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"Chasing victorious living isn’t what a relationship with God is all about. Until we get that kind of thinking out of our worship times with God we are doomed to see victimization rule in our congregations."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 161.
I have found some worship services can look more like motivational seminars than the holy time of entering into the throne-room of God our gatherings are suppose to be. This isn't a knock on any particular brand of Christian religion, nor is it an accommodation for any other organized group of Bible believing followers of Christ.
I believe that we spend way too much time trying to make our walk hear on earth with God all about victorious living. I simply don't believe this is the means by which we can live fully in our status as a victor on this side of heaven.
This world isn't our home. God, in His infinite wisdom, has loaned this place to the forces of darkness. Looking to anything from this world as proof of who we are or who this God is in our lives is a recipe for disaster when it comes to victim thinking. The good that can come from this world is nothing compared to the good God promises in Heaven. The bad that comes from this world is nothing more than the last gasps of an enemy trying to get us all distracted enough to believe this God isn't worthy to be called good.
Good or bad, this world, and the things we look to in this world as proof that we are walking with God, is not something we can trust. Yes, we can catch glimpses of God in the way things work in this world but relying on our ability to use worldly measures of a Heavenly God isn't a strategy that has worked well for anyone in history.
So much of the energy in Christian churches is spent trying to find the golden ticket to a good life. We spend so many of our services preaching on how to do this or how to do that in a way that guarantees maximum return for those of us who follow God.
We teach things like... If we tithe our finances will be blessed. If we listen to God he will be the enemy to our enemies. If we keep His commands all will go will with us and our offspring. If we fear the Lord we will have success.
It isn't that pastors are making this stuff up. All of the statements made above are found in the Bible. It is easy to make it sound like that if we are good at doing what God says we are to do all will go well with us. I have one word that contradicts that statement - Jesus.
Has anyone in the history of mankind listened more or obeyed better or feared God more completely than Jesus? I sure hope you don't think so. If you do you have bigger problems than the possibility of victim thinking entering your life.
Jesus was and is the most perfect human ever to walk the face of the earth. By that I mean, the things God requires of humans was done in a manner that God could find no fault with when it came to Jesus. That's what made Jesus such a perfect sacrifice for you and for me. His perfection is what it took to pay the price for our imperfection in listening to, obeying and fearing this God that made us all.
Yet the temptation is so real for us to take what the Bible is saying and demand that it be 100% true for us on this side of heaven. That's what I mean by the statement that churches spend too much time trying to make victorious living happen on this side of heaven. Using the absolutely true principals surrounding listening to, obeying and fearing this God that loves us with the wrong perspective is what makes the Bible sound like it is filled with contradictions.
The results of listening to, obeying and fearing God are absolutely true when viewed from heaven looking down. Even though Jesus died way before His time in a manner that no one could ever mistake for something as victorious, from God's perspective He was completely victorious.
That's how we have to view the promises of the Bible. We have to view them from God's eyes, not ours. Viewing God's promises from our perspective will leave us questioning the trustworthiness of this God due to the fact that this world will not always act the way God does. Why is it that way? Because this world is controlled by evil forces trying to get us to turn out backs on this God like they have.
Check out today's Bible reading for the answer to all this.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. Psalm 37:39 (NIV)
Money, success, power, position, not even victorious living however you describe it will ever be something we can trust on this side of Heaven. All we can trust is what God says about us. We are His Children and that makes us victors even when victorious living seems so far from our ability to make part of our lives.
I'm hoping that today's talk does more than just bum you out. I'm hoping that you will give up on chasing victory as proof that you are a victor. Victory is God's. Go after as much victory as you can in your life today but don't let the results be what makes you believe what God says about you.
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