Therefore....Victory

The minister at the church I'm apart of asked me to write a short article that would appear in our weekly bulletin today. His sermon today was about standing firm. Here is the article that I wrote: 

 I remember sitting on my couch last October nervously watching the St. Louis Cardinals play the Texas Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series. If the Rangers won Game 6, they were World Series champs. If the Cardinals won, the series would extend to a seventh and deciding game. In the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their last strike when third baseman David Freese hit a two run triple to the tie the game and send it to extra innings. The Rangers went ahead again in the tenth inning. In the bottom of the tenth, again the Cardinals were down to their last strike when outfielder Lance Berkman hit an RBI single to tie the game. The Cardinals went on to win the game on a walk off homer by David Freese in the 11th inning and later won Game 7 to win their eleventh World Series championship.  

 Those players who were in the batter’s box with a two strike count, the tens of thousands of fans in the stands, and the millions watching at home didn’t know that the Cardinals would be able to pull off the victory. Despite that uncertainty of the outcome, the players showed excellence under pressure and ended up winning the game.  

 In our spiritual lives, sometimes we may feel the pressure of being faithful in the face of trial. Will we fail faced with what we see as insurmountable temptation or unbearable trials? In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul writes “[t]herefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”. What is the “therefore” Paul refers to? In the previous verse of that chapter, Paul writes , “ [b]ut thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Why can we stand firm and remain unmoved? Because the victory has already been won. No matter how insurmountable the trial or difficult the temptation, the ultimate victory has already been won. Paul instructs us to stand firm and let nothing move us. The things we face that try to move us are very real and challenging, but we can stand firm knowing that we can thank God for already providing the victory.

Here's a clip of the baseball heroics I referenced:

 

 Of course, the victory through Christ is far greater than any athletic victory, electoral win, or personal achievement of any kind. It is an eternal victory that has already been won. This is something I try to remind myself constantly, but due to my imperfections and misplaced perspective often do not take to heart in the way I should. However, the verses I referenced can be a great encouragement that God is greater than any temptation or trial.

Imperfect Vessels

Usually my blog postings center on politics, but there is one thing far more eternal and important than politics--faith. The minister at my church asked me to write a short article for this past Sunday's church bulletin. I wrote it last Tuesday and emailed it to our church secretary. I didn't read it again until Sunday morning. Re-visiting those Scriptures again came at a perfect time, when I really needed to challenge myself with the Word of God. Sometimes, it's too easy to focus on perceived or real imperfections and even compare one's situation in life with others--jobs, marriage, children etc-- and not realize that God has you in at a certain station in life for His purposes. This is something that I need to remind myself of--and often. Here is the bulletin article:

One of the most compelling stories in the Bible came in John 9 when the disciples questioned Jesus about a man who was blind from birth. The disciples asked, “ who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus responded, “ [n]either this man nor his parent sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”.  Jesus then healed the man. Because of this man’s physical ailment, Jesus was able to show His power and love through His healing.

Jesus often uses our physical and spiritual imperfections to show His power and reveal His glory. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul writes, “ [b]ut we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”. We are merely vessels that carry the death of Christ to enable the life of Christ to be revealed in us (2 Corinthians 4:10). Jars of clay are mundane objects.  Clay itself is not particularly valuable or useful. However, once it has been molded for a specific purpose, it has amazing potential, not because of what it is, but because of what it can carry. 

As jars of clay, we may have cracks or smudges, but our value as such a vessel is due to the fact that we carry the treasure of Christ. In spite of those imperfections, God uses us. God spoke through Moses in spite of his speech problem. He used Rahab, a prostitute, to protect the Israelite spies. He used Paul, who once persecuted Christians, to be a fervent messenger of the Gospel. These were all imperfect vessels that God used, just as we are. May we also remember the all-surpassing power of the life of Christ that we are blessed to carry. 

Wearing Christ

I wrote this for my church's bulletin a few months ago, but I realize I need the reminder today:

I recently started wearing a cross necklace simply as a physical reminder to me of my faith. Sometimes, though, I take the necklace off when it doesn’t look right with the neckline of my clothing. I wonder if I do the same thing in the spiritual sense too. Do I “take off” Christ when I don’t think He looks right in a certain situation? Do I not always live boldly for Christ because I’m concerned about others’ opinions?

God’s Word tells us that when we were baptized, we became “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). We don’t make the choice as to whether or not we wear Christ. We are clothed with Christ! An athlete wears a jersey with his or her team name on the front of it. They are representing that team by clothing themselves with that jersey. As Christians, we are representing Christ by wearing Him. We are to live our lives as He would have us to live, as we are part of His “team”.

As members of His team, we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). These are the “articles” of Christ are not to be worn only when it is convenient or safe. We are to wear Christ proudly no matter the circumstances.