The Victorious Life
Ephesians 1:1-6
Far too many Christians are living below where they ought to be. The biggest reason for this is simply they have never discovered who they are in Christ.
In Ephesians, Paul tells who we are in Christ in chapter 1; in chapters 2 and 3 he informs us of how we got to be who we are in Christ; and finally in chapter 4-6 Paul tells us how to live who we are in Christ. Paul treats the being aspect before the doing. Now if you turn that order around, you will find your life frustrating as a Christian. The Bible tells us that "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Now truth cannot set you free until you know it. You must embrace the doctrinal before you can turn it into the practical. Paul begins by telling us what we have in Christ, and then how we can draw upon what we have in Christ.
The average Christian does not understand who he is Christ. He does not comprehend what is his in Christ. He does not realize what he has because of Christ.
Elephants are trained when they are very young with a strong chain around their legs which is fastened to something that is unmoveable. The elephant quickly learns he cannot break the chain, and then they put on a very small chain on his foot because the elephant will not try to break it. If the elephant only knew the truth he could be free, but he is chained to his own perception. Far too many Christians are chained to a false perception, and only the truth can set you free. Truth that many don’t realize.
There are three qualities that every individual wants. You want these whether you realize them or not: significance, sufficiency, and security. In Christ you have all three, but without Christ you have none of them.
In Christ is the key to the Ephesians and the key to a victorious Christian living. For in Christ denotes your position, defines your privileges, describes your possessions, and determines your practice.
Let me give you three marks of a victorious Christian.
I. A victorious Christian apprehends his righteousness "saints"
There are only two kinds of folks, the saints and "the ain’ts." You are either saved or lost. Every bought, born again believer is a saint, whether you feel like it or not.
If you are saved, you are a saint. Real humility is accepting what God has said. It is tragic but many never accept their sainthood.
Many won’t be saved because they cannot see themselves as a sinner, and many will not live victorious lives because they cannot see themselves as a saint.
You do not become a saint by saintliness, but you should be characterized by saintliness because you are a saint. You cannot be a Christian and not be a saint.
Illustration
Read about Dr. Harry Ironside where he was called upon at his home by two nuns to collect money for a certain charity. He invited them inside and as he talked with them, he quickly and skillfully steered the conversation around to the subject of saints. Then suddenly he asked, "Would you like to meet a saint?" The two nuns quickly replied, "Yes."
"Well," said Dr. Ironside, ’"look at me. I am a saint. I am St. Harry."
The two nuns were very shocked, but this gave Dr. Ironside the opportunity to explain to them what a saint really is.
A saint is not a man without fault but a man with faith in Christ.
All God’s people are thus designated as saints. All Christians are set apart to Christ irrespective of personal character.
As servants of God we occupy a place of humility; as saints of God we have a position of honor.
See II Corinthians 5:21 and Philippians 3:9.
Now one of the most damaging accusations against Christians is that we do not act up to our profession. Does your name and nature coincide?
You will not behave as you should until you accept the biblical truth of who you are. Who is more afraid of dirt - a man in grimy, dirty overhauls or one in a white tuxedo? Far too many of us are living defeated lives simply because we are so experienced in confessing our sin instead of confessing our righteousness.
What I am saying is this, we need to let our life be governed by our position in Christ. We need to remember who we are in Christ. A believer should not base his Christian identity on what he does for the Lord but rather who he is in the Lord.
When you apprehend His righteousness you have significance.
II. A victorious Christian accepts his resources
"Who hath blessed us with all spiriutal blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
Note the tense of the verb "hath." He has already blessed us. We have inexhaustible supplies for every need now.
In Christ the believer has all he needs. Jesus Christ is all in all.
See Joshua 1:3.
God had already given them the land, but they had to possess it.
Illustration of money in Bible
Do you trust me? If I asked you to do something reasonable for me, would you do it?
"It is something you can do right here where you are."
"Give me ten dollars."
"Is this your Bible? Hand it to me."
"Why did you not give it to me?"
"All I was asking you do was give me what had already been given you."
God will never ask you to do for Him what He has not already given you.
Hear people talk about the second blessing, and they are referring to an encounter with the Holy Spirit after the initial salvation experience. I believe the second blessing is discovering and understanding what you got in the initial blessing of salvation.
Far too many Christians are like the elephant because we don’t understand our resources.
When you accept his resources, you have sufficiency. See 2 Corinthians 3:5.
III. A victorious Christian appropriates his relationship (6)
How desperately we want acceptance and security. To be accepted is one of man’s greatest psychological needs. Man does strange things to be accepted. We buy things with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like just to be accepted.
Prestige, power, and possessions often become the medium to satisfy the consuming passion for acceptance. However, acceptance is in a person named Jesus Christ.
In Christ, you are accepted. There is nothing you do to make Him love you more, and there is nothing you can do that will cause Him to love you less. If you are saved, you are accepted right now. God does not change you so He can love you– He loves you so He can change you.
See John 17:23.
Many have accepted Christ without accepting the acceptance in Christ. One has to do with God’s work of grace in us; the other has to do with our understanding and appropriating what has happened on our behalf.
It means the difference between Heaven and Hell to know that you have accepted Christ as your Saviour. It means the difference between Heaven and Hell on earth to believers to know that God has accepted you.
Some think that they will only be secure after they arrive in Heaven. May I remind you that the devil and his angels fell from heaven. Security is not in a place but in a person.
By grace God accepts me through the of His Son; through faith I accept what Christ did for me on the cross. As I then accept God’s acceptance of men in Christ, there is peace.
When you abide in the relationship you have with Christ, you have security.
Conclusion:
There was once a man in Montana for whom a search was made. Years before a British nobleman had died and had left his estate to his nearest surviving heir.
For years a search was on, and it was finally determined that the nearest heir lived in Montana. He was found living in poverty and barely surviving. When news came to the man of his fortune, the man went to the store and bought a new suit and went to Great Britain.
Someone asked the man, "Where are you going all dressed up?"
The man replied, "To take possession of my estate."
Though the estate was his all the time, the man never realized it, However, when it did, it changed him.
May we this morning recognize what we have and are in Christ. Far too many children of God are living defeated lives, when they could be experiencing victory if they only acted upon the truth of the Word of God.
