Integrity- People of God

Because of Christ We Are More Than Conquerors

A conqueror is one who defeats and captures his foe but we are more than conquerors because we were not even in the fight. Jesus fought for us and gave us the victory so we are more than a conqueror because we have all the benefits without having to go through the battle.  We must learn to be thankful in every situation. We can when we realize the love God has for us. His love goes farther and deeper than anything we can experience on our own.

Romans 8:37-39  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

Some people think they are not overcomers because they did not receive what they were believing God for at that moment. We must learn to live beyond what is seen at the moment and to not dwell on the past, the thing that seemingly defeated us at that point in time. These are only preparations for our victory so that we may know that we are more than overcomers because of Christ. We are overcomers not just when we receive answers to prayer but when we keep our hearts in tune to the purpose that we were born and by keeping our eyes on God‘s kingdom perspective, which is our call to love others. We are more than conquerors when we are persuaded, convinced and certain of God’s love for us. Then we can press through no matter how bad the appearance of loss, defeats, emotional or spiritual attacks may be. We persevere so that God’s love will be displayed in us and through us to those who live in darkness that they may see His Marvelous Light. 

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We are told to not return evil when evil is given to us but to follow, chase after and practice what is good for both ourselves and others. We can choose to not fall into despair in hard situations and  circumstances but rather wait on the deliverance of God, because we understand this is the permissive will of God for us at this time. It may be an attack from the enemy brought on by a fallen world system but we can walk like Christ and in His love in the midst of adversity and calamity. We can give thanks by faith knowing God will work all of these challenges for our good and His glory. We must rejoice in faith and pray without ceasing so we can give thanks to God for Jesus who has given us victory and shown us His way. 

Our lives are not our own. The life we now live is for a purpose, to leave a legacy for God’s name and to let our hearts respond like His heart would respond in these situations.  Our purpose is not just to be blessed by God but to be transformed by Him into the likeness of Jesus. If our purpose and desire is to have a good life without problems or struggles, when hard times come we will blame God and be despaired in life.  But if we know God is working a work in our lives, that is to transform us from the fallen mindset to a renewed mind in Christ, we can wait and see how God will orchestrate the situation. God’s original intention was that we would have fellowship with Him as our Father and bear His likeness. We should give thanks to God, no matter what state we are inbecause we are in faith. We must understand, if it was allow by God , He will use it for His purpose and it will be turned into something that will be a blessing to us and other and will bring glory to His Name. 

2 Corinthians 4:15, 17  For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory

We must choose to believe that God who raised Jesus up from the dead will also raise us from our afflictions. We must choose not to lose heart because we know these things are working for God’s glory and our good. We must choose to have a thankful heart because it brings glory to God when others see our faith. Our afflictions though they seem grievous at the moment God calls them light in comparison with eternity and exceeding weight of His glory. By faith we must wait to see how the Lord will settle the matter.  

A Thankful Heart – Is A Choice

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Our gladness and joyful songs are acts of worship to the Lord. We should come before Him with joyful singing, gladness and a thankful heart. To be thankful is an expression of gratitude or relief; to be glad that something has happened or not happened; glad that something or someone exists. Regardless of where life takes us or what chaos may arise we always have a choice to focus on God and His goodness or thecurrent circumstances.

We are the keepers and stewards of our own hearts. We determine the motive behind our heart and what we choose to believe is the reason or the why of our lives. We each are the guardians of our own heart. We are responsible for our own life choices and the condition of our hearts as an act of our will or as the result of our decisions. This world system will try to influence our lives and try to impact the condition of heart but the choice is ours to make. We can choose to have a thankful heart or we can choose to allow our life experiences to shape our lives and our state of mind. We must take a hard look at the heart that we are bringing before God. 

When we choose to be fearful we are choosing to focus on our lack. This is like us discounting all of who God is and all He has ever done and saying we do not believe He is able to keep us during these difficult times. The things we fear become greater in our eyes than God.  Fear is a natural human response to chaos but God has called believers to a supernatural response of faith in Him.  Believers are to have faith in God and that He is able and willing to keep us in every situation because He loves us. This is a display of faith and is a testimony to the world of who God is. 

It is when we rehearse the goodness and blessing of God in our hearts and minds that we can run toward our challenges, as David ran towardthe giant. Ingratitude forgets God’s goodness and focuses on the problems but thankfulness focuses on the Sovereignty of God.

A  Psalm for giving grateful praise.

Psalm 100  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.   Worship the Lordwith gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lordis God. It is he who made us, and we are his  we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations   NIV

We must understand that we were not created for ourselves or for our own selfish concerns but this life is a gift from God created for His purpose. We are to be thankful no matter the situation we find ourselvesbecause we know God is sovereign. Our created purpose is to show God’s love while we are living even in the mist of chaos and pain. We are called be the love of God in Christ. We should not let life experiences shape us into a spirit of thanklessness, ingratitude and ungratefulness. It is when we live our lives focused on God and His goodness that the ingratitude we experience will dissipate.  Our view of God will affect how view our lives, our joy and our ability to be thankful during life challenges.  

We can choose to be thankful when we have an understanding of ourpurpose and knowing that it was God’s love for us that sent Jesus to bring us back into His family. It was the love of God that would not leave us condemned. It was God’s love that redeemed us back to our original purpose of being the love of God in the earth. We can shout with joy when we understand we too are God’s sons being used to bring others into His Kingdom.    

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations   NIV

The Fellowship of Christ – The Fellowship of His Suffering

Many times Christians will go through hardships, persecutions and problems and they think something must be wrong, either with them or that may be God has forgotten to be gracious to them. Many people will collapse and fall into despair at the first sign of pain and heartbreak.  Many will give up at the doorway, at the threshold of the beginning of God’s purpose of transformation in their lives. They will want to lie down and die of self-pity asking, why did God let this happen?  Many in the Christian community will aid them with their pity while validating their dismay of God. Some will help usher them to their bed of sorrow,as they give up on life and God. This however, is not God’s way or how He has told us to meet the difficult challenges of life.

Jesus comes with pierced hands and feet and calls us to enter into the fellowship of His suffering so that others may live. Jesus who knew no sin became sin that we may become righteous. We are told to consider Jesus who endured the contradiction, conflict, denial and disagreement of sinners against Himself. We should consider His life so that we do not become fearful, weary and faint in our own minds. 

Jesus despised the shame and the death of the cross but He endured it. He went through it all because He knew His suffering would set mankind free from sin and that was the joy that motivated Him. The joy before Him was that He would be bringing us into the family of God and when He was finished He would be seated at the right hand of God. 

Hebrews 12:1b-3  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. NIV

True believers in Christ will suffer persecution and disdain of this world. However, most will not suffer or battle to the point of death as they strive against the wrongs and injustices of others. We are told to persevere, to persist and to continue in this race, this conflict or battle of life that has been marked out and reserved for us.  We are told not to think it is a strange thing when our faith is being tested through trials and troubles but consider and think on Jesus. Jesus despised the shame of the cross but He rejoiced over the outcome and the end results. 

We too are told to rejoice when we go through challenges and trials because we are partakers of Christ’s suffering and the end is our testimony of God’s goodness.   God will use the pain of our rejection and betrayal for His purpose, to draw those who are lost to Himself, that they too may receive eternal life.  For this we give thanks that God counted us worthy to suffer in the fellowship of Christ, so others my come to know Him. 

1 Peter 1:6-7   In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. NIV

Far too many Christians refuse to die to self, self-pity, self-centeredness and it is their pride that sits on the throne of their hearts and not Christ. Baptism is a symbolic act of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour we are dying to our own self- interest. As true believers are called to be crucified with Christ, to die to self and our lives are no longer our own but we are to offer our lives as a living offering and sacrifice to God. Entering into the water representsthe watery grave that receives the old man and the old way of living and the coming up from that watery grave represents our resurrection and a new life in Christ.

Galatians 2:20   I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. NIV

As an act of our will we all must choose how we will live this God given resurrected life. God has given us all dominion over our lives and we determine how we will use the time we have been given. We will make choices as to how we will live out this life by the actions we take. God created us for His glory, purpose and the work of the Gospel which isGod’s redemptive plan to seek and save those who are lost. As most jobs, work can be hard but it is necessary to accomplish its purpose.  Some people would rather skip work or go to sleep on their job but we are call to be part of God’s redemptive plan to seek and to save the lost. 

1 Corinthians 6:20 You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. NIV

We are called, to fellowship in the suffering of Christ. Jesus is our example, the One we are to follow. When He was reviled, hated, despised and insulted He did not retaliate or avenge Himself.  That is how we are to act when people do us wrong we are to submit the situation to God and let Him settle the matter.  No deceit, dishonesty, trickery or fraud was found in Jesus. When He suffered, Jesus did not threaten anyone but trusted God with the situation. Jesus bore our sins that we could become the righteousness of God. Jesus prayed that we be forgiven because we were ignorant and did not know who He was nor what we were doing. 

We too must pray for those who wounds and insults us and we are to intercede to God on their behalf. God is the Master Engineer, He orchestrates situations and circumstances so that we become part of His plan of salvation for those around us. We are to become intercessors praying on the behalf of those who God wants to do a work in their lives. We will bring them before God and the Holy Spirit will lead us into prayer and intercession for them or their needs. We are told not to faint when we go through troubles and trials because they are testing our level of faith. If we get overwhelmed, hurt and become bitter we lose sight of God’s purpose and glory of bringing a soul into the fellowship of Jesus. 

Our suffering provokes us into prayer and intercession to God inviting Him to work in that life. God will use His people to pray and to cry out for those who are lost. Our lives are no longer our own and we no longer have a private life. God has purchased our lives for His purpose and His plan of redemption. Our lives should be open testimonies to the world of who God is on earth.