EMPTY
April 7, 2019
Finding Feminism
May 15, 2019
What Is Victory?
by Pastor Vinnie
Don’t sin! Don’t do it. Stop. Sin kills. Sin kills you. Sin kills others. Sin will even kill God. It put Jesus on the cross. Why would you want to keep doing that?
“…To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Hebrews 6:6b NIV
What is that you say? Is stopping easier said than done?
I know you think that. I know you, maybe indirectly, have been taught that. I also know you are wrong. I am not saying you can gain instant perfection. Let’s leave perfection to Christ and His translation of you at His return.
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” KJV
However, the fact that you’re not perfect, always growing, forever seeking to become more like the Savior is no excuse to be stalled, stuck, and living in defeat. Victory is not perfection. Victory is not sinlessness. Winning is not the absence of failure. Instead, it is the embracing of the success that Christ produces in you like fruit, growing in your spiritual life as you gradually keep walking with him.
“ The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Keep walking. Keep getting up. Keep refusing to stay down. Keep seeking His Spirit. Keep asking, pleading, and chasing after His Spirit no matter how badly you mess up and He will gradually, yet consistently, produce His Spirit’s fruit in you. Here is the thing to keep in mind, you likely won’t even see or notice it. This, too, is by design, so that your rising up out of the ashes of defeat will not be tripped up by your very typical, earth-bound, human pride. However, those around you will see it! Those who have daily and random contact with you will notice that there is something different about you. They will notice your joy, your inner sense of peace in crisis; they will see a gentleness inside you. They will be struck by your spirit of kindness, inner selfless goodness. They will be inspired by your off-the-charts self-control, not to mention your faithfulness both to doing right and to caring about them. They will see your love. You, however, will only see how much further you still have to go to be as beautiful as your Savior.
“Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit… They will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God they will follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is pure. The things they once hated, they now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside…The loveliness of the character of Christ will be seen in His followers. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions. Love is of God…The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.”[i]
You see it is easy to say, don’t sin. It is harder to do that. But you know what is easier than both of those things and works? Love works! It is true! Love works! Don’t think about how hard it is to stop sinning. Think about how sweet, and how joy-filled, how powerful, and how transforming LOVE IS! Don’t sin… Just love each other! It really is that simple. The act of not sinning merely is showing love, respect, and value to each other and the creator. LOVE is VICTORY!
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 NIV
Dear Friends have Victory. Dear Friends, Love God and Love each other. Do this, and your Victory is being lived out in you and growing deeper and deeper all the more to the day of our Lord’s arrival and appearing in the clouds. You will seek out his Holy Spirit to teach you how to love. Then, love, not perfectionism, will rise in your heart to be your new target. It will become less and less about how you will get to Heaven and more and more about how you can love others into the Kingdom. Slow and steady, is the race into eternity. Run it, one foot in front of the other, all the way to that glorious finish-line ahead of us all!
Reflect on these words (video below)
Resurrecting:
The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet
Now at His feet, we bow.
The One who wore our sin and shame
Now robed in majesty
The radiance of perfect love
Now shines for all to see.
Your name, Your name
Is Victory
All praise will rise
To Christ, our king.
The fear that held us now gives way
To Him who is our peace
His final breath upon the cross
Is now alive in me.
Your name, Your name
Is Victory
All praise will rise
To Christ, our king.
By Your spirit, I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name, I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
By Your spirit, I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name, I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
By Your spirit, I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name, I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected king is resurrecting me
He’s resurrecting me
Our God is good.
The tomb where soldiers watched in vain
Was borrowed for three days
His body there would not remain
Our God has robbed the grave
Our God has robbed the grave (yes He has, yes He has)
Your name, Your name
Is Victory
All praise will rise
To Christ, our king.
By Your spirit, I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name, I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
By Your spirit, I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name, I come alive[ii]
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Footnotes:
[i] Collected thoughts from the book Steps to Christ, Chapter 7, “The Test of Discipleship,” by Ellen White.
[ii] Resurrecting: Elevation Worship. Songwriters: Christopher Brown / Wade Joye / Steven Furtick / Matthews Thabo Ntele / Mack Brock
Resurrecting lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
