a small point as it forced me to think about someone else, but even in that, I constantly came back to myself.  “I need my rest so you children better be quiet,  I’m doing this for you,  none of you appreciate the things I have to sacrifice for you.  I’m the one who has to pick up after everyone.  No I don’t have the time for you right now, I’m busy….” I, I, I!   No wonder I was in a state of depression.  I have learnt since receiving Jesus Christ into my heart that the world doesn’t revolve around me but in fact the world is centred around Jesus Christ and others.

Even today I can fall into this “I” trap. A good example of this being the other day when folding up countless handkerchiefs (okay maybe a little exaggeration here) and beginning to feel very annoyed.  Again, where was my focus – certainly not on being a blessing, or even doing my work as unto the Lord.  Even at work, when I went to make a cup of tea and others had left the sink area in a state of chaos and not washed up their plates, cups etc and I began to grumble (being focused on me again and getting very annoyed), the Holy Spirit had me catch myself and I began to thank Him that I could be a blessing to others and clean up all the stuff left.  I actually felt better rather then staying annoyed.

Is this difficult to do!  YES, but it is worth it and it is this kind of action that God can bless because, like Jesus, we are putting others ahead of our own interests.  Not only that but my blood pressure did not rise and the steam did not come out of my ears.  I felt more at peace.  I think that this is definitely something I could practise.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Phl 2:3-4

My husband Sam definitely has shown me more and more over the years about this way of sacrificial living as he has a servant’s heart and is always willing to go beyond himself and walk the extra mile.  I have a long way to catch up but focusing on Jesus example certainly helps.  I think that maybe this is love – putting God and others first.  It is what we teach at Sunday schools all around the nations – J O Y = Jesus, others and THEN you.