THE WAY TO VICTORY

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In Christ, Mark

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

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children too. We know we love God's children if we love God and obey His commandments. Loving God means keeping His commandments and really that is not difficult. For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:1-5

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

As we have journeyed through John's first letter, we have seen multiple places where he has written about the contrast between the world and the Lord. He has said more than one time that the world is an evil place and actually under the control of the evil one, Satan. He has also emphasized that we cannot be in a relationship with the world and God at the same time.

In other words, the world is the domain of sinfulness and all temptations that would pull God's children away from the Father's will for them. God cannot abide where there is sin so allowing oneself to enter into fellowship with the world and its ways is akin to severing their ties to God. Remember, you can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and have it both ways. It's either the world or the Lord in your life. No middle ground.

With this, we need to see that there is a constant battle for our very hearts and souls. On one side, Satan would want us to marry ourselves to the world and his ways, possessing us by appealing to and providing enticements to satisfy our flesh-driven passions and desires.

On the other side, and in direct conflict with the enemy, is God, the very God who created the world in complete perfection until Adam and Eve committed the first sin, disobeying God and ushering evil into the world forever. Now, this evil world and its prince, Satan, wants nothing more than to gain victory by leading every single person away from the Lord and sadly, these victories are being won every day. For as people willingly choose to pursue and partner with sinfulness instead of the righteousness and holiness God intends for them to live by, they are turning their backs on the only One who can author their salvation and deliver them from the sure eternal torment and damnation of Hell, the only One who can lead them to victory through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Friends, our scripture today affirms that the way to genuine victory and a guaranteed eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven is through Jesus. John proclaims the truth that "every child of God” will defeat “this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory." In the words of Jesus Himself, there is only one way to God the Father and it’s through His Son, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

You see, when Jesus died on the cross, Satan thought he had won because the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29), the long prophesied Messiah was dead. The enemy had to be doing a happy dance at the time thinking that this Jesus wouldn’t be able to save anyone if He was dead.

But then something miraculous happened three days later after Jesus had been taken from the cross at Calvary and buried in the tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea.

He, Jesus, was resurrected from the dead and has been alive ever since. The crucifixion had to happen to serve as a final atoning sin sacrifice for all mankind but it was the lead in to the blessed resurrection, the moment Jesus gained the ultimate victory, victory over Satan and death.

Ever since then, Jesus has paved the way for others to gain the same victory He established. All they need to do is to believe in Him to be saved (John 3:16). Indeed, Christ is the way to victory for all Christians, the only One who can bring the certainty of Heaven. He has been, is now, and will always be the way to victory.

As you read this today, if you are a Christian, I pray you are rejoicing in the truth that Heaven is sealed as your eternal home. If you are reading this and have rejected Jesus to this point, I urge you to make today the day of your salvation. Place your belief in Jesus and receive the victory over Hell that only He can bring.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.