Victorious in Christ
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Introduction
Introduction
We have just celebrated the 4th of July, our independence from the tyranny of another country and king. 1776 is the year we declared are freedom from another and the battle ensued...
Great men, our forefathers in this country set out on a dangerous path to make this country independent, free and wonderful.
These men could have been killed for their role, They and many other endured hardship and suffered a great deal in the hopes of winning their independence.
But by God’s hand of providence as George Washington would say, we are free in America today.
And our nation is the greatest in the world, we are free. free in so many ways!
So the 4th of July, it’s a wonderful time to remember....
And it is a wonderful time to remember....
So we celebrate, host parades, and yes, see those wonderful fireworks. It is a special time.
And likewise, as we enjoy freedom in this land, Remember, remember my friends if you are in Christ, you are also free… we have the absolute joy of knowing that Jesus has made us each free through his sacrificial death on the cross.
He overcame death for us, sin for us, and yes the grave for us. he took our punishment upon His own body
In truth, we are victorious in Christ, and we have the joy of living in that victory as well. So today I want you to consider what it means to be living in victory.
To have a victorious life!!
So this morning I want us to jump to a couple of passages as we get started today...
We will look at the book of Romans and I John
and
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5
Romans
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39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
So considering the truth that we are victorious in Christ, lets talk about why? Why are we victorious in Christ Jesus and how does that bless our life every day?
Let me share a few thoughts with you this morning.
1. Because of God’s love....
1. Because of God’s love....
You know so often we get caught in the cry of how bad things are for us, for this world and so forth… but I want to re-direct your thinking and instead of the
Because of God’s love....
We are victorious my friends without a doubt because of His love for us.
Love is a precious gift my friends, It is the first gift God has given to man and i it is a gift that people give one to another and it is done freely, not because of what we do,not because it is expected, no.... but because we love the other person.
That is God’s love,it is his love that we know as a covenant love. A covenant love says He loves us regardless...
The covenant is first seen with Abraham… Genesis chapter 12 and later we will see it again with Jesus there in the upper room as he breaks the bread and shares the cup with his disciples hours before his arrest.
And without a doubt this is one of the greatest blessings as a child of God, He loves us. And in His love we know that He was at work for us.
Look back at what Paul is saying in , But lets back up to verses 31-32
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Now Paul has been talking about our identity in Christ in Romans chapter 8, in fact early on here in chapter 8, Paul takes the time to remind us that we are His children, even if by adoption, we are His!
There is that covenant love....
Why is all this possible? verse 32 tells us that He, God the Father, did not spare His own son, Jesus, and gave him up for all of us.
There is the gift of God.... Jesus. And Jesus was sent by the Father, to be a ransom for sin, to pay our sin doubt and He did this because He loves us...
Jesus was sent by the Father, to be a ransom for sin,
Listen again to Paul earlier on in , verse 8.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus died for you…
How precious is it that God meet us where we were, dirty, unforgiven, sinners… and saved us.
That is a victory my friends… we have overcome by and through Jesus. We took the word of God for certain, as truth and believed! and by that, through our faith we are saved.
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Our faith in Jesus has enabled us to be victors… We have won and overcome my friends and it originates in the love of God, a love that has existed always in the very heart and nature of God.
He loves us.
Now this takes me to a second thought as we think about being victorious in Christ.
2. We are Over-comers....
2. We are Over-comers....
We are victors in Christ Jesus because we are those who overcome, just as Jesus has overcome.
Stop for a minute and just consider the truth that God loves you, it is a perfect and holy love..
Now understand this, our ability to overcome, is found in Him, in Christ. Remember, God and His love is where it all began...
Now consider this....
But don’t mistake that love for acceptance that He is ok with us living any way we want too… No!
His love for us in seen in the truth that as a child he
In 1 John, John the beloved disciple, the last apostle , He uses this word “everyone” 8 times, and the last is right here in our text in chapter 5, verses 4-5.
The “everyone” here describes any one who is born again, any one who has seen and knows the love of God and has responded to his call to come and follow Him. literally, been saved.
And to everyone who comes and believes, those He empowers to overcome and find victory.
But what are we overcoming.. what is John speaking about in this text… we are overcoming the world.
The word “world” describes all that is away from,against, different from God. The world around us is a huge temptation for believers....
Just consider for a moment all that is promoted, displayed, and is pushed for the by world for people to embrace, love and agree with...
Remember the “world” is everything that is against God… it is the un-spiritual, the dark, the lost, the evil..
There is nothing in the world that says run to Jesus… no the world, under the prince and power of the air, feeds lies, half truths and says you can live like you want, do what you want, God loves you.. it is ok.
Social media were so much, and the list goes on and on my friends.
So the world is our enemy...
Now… lets Look again at
Look again at
Look again at
John says
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
What is John saying?
Those who are born again, we have the power to overcome the world, all those things the devil would seek to use to distract you, pull you away from God. shut you down., And in everyone who overcomes, they can live for God.
And it all begins with our faith, our ability to believe in Jesus, our faith is what enables us to embrace, take hold of victory,
And it started when we took hold of Jesus by faith.
Remember what Jesus said in ...
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
You want to overcome, believe, have victory… be connected to Jesus.
So through the death of Jesus, our faith in Him, our salvation means we have overcome and that leads to victory.. the Greek word here for victory is “nike” Now when we hear the word nike we think of the shoes and perhaps a few other things in the past few days. But it speaks to a great victory. The militarily used to have, may still have “nike’ bases, missile bases used to help protect our nation. They were named victory...
Our belief leads to victory… we have overcome because of Jesus and his presence in our life through faith.
Remember you are in Jesus and Jesus is in you!
I love the Scriptures tell us this… Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world… Jesus is greater...
Want to overcome, want to be better, grow stronger, and walk in victory.. walk in him..
So let me take you right to our next thought...
You are victorious because you are never alone,
3. You are Never Alone....
3. You are Never Alone....
Absolutely one of the greatest blessings of being His child is that His presence, His Holy Spirit walks with us every day.
For the child of God, at the moment of Salvation, God’s Holy Spirit envelopes us, fills us and is always with us...
With His presence in us, it is truly not us who live, but He lives in us....
Listen to Paul in Ephesisans 1:13
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
This passage is a favorite one, because it describes all that happens when we believed, when we began our walk with Jesus
We believed, our faith enables us to take the message ( faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God)… and we received Jesus as Savior , and we were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
What does this mean?
A. Being sealed with the Holy Spirit means that you are saved, it is a finished event. Nothing more is needed… you received Jesus ans were saved..
B. It also tells us just whose we are… God takes that which belongs to Him, ie… his children as we talked about in Romans chapter 8.. God put his seal on us because He has purchased you out of sin...
Listen to Paul as he explains this to the believers at Corinth
, verses 19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
C. Since we are never alone, we always have his protection and security… If you fall back to the gospel of Matthew, chapter 27, verse 62-66 we find that Jesus has been killed and buried.. and the Jews were afraid that the disciples might be ones who would try to steal the body of Jesus away.
So the Jews convinced Pilate to seal and place a guard on the tomb of Jesus. So they sealed the tomb and guarded it until Jesus rose from the dead. The seal implied that the tomb belonged to Rome, it was Caesar’s. No one had any right to it.
Jesus has sealed us reminding Satan who and whose we are.. we are servants of the Lord God most High, followers of Jesus Christ, saved and sealed until the day of redemption.
How wondeful is that…
D. The Holy Spirit abides with us forever… He will never leave us, oh, you can be disobedient, you can not follow his direction and help and you can grieve him.. But He will never leave you...
Listen to John the beloved in John chapter 14, verses 16-17
John 1
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
So the Holy Spirit will always be with us… keeping what Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you… how precious is that my friends...
You are never alone......
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
We are victorious because He is always with us my friends....
So consider for a moment just how blessed you are my friends, we are blessed because we know Jesus Christ.
We are blessed because of Him, Jesus makes us victorious…
We have victory in Jesus because of His love for us.. His very presence in us makes us over comers… and finally, we are never alone.
Those are just three ways we are blessed… victorious.... all because of Jesus Christ.
Being victorious, being an overcomer means that we are able do great things for Jesus...
What are those great things… What’s your calling. Wintess, servant, etc....
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3.He is at Work in Us
5.
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 Behold, all who are incensed against you
shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
13 For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.