Victory in Jesus
Once we find our identity and purpose in Jesus, we can find the victory. We can trudge through all the work to reach that dream God placed on our heart with glee. We can look back and see how everything lines up for the purpose of this moment. We can see how our story will resonate with others and have no fears of sharing it. Aim to tell your story to that one person who needs to hear it and others will understand, as well. That is why I created An Abundant Life, so you can see how I enjoy a full life and find victory.
None of this is possible for me by my will and strength. If it were, I would have figured out life well before meeting Jesus at 33. The great part of it happening at that time and the way it did, I can show those around me how it works versus the world with my own floundering, and even rebellious, search for the answer and peace I needed.
Let me start with the verses to help explain how we get an abundant life with God and victory in Jesus.
1 John 5:1-5 NLT
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
These verses start with one that tells us what a true follower of God is. They believe Jesus is the Christ and all that God said about Him through the Word, the Bible, is true. They know what love is because they learn to love Him and see how He loves all His children. Likewise, they show love to one another no matter how different they may be per the world.
God is the one who chooses who will be in the family. We don’t. A church that shuns people who differ from them is not showing God’s love and understanding. Church is not about ourselves and what we like. It is about God and what He wants us to be like. It is a place to learn how to be His child through knowing His love.
Now the Children of God won’t always be perfect, but those that truly love God will apologize and make right a misunderstanding. Of course, it takes both parties to discuss it and correct it. If one wants to remain upset and unforgiving, that person has stepped out of God’s commandments. Even if we may falter as we learn, the true believer of Christ will show love by keeping God’s commandments.
When we break these commandments, it hurts everyone around us and shows nothing about God’s love. When we can’t love God and His children as commanded, it sends ripples of corruption into our family, our friendships, and even into the society around us. It allows anger, hate, deception, and self-righteousness to rule instead. Community breaks down because everyone wants to do things their way and do what their self interest wants. It’s why our culture has broken down with the ‘me first’ and ‘it’s my life so I can do what I want’ philosophies. Doing what makes you happy if it is outside of God’s commandments isn’t a good thing either. I can tell you that if you are in stride with God, you will find more than happiness. You can have a joy the world can’t break.
How does a believer keep the commandments and find it not that burdensome? They have the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to us before He was crucified. He knew He had to die and rise to heaven, but His love could not leave us alone in the world without a helper. He told His disciples to wait for it and those that waited received it on Pentecost and could share the Good News, which attracted 3000 new believers that day. There is this unfathomable peace we can have following the commandments with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This may sound confusing or like a bunch of smoke and mirrors to anyone without the Holy Spirit. That is why the true test is seeing God’s love and the love His children have for each other. By seeing vastly different people working well together in a church it makes people curious. Race, financial level, and standing in society have nothing to do with it. I can definitely say this about the church I belong to. The only thing that matters is learning how to walk with Jesus.
If we know Christ, we have gained an overcoming spirit that can allow us to rise above addictions, bad attitudes, misconceptions, lies and anything else that can knock us down. We have the ability to learn and grow into who God meant us to be because we know He loves us. Once we learn this, there is no going back to the worldly way of things. There is no peace there for us and we realize any happiness we had proved circumstantial.
God has chosen His family before He even created the Earth and the universe He housed it in. We didn’t have a say in any part of our birth. But He still gave us a free will. We were given the ability to meet Him and learn how to love Him back. He wants us to come to Him no matter how much of a mess we are from trying life our way. Deep down, you will know if you are missing something important because there is a hole inside that only Jesus can fit into. He’ll come in only when you let Him, but He will make sure you know He is knocking. That’s how it was for me.
This weekend marks my 22nd anniversary of walking with Jesus or I could say it is my 22nd birthday as a born again believer. Life has not been the same since I accepted Jesus and have allowed the Holy Spirit to be the guide and helper in my life. Some days I wish I had answered His knocking at the door sooner, but if I had, my testimony would not be the one I was meant to share in this season.