The Victorious Life

(Rom 7:24 Moffatt NT) Miserable wretch that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
 (Rom 7:25 Moffatt NT) God will! Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord!.....)　

Do you truly desire to be an overcomer ? Are you tired of the kind of Christian life that you live?
Have you come to the end of your rope after failing so miserably in your striving for victory that you cry out,
"Miserable wretch that I am! Who will rescue me . . . ?" (Rom. 7.24) Be assured that your salvation is near at hand!!!
" God will! Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (v.25). For the life that is victorious is not attained, but obtained.
It is not a life changed, but rather a life exchanged. It is not suppression, only expression. It is frankly not in you yourself,
because it is in Christ who lives in you. The life which God gives and you receive at the time you believe in His Son Jesus Christ
is such a life. It is a life that overcomes sin, provides intimate communion with God, and is full of satisfaction and power.
It is already in you, waiting to be explored by you. The secret towards experiencing its power is to let go of yourself and
let Christ live instead of you. This requires a childlike faith. Then shall you more than conquer through Him who loves you.

Three bear witness

"And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."


Jesus did not need to speak to Nicodemus concerning the blood, for being a Pharisee, he understood the need for a blood sacrifice.But he had no knowledge of being born of water, and of the Spirit.To be "born of water" speaks of our being water baptized.To be "born of the Spirit" speaks of our receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.


Peter said:

"…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."Acts 2:38
 　
The blood atonement of Jesus on the cross blots out our sin, as if we had never sinned. But we still have the Adamic nature.In water baptism, as we are totally immersed, our Adamic nature goes down to the grave, and we come up out of the water as being a new creation, with our capacity to function in the spiritual realm restored.


"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."


Our nature has been changed, and the "tap root" of our Adamic nature has been cut.Now we can walk in "newness of life."Under the Law, righteous living was required, but man was incapable of this and utterly failed.In the New Covenant the ability to live a righteous life was given (and cause you to walk in My statutes).


"A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments, and do them."


The Baptism in the Holy Spirit provides this "ability" -that which will "cause," or give us the "power" (Acts 1:8) that will enable us to live above sin.

Thus, the "blood" forgives our sin; the "water" changes our nature; and the "Spirit" gives us the ability (enabling power) to enter into the realms of the spiritual, above all that is earthly.These three together, as "one," provides a full salvation experience that will enable us to enter the Kingdom.

Ezekiel 36:26-27Romans 6:4…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."Acts 2:38 I John 5:8

A Son

Just Content to be a son
With no ambition to succeed
In realms of earth, and have no need
Of popularity's acclaim
Or purchase for myself a name.
In serving Christ; for He must be
The Lord throughout eternity,
To see His face and hear His voice
And do His bidding is my choice.
Just content to be a son
A son of God without a home
To stay or go to wait or roam
Hither and yon without a plan
Led of the Spirit, not of man
I'll have no moment of praise
But I'll have peace in God's own ways.
And though I tread this earthly sod,
I walk with Him, I live in God.
Just content to be a son
Misunderstood and yet I know
The path I take shall overflow
With life abundant and with grace
I only need to run the race.
With patience, waiting, seeing Him
Hearing the still small voice within,
If others want the earth to quake.
I'll hear His voice when I awake.
Just content to be a son,
No words to say, but what He says,
No work to do, but what He does,
No fear or worry, anxious care.
I live with Him, His yoke I share.
No name to make, He writes His own.
Upon the heart's pure glistening stone.
No life to live, I lay it down
I'll share His Cross, and live again.

Waiting

"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is. 40:31 esv).

To wait upon God is entirely within the reach of all, whatever may be the age, condition, or environment. All may not be able to preach, teach, go as missionaries, or enter into public service; but any Christian can wait upon the Lord.

Silence

The Bible tells us much about waiting upon the Lord. The first meaning of the expression is silence. Prayer has been made and now the soul is hushed and, bowing in silence (in faith), it waits before God.

Our souls are too noisy. In prayer life alone we see how it hinders. Our hearts are much distressed and burdened, so we go to prayer and maybe spend much time pouring out our petitions before the throne. And too many times we get up immediately, rush out of His presence and often try to answer the prayer by some efforts of our own. We do the praying but not the waiting. Let us not be afraid to be silent before Him, thinking it is wasted time. He does not want us to be all the time talking–telling Him so many things about which He already knows more than we do. Time is needed today for proper adjustment to Him, our vision properly focused, our hearts hushed, and minds subdued. It is in the silent hour before Him, quietly waiting in His presence, that the miracle is wrought.

Expectation and Hope

The second meaning of the word carries the thought of expectation and hope.

 "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him" (Ps. 62:1, 5 esv).

To wait upon God means to expect from God. It implies dependence.

How necessary today that we wait upon God in the sense of expecting from Him. The natural man is so self-sufficient. He turns here and there and expects help from his natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

Watching

The third meaning of wait is to watch, observe, take notice. This means that all our spiritual senses must be alive, alert, and expectant. To wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part. Our hearts are to be sensitive enough to catch the faintest reflection and be able to discern quickly His voice. The meaning is clearly shown in;

Prov. 8:34: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching

daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors."

 Here we have a man, maybe a servant or soldier, waiting at a door or gate. He does not know the moment his master may open the door to require his service, or maybe to give him a gift. Be it one or the other, it matters not to the waiting man. His duty is to wait (to watch or take notice). It is not the waiting of an idler; it is not the waiting of a dreamer. It is the quiet waiting of one who is girt and ready.

We do not long watch or observe keenly the movements of God before He has some word for us. He bids us go or come on some mission, or speak, write, pray, visit, or sing for Him. Why? Because we were near enough to feel what is on His heart, and thus we were able to enter into fellowship with Him in service. Many today do not understand the movement of God in the world as He is speaking to us in present conditions because they are not near enough or still enough to observe Him. Such wonderful blessings, then, hang upon this one condition: to wait. And to wait upon God is to have the heart silent in an expectant attitude, to hear what He might say–that we might do His bidding.  Wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part.

The Cross

Every man will find his discipline, and every man will find his cross. All Christians are not

disciples.

When He first introduces the cross, it is to Christians. Jesus Christ never places a cross on

anybody. It is in our volitional Power of will to choose. He doesn’t lay a cross on us “so we can

love Him!” No, we voluntarily take it. He never imposes it; it will be the instrument on which we

will be slain. Our cross will be the most liberating thing in our life. As with Christ’s cross, it

liberates and sets free everything in salvation, and the things of God.

If we want to sidestep the cross and miss its ministries, we won’t go to hell, but, if we sidestep

this cross, we will sidestep one of the greatest agencies in the economy of God to bring us into

God. He says, “Come, take up this cross as a voluntary act.” The cross is the instrument of death,

but it brings a fuller revelation to our hearts and lives than that of any other agency in His

economy.

If we would know fellowship in the future, we must know it now. We must know the cross in its two

fold teaching; not only sins forgiven, but, on-the other side, joy: agony—but joy. Embrace it; hang

on to it; cruel and bitter though it is; for joy and a sensing of God, as never before, will

follow.

Be willing for the crucifixion, because it is the author of LIFE.

The more spiritually-minded we are in heart and life, the more we can understand the revelation of

God, and the more we understand the cross.

“Though He were a Son,” He learned obedience continually. (Heb. 2:10; 5:8) That was like a cross.

Learning obedience is a cross which we will have too, if we want to follow Him. “If any man wants

to follow Me (to My destiny), let him take up his own cross and follow Me.” But this is not the

cross which He lays on us; it is something that we may voluntarily resist or accept. It is a cross

distinct from trials and testings that He brings upon us. It does amount to great suffering, but it

is a suffering in which we have the power to resist if we don’t want to take it. Sometimes, for

example, great teaching, a great revelation, amounts to a cross. We know if we take that cross up,

if we embrace that Truth, if we dare to subject ourselves under the impact and power of that Truth,

it is going to be a terrific cross that will kill us. It will crucify us. Well, it is supposed to!

Take up YOUR cross.

Your cross and my cross will vary according to the disposition, and the calling of our lives, so we

don’t have the same in that sense, but everyone will have one.

Why? Because in God’s economy and purpose for us, He knows the pattern, the situation, the episode

that will perfectly crucify our old flesh. So He says: “Will you voluntarily take it? You pick it

up. You know what My cross did for Me. It was the place of My execution; it was the place where I

died; now, you take yours. It will be the place of the execution of the creature that you are; it

will slay you. I don’t lay it upon you; I want you to voluntarily take it up, for then your

identification with Me will be what I want—a voluntary love and surrender.”

So, He will bring a cross to you; it may take different shapes and forms, but it is always a cross.

I can’t interpret your cross; nobody but you can. So when God brings it, don’t be amazed, upset, and

confused.

He says, “Take it up.” For if you take up your cross; this decision, this consideration, this

surrender; if you take that up into your life pattern and walk, you will have a crown over there.

Because the sequel, the answer, to a cross is a crown. And there is no crown without a cross,

because every cross, if borne, will take a crown.

“Hold that fast which thou hast . . .” What do we have? We have the Truth, which becomes a cross,

which will slay every one of us. Hold fast to the Truth as to a treasure, lest something come

along, and snatch it away. Hold fast the Word of Truth which is a cross; it will eventually spell a

crown. Snatch your crown! For the crown is the answer to the Truth. Hold to your Truth; hold to

your cross; lest in not holding it, the crown is affected.

What is the symbol of suffering? It is the cross.

Christ had His cross every day, and Calvary was the climax. “He was made perfect through

suffering.” Ready for supreme sacrifice, suffering had done the silent, sacred ministry. “. . . Who

for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross . . .” (Heb. 12:2). “. . . Our light

affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of

glory.” (2Cor. 4:17) He has gone, but He left His cross. Every man has his own cross to bear,

but the sequel is life and secret joy— the crown.

Your cross is your crown in disguise.

Prayer: May we interpret the cross, the crown, the Truth.