FIRST LOVE RECOVERY MINISTRIES

WINNERS AND LOSERS

John 10(KJV)
verse 10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

On the stage of life,there is always three conspicuous characters that seem prominent-they are the villain,the victims,and the victors.
There is only one person that really fits this role-the devil himself(John 10:10a).
There are those people who seem to be villains when actually they are only victims-tools of the villain himself.
There are also victims who think that their fate is irreversible!
There are several people who are actually victors-more shall be written about them below.
There is still a fourth character who seems to be invisible but he is always present on the stage ever ready to transform any victim into a victor-more shall be written about him below.

2 Corinthians 2(KJV)
verse 14 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place."

"Every saint has a past,and every sinner has a future."-Oscar Wilde
The above quote could be adapted to read as follows:-"Every winner has a past,and every loser has a future."
The first part of the adapted quote reminds 'every winner' of a past of defeat so that he/she will not glory in himself/herself as a winner but in God who gives us the victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ-he is the mysterious fourth character mentioned above.
The second part of the adapted quote assures 'every loser' of a future of victory which he/she will experience when he/she trusts in God who gives us the victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In the battles of life,mankind is always divided into winners and losers. But no-one is born into this world as a winner no matter how prominent that person's cradle may be. And no-one has to die as a loser! While the transformation from a loser to a winner is a matter of personal choice,the accurate measure used to determine whether one is a loser or a winner is not made by any man. This is the reason why human traditions,philosophies,religions,arts,and sciences continue fail all who seek them as a means of change.

Colossians 2(KJV)
verse 8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

The measure is absolutely divine(God -ordained) so that every person can make a personal decision to trust in God for the victory! And this decision starts with the battle of all battles-'the battle against sin'! Ignoring or de-emphasizing the nature of sin does not give real victory to anyone that has ever lived on this planet! And everyone born into this world is born as a victim-a victim remains a loser until he/she is transformed into a victor through a real personal encounter with Jesus Christ.Christ Jesus carried all our sins on Calvary in our place so that we can be saved from sin when we individually trust him as Lord and Saviour!
All other battles are just offspring or consequences of sin whether it is the battle against sickness,poverty,terrorism, or ignorance!
If anyone thinks he has won any of those 'lesser' battles without winning the main battle (against sin) is still a loser/sinner.
Within the context of the quote and more importantly,the scriptures,a saint is not someone who has exceptional pure character but is someone who is joined to Jesus Christ who has sent him/her apart to be holy unto God-this involves theologically both positional and progressive sanctification.

Philippians 1(KJV)
verse 1 "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:"

This is the brand of righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees because it is grounded in the faith of Christ and empowered by the Spirit of God.

Matthew 5(KJV)
verse 20 " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

A saint is not a 'religious superman or superwomen'! In summary, a saint/victor/winner is simply a sinner/victim/loser saved by God's grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

1 John 4(KJV)
verse 4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

The saints already have the victory because of what Christ has done for mankind on the cross!
They only have to enforce this victory both singly and corporately as led by the Spirit of God through the battles of life!

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This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of PrayWay. It is provided for informational purposes only. As always, weigh everything with the Word of God, which is the only inerrant source of information.