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“His Power will be seen in even greater ways through me as a victor because of my identity rather than me demanding victory because The Bible says I will receive it.”
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis
Page 44.
“Jesus loves me - this I know - ‘cause The Bible tells me so.” For many generations of little Sunday School attendees, this simple lyric has been a staple of belief. Problem I have with this verse is that it takes a lot more than just The Bible “saying so” to prove to me that Jesus loves me. I need to see His love in action. Want to know something really amazing - I HAVE! What about you?
Are you relying simply on what The Bible says as proof that you are a victor? If you are, I’ll be willing to bet that you are looking for the promised victory The Bible says we, as victors, will have in our lives. Entire Christian segments have their basis on certain verses from The Bible that really do promise victory for following God. Problem is that victory in this world is not guaranteed for any follower of Jesus. How can I say that? Just look at the man we follow.
Jesus has got to be the single human who followed God in as perfect as a way as humanly possible. You and I will never be able to match His ability to seek, see, and respond to The Father. Can we agree on that fact?
With that in mind, Jesus didn’t receive any of the promised victories The Bible offers up for those following God until he was arrested, falsely accused, sentenced to death, brutally tortured, executed in a horrific way, abandoned by His friends and buried alone in a cave. Not a very victorious life for the one we follow is it?
Focusing on this world, particularly this life, as proof that we are victors is a strategy filled with victim thinking possibilities. Just think of the opportunities Jesus had to allow victim thinking to creep in. Any of the horrific circumstances described above in Jesus’ life is worldly proof enough that Jesus wasn’t a victor. That’s the problem with living a life based on certain Bible verses taken out of context and used as proof that I am what Jesus died to make me in the first place. Those Bible verses will fail me from time to time because of my misinterpretation and misapplication of them.
The power of God was seen in far greater ways by Jesus looking like a victim rather than a victor. Jesus’ personal victory wasn’t meant for this world - it is being experienced forever at the right hand of The Father. Same goes for you and for me. God’s power will be seen through us in our victories as well as in our defeats. Spending a lifetime seeking victory as proof we are who God says we are is a waste of time. The proof is in what Jesus did, not in what we might do in this life.
Of course you will have victory at times in this life. There is nothing wrong with doing all we can to get the best out of this life. But, when victory doesn’t come remember you are a victor just like Jesus. Hang on to that thought as you go through your day today. You are a victor, not because The Bible says so. You are a victor because God gave a big part of Himself as payment to purchase that title for you. Let this reality be the protection from allowing victim thinking to creep into your lives today.
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