Good morning,
One of the joys that comes with becoming a child of God is knowing that now we have peace with God. One of the challenges that comes with growing in our relationship with God is the growing understanding that our relationship with God will always include challenges, failures and frustrations. God promises us his peace as part of our willing obedience to him, but we are always being challenged by the enemy of our souls to view the battle we have been assigned to from a human perspective, not God’s. When Paul was writing to the believers in Corinth he reviewed the challenges that they were facing in their struggles with sin and death to encourage them that inner battles are always a part of God’s plan for their lives. Two thousand years hasn’t changed this reality in any way. It’s true that most of us are not facing actual life and death battles, but we are still facing the spiritual battles that challenge what we are doing and why we are still living where we are.
Paul points out that since we are in the family of God, he will give us victory over sin and death because we are being led by the Lord of All, Jesus Christ. That is the fact, but the power of our sin nature, the culture that we live in and the internal enemy attacks usually leave us confused about how we are doing in the battle. For those of us who are genuine children of God, the answer to our doubts will depend on the decision we make about whether we can trust God to keep his promises. I think in this setting, being strong isn’t something that we can decide on. Our strength comes from the Holy Spirit, who will give us the strength we need to do what we are told. We do need to decide that we will gladly do what we have been called to do, and it’s then that the Holy Spirit will carry out God’s plan in God’s way and for God’s glory. We have every right to be enthusiastic about our work since we know that nothing we do for the Lord will be a waste of time and effort. Our ordinary lives seem full of ordinary challenges, but when God is in charge, they are important parts of God’s eternal plan. With God’s help, lets keep hanging on to Jesus. Never Give Up. We are children of the King.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
Roy Wisner
