The Apostle Paul propounds to the Romans:
“What then are we to say about
these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
— Romans 8:31 (NRSV)
God’s love in Jesus Christ is the
perfection of glory for living as any could be.
But instead of living this radical
truth, many have taken a liking to claiming victory without living it, and many
continue to do this. I’ve learned to be cautiously sceptical of the person in
the faith who spruiks the victory-in-Christ message too much. This is especially
the case where there is scant evidence of the grace of Christ and spiritual
maturity—borne upon patient humility, kindness, gentleness, wise discernment, and
merciful love—to be observed in their lives. Can the braggart truly claim to be
living the
victorious Christian life? Are their thoughts sufficiently of God and others—of
faithfulness and love? Remember this victory is lived in an upside-down way of
conquering the world in Jesus’ name. It’s not about us.
There really is no point in claiming the victory of the Christian life if we
cannot, or will not, live it. That must be such an obvious statement, but it’s
one that many overlook in not being really subject to God.
God Has Answered Every Allegation &
Found the Elect Innocent
This good news is the greatest
news that humankind could ever experience. As Paul eloquently puts it, in
Romans 8:31-39, there is no charge, no allegation, and no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus. This is a basic gospel truth.
Unpacking that truth so it makes a
difference in our lives is, however, our bigger task.
Because God has answered every
allegation and has found us, the elect, innocent—because of Christ’s eternal
act for redemption on the cross and his resurrection to be with the Father—we
now have the way for life that makes sense of the nonsensical.
When we are converged by the
‘allegations’ of hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or
sword (Romans 8:35) we have a way—through the grace given us in God—to contend by faith.
Everything that would otherwise be
against us is actually for us—and more for us than we could ever imagine. We find this out
by expressing faith.
This is no victory that the world
has access to, i.e., through conflict. Our victory has already been won for us;
it’s beyond question or argument. Our victory is a victory of working out our
salvation, a moment at a time, by faith. By faith, the victory is assured,
lived, and experienced.
Working Out Our Salvation
When we live life in the way of
faith, to trust God beyond our pride, anger, impatience, etc, we find very
quickly that God is transforming our situations. Once we get out of the way,
God’s Spirit does then work.
Working out our salvation
(Philippians 2:12-13) is how we live this victorious life.
We cannot live this victory by
mere words; it’s our actions that will judge us. It’s our actions and inactions
of faith that prove the certainty of the hope nestled deeply within us. The
Spirit of God has burrowed into our souls and has infiltrated our thinking.
When we live congruently with the biblical Word we live with power; nothing can
truly be against us.
***
If God is for us, who could be
against us? But that is likened, too often, to a cliché. Living with hope that
has infiltrated our psyches is the only true power for life. This is a life
where actions-of-rare-virtue have abundantly more power than words. Living the
victorious Christian life is the life of victory because others have victory
and because God has already won the battle for us in Christ.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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