from where does the 'victorious christian life' phrase come from? to follow christ and living this "victorious christian life" is, in my opinion, a contradiction in words.
did Jesus not said that "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)? How would a life filled with constant struggle against the nature of oneself be 'victorious'? consider Jesus' walk to Golgotha, carrying the burden of the cross to be crucified: is it not filled with pain, humiliation, and eventually culminated in something that comes close to despair: eli eli lama sabachthani? would u apply the adjective 'victorious' to this final torturous walk of Jesus earthly ministry?
to me, becoming a christian isn't about boasting about how i am saved and how the devil has no power over me. in fact, it is the 1st step into a life full of struggle, as i have now decided to take up the burden of the cross and deny my carnal nature which is corrupted by Sin, as with the rest of mankind. everyday is a test, and while there are times where i do the right thing, i believe that i fail miserably most of the time. so ya, my Christian life, and being victorious, are mutually exclusive of one another. for the more i try to be perfect, the more i realize that i will never be perfect, which is why God's grace is so precious to humanity: God's willingness to love the unlovable, is the basis of my carrying of the cross for him, and not the desire to be justified before God.
i believe that whether i am victorious in this struggle is not of primary importance: the fact that i decided to take up the cross and deny myself, that is the Decision, and the fact that i will stick to the struggle and carry on the burden without giving up and denouncing God's ownership of my whole being, that is the life that I believe God wants out of me.
a Christian life cannot be victorious or glorious in any sense. one juz have to look at Christ: he was never a 'celebrity' of sorts during his earthly ministry, and he always avoid situations which will glorify his status. so neither should we.
being victorious is something that should be reserved till we enter the kingdom of heaven. for now, we are to struggle against the 'prince of this world', and more importantly, against our very own sinful nature.
2 comments:
I would suggest the opposite of what you have shared. It is not the struggle to live the Christian life while on earth--this is painful and hard.. Rather, it is the letting go of the human life and the taking in of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is no longer I who live but Christ that lives in me. Galatians 2:21. It is Romans 7. To strive is to live a life of Law. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. 1Corinthians 15:57. The victorious life is the one that overcomes, living joyously despite the pain, suffering, and difficulties. To let go of one's life is a loss of human power while at the same time gaining the power that it took to raise Jesus from the dead. Ephesians 2. When this is done, each person's uniqueness shines through.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us Him who loved us.
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