VICTORIOUS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:17-18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I don’t think there is anyone who really likes to lose, to have to bear the label, “loser”. I mean, it’s far more exciting and life enhancing to win, right?

In fact, in underscoring this point, there used to be a lead in to an old time sports show that carried with it this tagline, highlighting the ups and downs of competition:

“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

I think it really does describe the way things really are.

Triumph brings with it elation, pleasure and satisfaction. Conversely, defeat brings with it hurt, emotional pain, and anguish.

Given all this, wouldn’t it be great to be in a position where you are always a winner, no matter what? Wouldn’t you be interested in being guaranteed a victory that can never be taken away from you?    

If so, then you need to read on because all this is possible for you if you simply do one thing, a task found in today’s two scripture verses from John, Chapter 3:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  John 3:17-18

Note here that there are only two options mentioned here for any one person:

You are either saved or condemned. Of in other words, you are either win and are victorious or you lose and are condemned.

How do you know where you stand?

Back to the scripture passage for the answer.

As we saw in what is arguably the most well know scripture verse in the entire Bible, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus, so that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). In other words, anyone who believes in Jesus will be victorious, winning the trophy of salvation that only comes through Him. In fact, Jesus goes on to remind us in this Gospel that He is the only One who can bring us to God the Father (John 14:6). Add to this the words from verse 17 and we are told that God sent Jesus with the hope of saving all His people from losing, to rescue them from condemnation through His Son.

Given this, if you want to be a perpetual winner, a recipient of everlasting victory, then believe in Jesus Christ. That’s all it takes.

It’s too easy, right?

And yet so many people in the world today have chosen to be losers, to reject Jesus Christ as Savior and find themselves eternally condemned because they refuse to believe “in the name of God’s one and only Son”. Through their stubborn reluctance to admit their sinful, fallen state and realize a need for a salvation that neither they nor anyone else can provide, they choose the agony of defeat and the assured promise of eternal damnation and destruction, no matter what they might achieve during the worldly life they now have.

It really is a sad state of affairs for this latter group who often times rely on their own wisdom, understanding, and ideologies to their utter demise, a sad state that Jesus summed up later in His ministry when He said:

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:36

So given the scriptural truths found in today’s devotion, the question remains:

Where do you stand?

Are you in a place of defeat, a place of condemnation because you have snubbed Jesus and declined the invitation to believe in Him and make Him your personal Savior?

Or do you stand with me today as a person who is victorious through Christ, a person who is an eternal winner with a hope that no one can take away?

If you stand condemned right now, know you can change all that in this very moment and my prayer for you is that you will, joining myself and the rest of those saved by God out of love through Jesus, before it’s too late.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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