For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith (1 John 5:4, ESV).
The message of the Bible is victory!
Faith is our victory. The Apostle Paul writes that as followers of Jesus, we must live by faith from first to last (Romans 1:17). When we lose our faith, we lose our victory.
Two questions: Has the church in America lost its victory? Have you lost victory in your life?
There is an old hymn that I remember singing as a child entitled Victory In Jesus. Carrie Underwood revitalized this song when she sang it on her Gospel Hymns album in 2021.
I admit this hymn has little traction in today’s church services, but read the following verse from this hymn . . .
I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory!
The composer of this hymn was a very successful music publisher when he had a stroke at the age of 53 that left him bedridden and unable to speak.
He wrote Victory in Jesus after his stroke.
Again, some words from this hymn . . .
I heard about His healing, of His cleansing pow’r revealing
How he made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,”
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.
There is something about faith that allows victory during difficult trials. Christianity is the only religion in the world that has its faith forged on the cross!
Only belief in Jesus will bring victory.
We struggle with victory today. Our culture has exchanged its faith in Jesus for nothing at all. It’s now popular to be skeptical, dismissive, and self-serving.
Let’s consider the third verse of this hymn, Victory in Jesus . . .
I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.
When we have faith, we have victory — ultimate victory — no matter our current life situation.
The hymn concludes with the chorus . . .
O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
Amen – the message of the Bible is victory!