The Kingdom of God

Would you like to know how to obtain victory in any and every situation that you face as a child of God? That's easy, you just DON'T GIVE UP! The truth is, it's really not so easy, and that is why many of the daunting circumstances we find ourselves in are called "fiery trials" in the scriptures (I Pet. 4:12). The reality that it's not so easy is why the Bible tells us, "that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). The easy part is the knowledge that we simply cannot give up in any situation, and accept defeat, because we are called to victory; and we will be victorious as long as we abide in the one who IS the victory. Jesus gave us some hard news, but good news nonetheless, when he said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). It is very good news indeed that Jesus overcame the world, because as the scripture informs us, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Let's "not be children in understanding" here, and attribute this saying to water baptism (I Cor. 14:20). Jesus Christ does not consist of earthly water, neither is anyone 'in him' because they have been baptized in earthly water. But the Bible DOES say, "Now the Lord IS that Spirit," and the baptism OF the Spirit DOES put us into Christ (II Cor. 3:17; I Cor. 12:13). For one more confirmation of the point of us being 'in Christ,' and that it is purely a spiritual experience that puts us into Christ, we have this: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Cor. 6:17). So when we have truly believed on Jesus for the death he died for us, his resurrection from the dead, and his Lordship from heaven; he literally baptizes us into himself by means of "the eternal Spirit" that dwells in himself and in the Father; even as Jesus and his forerunner promised he would do (Jn. 7:38,39; Heb. 9:14; Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; Gal. 3:14).

With that little expose' of how we actually and literally get into Christ, let me say that everything that is in Christ is available to us as believers, because we ARE in Christ. In fact that is the point of our being in Christ, and the point of all that he accomplished for our sake when he came here. The main point of course is that eternal life is in Christ, and we become partakers of that same eternal life by being in Christ. That life in fact IS "the eternal Spirit," or "the Spirit of life" as it is also called (Rom. 8:2,10). If we continue to "purify [our] hearts, even as he is pure [by his Spirit]," then we will attain unto the fullness of that eternal life at the Lord's coming; meaning the resurrection of the dead (I Jn. 3:2,3; Rev. 20:6; I Thess. 4:15-17). The fact is that we will be raised from the dead to immortality BECAUSE we are in Christ, who himself said; "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (Jn. 11:25). So if God's will is for us to ultimately attain unto actual immortality like Jesus has, which is the absolute pinnacle of victory, being the literal victory over death; how much more is it his will for us to obtain victory in every temporal situation that we find ourselves in while we are yet in this life? Again I say, because we are literally IN him who IS victory, victory should be our ONLY option in everything we deal with, because there is NOTHING in this world that Jesus did NOT overcome, as he said. Physical affliction and sickness? He IS healing. Deliverance from any and every hindrance to our spirits and minds? He IS deliverance, and in him we have liberty, which is to say deliverance. To finish a verse I quoted earlier; "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Cor. 3:17). We need deliverance and victory in a multitude of personal situations and circumstances that we find ourselves in as well, and it is God's will for us to have that victory. We also need victory over things that loved ones are bound down and burdened with.

Whatever the challenge, the only answer to victory is to never accept defeat. Don't give up. But let's look at what it actually means to not give up. Going on with a situation with discouragement and partial hope is NOT how we don't give up. That is accepting a perpetual state of defeat without admitting to ourselves that we are doing so. The only way we can truly refuse to not give up is to overcome despair about answers not coming as quickly as we would like, and continue to keep every kind of sin out of our hearts and spirits. That list includes overt doubt, fear, and discouragement. We're going to feel some of these things in these kinds of situations for sure, and that is exactly WHY these circumstances are called 'tribulation.' That is in fact the trial of our faith, meaning to not be overcome by the appearances, thoughts, and feelings that are contrary to the victory we are seeking. Discouragement and despair over things not working out that should be working out, can be very, very imposing; and I know that first hand by more experience than I care to remember. But it really all comes down to the saying of the beloved apostle, who told us, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I Jn. 4:4). Sometimes we have to reach deep, even when we don't feel that we can reach at all; but Jesus will NEVER not be there for us in our times of need. Not only so, but we will most assuredly overcome whatever threatens us, BECAUSE we are in the one who DID overcome the world. Again the beloved apostle gives it to us straight: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I Jn. 5:4). As I stated earlier, our faith in Jesus initially produces the experience of him baptizing us with his Spirit of eternal life; and that life IS the power of God, as Jesus told us: "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence... But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:5,8).

When we refuse to give in to the way things look, and the way things feel, because the victory or answer seems as though it will never come; our faith will actually become stronger over the duration of time that we are tried in. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7). It sometimes feels as though it is becoming weaker, but if we continue as I've described here we WILL increase in our faith. In fact there is no other possibility. Jesus clearly taught us the same, saying that we should continue to ask, seek, and knock for the things we have need of, until they are attained to (Lk. 11:5-10; Lk. 18:1-8). As I've stated, moving continually forward in our determination of faith, and refusing to let the things that are against faith to have any part in us; there is no way that our faith will not grow. It simply has to! We either overcome the world, or we are overcome by the world. There is no in between. Even as the proverbial 'fence' that many seem to be riding, between truly living for God or not doing so, does not exist; neither is there a neutral gear in faith where we are not going forward or backward. So the bottom line and point here today is that if we continue to go forward, and we abide in Christ without sin, we WILL obtain the victory in whatever challenge we are facing. Obviously we could be misguided as far as the way some things are supposed to be going, but that is why we seek God's guidance to show us the right path. Let me also say that part of going forward is getting back up if we have a momentary defeat: "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief" (Prov. 24:16). No defeat need be final except for the defeat we decide to accept. Jesus will always be there to pick us up and move us forward, as long as we want him to be. In fact we can only go forward or get up from a fall BECAUSE Christ and the Father are literally willing it to be so (Philip. 2:13). I'll finish on that note with a quote of what I consider to be the greatest promise of God that we can have in this life: "for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). Amen to that.