Title: The victor's life
Contents
*** The victor's life / 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
** Introductory words
1 Corinthians 15:57-58, “57 Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always diligent in the work of the Lord, for knowing that it is not in vain in you.”
Sing the gospel song together, 'We will rejoice and sing the song of victory'
Like this praise, are you sure you are the victor? ‘Victory!’ is a saying that gets better the more you hear it, and no matter how much you hear it, you never get tired of it. In the short text of this hour, the words of encouragement and exhortation are recorded along with the declaration of victory. The entire 15 chapters, including the main text, are called the ‘Resurrection Chapter’. The content testifies in detail to the resurrection of the Christian, along with the argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in conclusion, in the text, Christians are encouraged to live as victors because the resurrection has already been confirmed.
Today we Christians are clear winners. It is not a worldly victory with a momentary thrill. Our victory is eternal, and it is a complete victory that will be thrilled for eternity. This victory does not come from our strength and ability. It is a victory “given by God through Jesus Christ.” Although we have not yet achieved complete victory, we Christians live boldly with the assurance that the Lord will bring it to that day. Even if you are a loser today, you are moving forward with the hope of tomorrow's victory. Those who are convinced of this victory must have a victorious life.
1. What is our victory?
Let's look at verses 51-53 at the beginning of the text. (Hyundai English Bible) “But now I am going to tell you a mysterious and surprising secret. We will not all die, we will get a new body. It will happen in the blink of an eye when the last trumpet is sounded. All Christians who died when the trumpet sounded in heaven will be raised to life with new bodies that will never die in an instant. And those of us who are still alive will have a new body in an instant. The reason is that the mortal earthly body we now have must be transformed into a heavenly body that will not perish but live forever.” Let's look at another place. Romans 8:1,2. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
A few hours before Pastor Moody passed away, he witnessed the glory waiting for him in the kingdom of God in a vision. After waking up from the hospital bed, the pastor said to the people around him.
“The world is receding and the heavens are opening before me. If this is death, then death is indeed a beautiful thing. There are no steep valleys. God is calling me I must go now.”
His son, who stood by the bed, wept,
“No, Father, no. He is dreaming.”
"no. I am not dreaming I have already entered the sky gate. The children of faith there are looking at me.”
And after a while he left his last words.
“Today is my victory day. Today is the day I wear the crown of victory. It is truly an honor.”
The moment the Christian body meets death is not a moment of fear, but a moment of victory and glory. This glorious victory is guaranteed to us. Are you sure you believe this? It's reliable enough. Believe it or not. Because Jesus Christ, who has already overcome the world, is the guarantee. Our Lord declares to us in John 16:33: “I am giving this name to you, that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have conquered the world.”
2. What should a victor's life be like?
Let's read verse 58 again. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always devoted to the work of the Lord. for you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be “steadfast, immovable, always diligent in the work of the Lord.”
In a match, it is harder for the person ahead than the person following. Even if it's a guaranteed victory, it's not easy to keep it. Especially when it comes to spiritual warfare, it is even more challenging. Our enemies, Satan and demons, are constantly challenging themselves with great power. That is why 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober. wake up Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
The victor's life must first be solid.
This means that the faith in the Resurrection is firmly united so that it is not easily broken down. To become firm in our faith is to hold fast to the promises of God given to us through the gospel. It says in Hebrews 3:14. “If we hold fast what is certain from the beginning to the end, we will become partakers of Christ,” he said, and in 6:19, “we have this hope, like an anchor for the soul, strong and steadfast, entering into the veil.” I did. It is Jesus Christ that we hold on to when we begin to believe, and Jesus Christ is the key to enter the kingdom of God in the last days.
In Luke 7:11-16, there is a miracle of raising the widow's son from the city of Nain. Jesus and his disciples went into a town called Nain. At the entrance of the village we met a funeral procession coming out of the village. It was a funeral procession for the only son of a widow in Nain. Jesus made the funeral procession stop. He raised the widow's only son, who would soon be buried, and returned it to his mother. Because this funeral procession met the Lord who is life, the young man who died was able to live. Not only this, but the 38-year-old sick person, the demon-possessed person, the mute, the blind, the blood-leamed person, and the leper. Everyone was able to be healed because they met Jesus. Today we too have received life because we met Jesus. In order to keep this life to the end, we must hold on to Jesus firmly.
Next, it should not be shaken.
To not be shaken is to run continuously with the goal of Jesus Christ. Think of it when you first rode a bicycle. When riding a bike for the first time, I stop to avoid falling, and fall over countless times while using the dragon. But in order not to fall, you have to keep pedaling hard. Move forward so you don't fall. The people of our God must also keep moving forward with Jesus Christ as the goal. If you stop wandering around the world, caught up in pleasures, bad habits, and wealth and glory, you will eventually fall. When the things of the world come into the saints, two hearts arise. God's thoughts and the world's thoughts. The things of the world encourage laziness in the work of God. That's why James 1:6-8 says, "Doubt without faith is double-minded, and you can't get anything from God." And in verse 4, it says, “To want to be friends with the world is to be enemies with God.” In addition, Matthew 6:24 says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” If you turn to the world, your peace of mind breaks down and you surrender to the world.
Let's not wander into the world. Let's not doubt God's power and run with bold faith. If you stop or turn around, you will fall.
Finally, we must always be diligent in the work of the Lord.
In John 6:28,29, the crowd asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works of God?” Then Jesus said, “It is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.” In other words, it is God's work to believe and follow Jesus. These words also teach us to obey and follow the Lord's commands in the place of life that God has given us.
What all three parts have in common is Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus, running for the goal of Jesus, and the path of discipleship following Jesus this is the way of life for the victor to follow. Now, we will go out for evangelism. Evangelism is to preach the ‘way of the victor’, and it requires conviction as a victor. That way is also Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells you with your confident eyes and confident tone of voice that will subdue people. Let us remember that what the Holy Spirit testifies is not the church life or the religious life, but only Jesus Christ. The path we are taking now is the path where the crown that the Lord will give us has been prepared. I pray that we can boldly move forward to the place of life that is given to us and achieve the victor's life who receives the crown of life and the crown of victory at the end of this road.
Gospel Song, 'Until the Lord Comes Again'