As we saw in the first part of our study, the people of God are winners! They won through faith, through believing in the Word of the Omnipotent God. We have that same legacy of faith. We win because we believe. We are the children of God by faith. We were called into fellowship with Christ by the Faithful God. We are co-heirs with Christ by faith. We have the Holy Spirit of God living in our hearts by faith. We accomplish great things in the name of Jesus Christ by faith.
Faith is how God’s children live. It’s not just how we’re saved. The Apostle Paul wrote this in Romans – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” The children of God are “the just.” They live “by faith.” That is our lifestyle. It begins with faith: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law…”and ends in faith: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Our faith does not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God! “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) Our faith is something this world does not and cannot understand. It is beyond their comprehension how a group of people can give themselves to an unseen power with complete faith in what God said. They think us unwise and foolish, even a bit strange. However, we know and are fully persuaded that God will do what He said He will do.
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:33-39
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:8-13
The next time you go to church, look around at the people who are there. You will see a group of winners. They may or may not have that appearance on the outside, but inside they are winners. Remember your heritage: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
3) The Victory is Ours!
It belongs to us. Claim it!
God is a victorious God and His people are a victorious people. It is our heritage, our legacy, to be victorious. What does that mean?
- We have victory over death!
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Death scares people … and for good reason! Death is the end of life as most people understand it. However, for Christians death is a doorway to immortality. Death is swallowed up in the victory Jesus won on the Cross and from the grave. We have victory over death because of Christ’s Victory over death. We know our labor on earth is not in vain. Everything we’re doing for God now has great, eternal value. That’s why Paul told the Corinthians to be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
In Christ’s Love and Grace,
Mark McGee
GraceLife Blog 