27-Jan-15

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. I Corinthians 15:57-58Every one loves winning!  God gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ.  Wait a minute — you mean I have to believe in Jesus?  What does He have to do with this victory? Everything!!!Yes!  This is called faith.  It IS important what we believe — and who we believe and we believe in Jesus.  Victory in Jesus, isn’t just a song, it is a life of winning in Jesus.  When we think of a winner in our world and the behaviors of a winner, we see pride in self or our team.  We see an over-riding thinking ‘we-are-better-than-you’ thinking and behavior.  ‘Look at us, we are Number One!’In Jesus we supplant a victory chant in a parade with faith, virtue with knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection into love!  Wait.  Love gives a picture of victory – over self’s desire to fame and fortune in the world.I Peter 1:5-7 gives the stepping stones to an eternal victory that never fades.  This victory is not a lonely place, but filled with our brothers and sisters who know the love of Jesus, too.  This place can begin the moment we know Jesus on this earth. The anticipation of life with Jesus fills us with joy and peace.  There is no other way to live where Hallelujah sounds from every heart.  I picture life as crossing a body of water by stepping on rocks on the way.  The rocks are called faithful virtue, virtuous knowledge, understanding with self-control, constantly exercising self-control, godly steadfastness and brotherly affection that grows into love.  Loving others like Jesus loves is the utmost peak of all the rocks that we cross.  Glory, Glory, Hallelujah.  Loving Jesus with all my might spills over into loving others with all His might.For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter:1:5-7