Take the Step to Complete Victory!

Jesus took the step. The step He took was one of bitter suffering that led to an excruciatingly painful death.

The step that Jesus wants us all to take is the step to stop bad habits and worldly life styles. Jesus died a physical death, to pay the debt of our sins and bring us His grace and mercy. What Jesus wants of us is not a physical death, but to become dead to SIN.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." - Romans 6:1-9

This is our step to victory – and our flesh doesn’t like to let go of those habits! 

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus struggled with His flesh.  It didn’t want to die. 

And our flesh does not want to die to sin! 

Jesus’s flesh said, “Let this cup pass from me.”

"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." - Matthew 26:39

When was Jesus’s first step to victory over His flesh?

When He said, “Not as I will” - the will of His fleshly nature that we all have - but rather, “Thy will be done” - the will of God that was inside the fleshly body that He dwelt in among us.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:1, 14

 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." - Hebrews 4:15

"He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." - Matthew 26:42 

And that is what we need to decide - not my will, but Jesus - thy will be done!

This is the first step to the victory that Jesus led the way in - victory over the flesh.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:15-17

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." - 1 John 5:4

How are we born of God?

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5

How are we born of water and of the Spirit?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38

 

This is how we have power to overcome our flesh and the world. With the authority of the name Jesus, and by the power of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. We can say, “Thy will be done.”

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:8

Our victory over our flesh and the world has our final victory over the grave when the trumpet sounds.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." - 1 Corinthians 15:20

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep [go to the grave], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ... But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 57-58