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028 - Victory is Found in Believing God's Promises
Manage episode 298889464 series 2908868
เนื้อหาจัดทำโดย Steve McCranie เนื้อหาพอดแคสต์ทั้งหมด รวมถึงตอน กราฟิก และคำอธิบายพอดแคสต์ได้รับการอัปโหลดและจัดหาให้โดยตรงจาก Steve McCranie หรือพันธมิตรแพลตฟอร์มพอดแคสต์ของพวกเขา หากคุณเชื่อว่ามีบุคคลอื่นใช้งานที่มีลิขสิทธิ์ของคุณโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต คุณสามารถปฏิบัติตามขั้นตอนที่แสดงไว้ที่นี่ https://th.player.fm/legal
Victory is Found in Believing God’s Promises
In our last podcast, we shared the hope of true victory over our continued failure against sin and introduced three truths we must believe to enter into the joy of the Higher Christian Life. Over the next few days, we will dig deep into each of these truths to understand the importance of our unwavering faith in God’s promises. For without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). But we know that, don’t we? Yet we fail in our faith, nonetheless.
Think about your spiritual life. Like most believers, you probably experienced an exuberant infusion of love, joy, and peace when you first came to Christ, and He became real to you. After all, this is exactly what He said He would do. Suddenly, your prayers got answered. Surprisingly, God’s Word became alive to you. And unexpectedly, you found yourself excitedly talking with others about the joy of your newfound faith. Everything was roses— at least for a season.
Then something happened. Something changed.
You probably can’t put your finger on the exact moment or the exact event, but what seemed so alive in you began to fade. Gradually, over time, the joy of your Christian life subsided, and the old temptations came roaring back. And instead of “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), or girding yourself with the “whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13), your mind began to linger lustfully on those things you had once forsaken, and you found yourself drawn back into the old life, the dark side of who you once were, the “old man” as Paul would say (Rom. 6:6). The rest plays out like a B-rated horror flick. Before you knew it, you found yourself once again doing what you had already repented of and promised God you would never do again. Then came the conviction, followed by the inevitable downpour of guilt that quickly turned into shame. And like Adam, you tried to hide from God’s presence by refusing to seek Him in prayer or Bible study or fellowship or worship in church. Questions and accusations followed.
“How can I claim to be a Christian and go back and do what I said I would never do again?”
“What must God think of me now?”
“Why wasn’t my faith stronger? Am I really that weak? There must be something wrong with me.”
“Is this what I can expect as a Christian— victory, and defeat, followed by even more defeat?”
“Jesus said He came to give me an abundant life (John 10:10). But this sure doesn’t seem like an abundance of anything other than failure and shame.”
“I’m so sorry, Lord. Please forgive me for being such a hypocrite. I’ll never tell anyone about You again until I get victory in my life over sin.” Which sadly, for many, often never happens.
Sound familiar? It should. This is the outline of the spiritual odyssey of most believers today. But the difference between victory and defeat, success or failure, is the ability and desire to rise from our shame and regret, remembering Whose we are and Who lives in us, and somehow find the strength to pick ourselves up and return to the race (Heb. 12:1). Only this time, we wisely refuse to run the race alone.
It is Only By Believing God’s Promises that Victory is Secured
God gives us so many promises in His Word. But for those promises to become real to us, we have to believe them and then live as if we really had the faith to believe them. This is not sterile, dead, academic, lip-service-only faith. It is vibrant faith that shows itself boldly in action. Nothing else will do.
Remember, God is sovereign, and nothing is too great for Him. He can do whatever He chooses (Ps. 115:3), which may actually be “exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think, according to the power (Holy Spirit) that works in us” (Eph. 3:20). So rest assured, God has a plan for your deliverance from the Christian life you are now experiencing to the Higher Christian Life He promised. And His deliverance is found by firmly grasping with two hands and acting upon His great promises which are given to you. Not given to someone else you deem more worthy, but given to you.
So before we dive into the three truths that will help you experience the Higher Christian Life by living as an “overcomer” regarding sin, there is just one more thing you need to settle firmly in your mind. God is not only able to do whatever He has promised, but He is also willing. And He is willing to not only reveal Himself to you, but to keep all of His promises. Every one of them. No matter what.
Do you believe this statement about God to be true? Good. Then let’s begin our Higher Christian Life journey together, shall we?
Until He Comes,
Steve
For more on the Higher Christian Life, visit www.higherchristianlife.com or www.leavinglaodicea.com.
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