Good morning,
Who won the Freedom Bowl?
This Sunday people all over the world have been watching or listening to a battle called the Super Bowl. Now that the game is over for the fifty third time, people are celebrating or complaining about the outcome. This battle doesn’t really settle who is the greatest and the final winner. It’s important for us to remember that there is a genuine battle going on all around us that will have eternal consequences for each of us. The battle we are dealing with could be rightly be called the Freedom Bowl. That battle began before time when the rebel Satan was able to convince 1/3 of the angels in heaven to rebel against the their Creator and God.(Rev.12:3,4) When Satan and his followers were thrown out of heaven, they were assigned to the new and beautiful Earth. Satan was allowed to tempt Adam and Eve and they decided to listen to the liar instead of their God. At the right time God sent his son, Jesus, to live with us and attack this fierce and hate filled enemy on his own grounds. The weapons that Jesus used were not based on his strength. His weapons were love and weakness and obedience to his father on behalf of all of us who were sinners.(Isa.53:7.8) It was God’s good plan, to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs.(Isa.53:10) What Jesus knew was that his suffering would also lead to his victory. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.(v.11) Even though the people of that day counted him a sinner and a loser, He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.(v,12)
Once Jesus finished paying the full price for our sins, it changed the direction of the battle. Jesus told the people who believed in him that, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:31,32) Now knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord and obeying the truth is what marks us as those set free from the power of our hate filled enemies. Paul tells us to live this way, not to win an earthly prize, but we do it for an eternal prize.(1Cor.9:25) Remember that when Jesus chose his weapons, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.(1Cor.1:27) The world has no idea what to do with God’s powerful weapons, but God uses them, to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.(vs.28,29) So if we are going to use God’s weapons by the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to respond like Paul who said, Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(2Cor.12:10) So when Peter was dealing with this same challenge he wrote, These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.(1Pet.1:7) What we go through now will bring God eternal praise in eternity and it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.(v.7) Dear Lord, what you have arranged for us is eternal victory and eternal peace. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
2 Corinthians 12:10 Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Roy Wisner
