Victory!

In 1 Corinthians 15:57 the Apostle Paul said, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So many of us are longing for victory in our lives. We need financial victory, victory in our marriages and families, and victory over sin. Here is a radical statement but it is true. The Biblical concept of victory is, in all areas of our lives to live God’s will God’s way. It is to find the love, joy, and peace, meaning, and identity in and through a holy relationship with the holy God. We find true victory by applying Biblical principles to our everyday lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
A major road block preventing us from experiencing victory in our lives is the fact that we are still trying to win victory our own way and in our own power. We are also searching for love, joy, and peace, meaning, and significance in empty things. The Lord God spoke to His people through the profit Jeremiah saying, “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water,” (Jeremiah 2:13 ESV).
Ancient Greek society was once built on the city state, otherwise known as, “Polis.” Each polis had its own political, judicial, legal, religious and social institutions and practices. It was essentially its own state. Each polis had its own unique identity. Some celebrated certain religious holy days, others participated in festivals. The social system, military, and political systems were all run by the wealthy, aristocrats, and land owners. During this time your identity and significance was derived from your polis. Sadly, true love, joy, peace, meaning and significance can’t be found in a place. The Biblical concept of victory is, in all areas of our lives to live God’s will God’s way. It is to find the love, joy, and peace, meaning, and identity in and through a holy relationship with the holy God.
Both ancient Greece and Rome attempted to find meaning and identity in their gods. However the gods of the ancients were nothing more than an exaggeration of mankind. The Greek and Roman God’s had human characteristics such as infidelity, angry rage, incest, and jealousy. The culture of these societies mirrored that of the gods they served. When ultimately the societies fell, so fell the gods.
Today some find meaning and identity in where they live. Others still find it in the false gods they serve; the gods of self, sex, pride, and power to name a few. These gods, like those of the Greeks and later the Romans are flawed in that they promise true love, joy, and peace meaning and a sense of identity but simply do not deliver. The Biblical concept of victory is, in all areas of our lives to live God’s will God’s way. It is to find the love, joy, and peace, meaning, and identity in and through a holy relationship with the holy God.
Father in Heaven, forgive us I pray for trying to find love, joy, and peace outside of You. Help us today as we seek victory through holiness in a holy relationship with You. In Jesus wonderful Name we pray, AMEN!

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