VICTORY YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!
Exodus 14:26-31 (KJV) 26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
Moses and Israel were pushed to the point of disaster before their breakthrough came. They were slaves living under people who abused them. They were called of God, but instead they seemed to be losing their place in the world. Then God sent Moses and hope came that the Lord would deliver them. However, things got worse before they got better. They saw the miracles of the plagues, but instead of Pharaoh humbling himself to the Lord, he rebelled. Finally when death came, out of sorrow he relented and let Israel go. Only to have his grief turn to anger and he chased them into the wilderness. Backed up against the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s mighty army was poised to annihilate them, but God stood between them as a cloud by day and fire by night. Then God opened the way through the Red Seas for the Children of Israel and let it fall on Pharaoh and his armies. Jesus said that if we fall on the Rock it will bless us but if it falls on us, then that same Rock will crush us. God made them Victors that day. In Romans 6 we are told that God has made us Victors. Things may be dark and dangerous, but God has a way that we don’t know about. The very thing that God will use to deliver us will crush our enemy who is the devil. God has Victory for us. Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom you shall serve". When we decided to make Jesus our Lord and Savior, He moves us out of the victim category into the Victor category.
Exodus 15:1-2 (KJV) 1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him and habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
We can say the same thing. Look at these powerful facts presented to us in Romans 6.
I. Our sin has been put to death in Christ on the Cross-.
A. Whatever we may have done or even wanted to do in action or attitude, it has been put to death. It is finished. It is forgiven. It is buried in the sea never to be brought up against you again. We are Victors through Christ.
Romans 6:1-2 (KJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
1. God does not forget the sinner; he forgets the sin.
2. Forgiveness should be like burning the mortgage--it’s gone and forgotten.
3. Forgiveness means God buries our sins and does not mark the grave.
4. God forgives our sins, buries them in the sea of forgetfulness, and puts up a sign: "No fishing."
II. We have New Life in the Resurrection of Christ.
A. Just as Moses and Israel we have come out on the other side of sea of death. Jesus died, but He arose from the dead. We are now in Him and we are filled with His Resurrection Life.
Romans 6:3-5 (KJV) 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
1. When ten thousand times ten thousand times ten thousand years have passed, eternity will have just begun. Billy Sunday
2. The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death--that is not the great thing--but that we are to be new here and now by the power of the Resurrection; not so much that we are to live forever, as that we are to, and may, live nobly now because we are to live forever. Phillips Brooks
3. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. C. S. Lewis
III. We are set free from the slavery of sin.
A. Sin had us bound to death and to its’ senseless cycle of addictions. We are no longer slaves in its’ land, but we are children of the King of Kings. We are royalty set free to rule and reign with Christ.
(John 8:36 KJV) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
1. Social evils such as slavery are wrong, but a greater problem is captivity and enslavement by Satan and sin.
IV. We are set free from death (eternal) in Christ.
A. When we believed on Christ, we received resurrection life. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. That Spirit gives us life. Though we will die physically, yet we shall live.
Romans 6:7-9 (KJV) 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
V. Our victory was won over 2000 years ago.
A. We are not victims, but Victors. We are on the other side of the Sea in Christ. He is with us. When we face new challenges we need to remember who we are who is with us. He will make the way for us.
Romans 6:10-11 (KJV) 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. No one is tired on the day of victory.
2, Triumph of wrong is never final victory.
3, Victory will make us sing, shine, and surrender.
4. God wants you to be a victor--not a victim.
VI. We have a choice to walk in Victory over our enemies.
A. The same God who opened the Red Sea and buried Pharaoh, Who raised Christ from the dead and buried our sin in the death of His body and grave, is with us. Believe Him. He has made the way. The key is that we allow Him to have His way and purpose in us.
Romans 6:12-14 (KJV) 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
VII. Choosing to walk in faith in Christ produces holiness and eternal life in us.
A. Making Christ our Lord and Savior gives us eternal life. It is a gift we receive, not a reward that we earn. All we have to do is believe and receive. We who believe are already filled with eternal life. We are already made holy in God’s sight. Our faith is counted as righteousness. It is done and finished. We have been made co-heirs
with Christ to the world. He will come and we will rule and reign with Him. That is Good News!
Romans 6:15-23 (KJV) 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. The Christian walk is much like riding a bicycle; we are either moving forward or falling off.
2. To follow Christ is to walk with Him first into the presence of His Father. If that is so, we had better know how to act in the divine presence now (in this present life) and then (in the life everlasting). Ultimately, we will be there a long, long time. -- Gordon MacDonald
I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it--but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. Oliver Wendell Holmes
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