1154 - Be a Victorious Christian#
1154 - Be a Victorious Christian
(JP Text Group - Yu Yu Compilation)
Genesis 13:1-13
1 Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the Negev. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 So that the land could not support both of them dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen (the original text says 'brothers'). 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar.
11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
We share a topic, Be a Victorious Christian
Victory is different from salvation; all who believe in Jesus Christ are justified by faith.
As long as you believe in Jesus Christ, you are saved. In this regard, it is the same for everyone. As long as you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9-10 says,
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
There are no additional conditions beyond this. Salvation has nothing to do with our actions. Because our salvation is a gift of grace from God.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Our salvation is through God. This is the grace given by God, so salvation is only once and is eternal. Because the Lord Jesus does not change, His determined will does not change.
You cannot say that today you are saved, and tomorrow you are not saved. In God, there are no ambiguous conclusions. Some Christians are uncertain about whether they are saved or whether they can enter the kingdom of heaven. What is the reason? Because they confuse salvation with victory.
To become a victorious Christian, you must first become a saved Christian. Just like an athlete, you must first have the qualification to compete to have a chance to win the championship. How can we become a qualified person? You just need to believe in Jesus Christ, believe that He is your Lord, believe that Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross, sacrificed, and rose from the dead three days later, and you are justified. You are already saved.
Thus, you have already obtained such qualification. With this qualification, you can run on the field and ultimately receive different rewards.
Ephesians 6:6-8 tells us:
Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
Whether we serve before God or serve before man, we are all servants of Jesus Christ. When serving people, you should see it as serving the Lord, because verse eight tells us that whatever good anyone does, he will receive back from the Lord according to what he has done.
In simple terms, our rewards are related to our actions. Victory is directly related to actions. In this sense, there are two types of Christians: one is a victorious Christian in actions, and the other is a failing Christian. Although there are these two types of Christians, both are saved Christians. It does not affect their entry into the kingdom of heaven.
Share the first point: A victorious Christian is someone who believes in God's word and follows God.
Abraham was a man who believed in God and followed God. In the beginning, in Genesis 12, when God met Abraham, He said, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” He took his father and his nephew Lot and left his hometown, Ur of the Chaldeans, while Lot followed Abraham, and his father stayed in Haran. After that, only Lot continued to follow Abraham. During this process, Lot also believed in the God of Abraham.
We see that Lot's behavior was very poor, but he was still a saved person. Thank the Lord, because he also believed in God in his heart.
2 Peter 2:6-8:
If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).
Brothers and sisters, what is spoken here is not a metaphor, not a fictional story, but a real example of a Christian. Lot was a failing Christian, but he was still justified by God, and this is beyond doubt. Verse seven clearly tells us: and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. This denies some people's viewpoint that just believing is not enough; if you want to be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven, you must also have good behavior and do more good deeds.
Did Lot have such qualifications? His life actually seemed to have no particularly good behavior; he almost committed all the sins we commit, and even worse than us. Saved Christians can also become like Lot, becoming failing Christians.
What we just read in 2 Peter 2 tells us, these things are to be an example for us, the ungodly in the future. Thank the Lord, the failures of these people serve as a warning for us.
Although Lot's behavior was very poor, living among the wicked, God never denied his identity as a righteous man. God did not say that when Lot followed Abraham, his behavior was not so bad, but after leaving Abraham, his behavior became bad, so he was no longer worthy of being called a righteous man. No, in God, there is no such thing; as long as you believe, you will forever have the identity of a righteous man.
Lot was a righteous man, but he was not a victorious Christian; he was a failing Christian. Where did he fail? He should not have lived in the sinful city of Sodom. He clearly knew that the people in that city were full of sin, yet he was still unwilling to leave that sinful place.
After Lot left Abraham, his life did not go smoothly, nor was he blessed. Many Christians are like this; they have already believed in the Lord, but their lives are not blessed, and it seems that God is not doing anything in their lives. Where does the reason lie?
It is not that our God has abandoned him, nor that God does not hear his prayers. God has already called Lot righteous, but Lot was unwilling to live according to God's word. He acted according to what his eyes liked. He prioritized these things over God. He did not seek God in everything.
Some may say, "Maybe I am not declaring enough, not praying enough, or lacking service!" No, it has nothing to do with that. Even if you declare every day, saying, "The victory of Jesus Christ is my victory," will that help you overcome? Brothers and sisters, victory is different from salvation because victory needs to be connected to the truth. Without the truth in your heart, declaring will still lead you to act according to your own desires.
Why is Lot a failing Christian? What is the reason for his failure?
Lot understood God from Abraham and believed in God. But he walked the opposite path from Abraham, who acted according to God's will in everything. However, his behavior was quite different from Abraham's.
Let's first look at where the differences between these two men lie. Abraham did not have everything go smoothly after believing in God; he also had failures. For example, in Abraham's life, he lied, and he committed the same sin twice because his wife was too beautiful. When in Egypt, he called his wife his sister because he feared that others would kill him because of her. He lied, but God still saved him.
Brothers and sisters, the difference between the two lies here. Both had faults, but when God came to save them after they made mistakes, their reactions were different. Abraham lied; you could also understand it as Abraham sinned. However, he was a man who believed in God's word. After God saved him this time, he immediately left Egypt and returned to Canaan.
You see, verse three says, “He journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.”
This is very important. We may make mistakes and may fall into sin, but what should you do? Realize the problem and leave immediately! When things are not going well and do not align with God's truth, you must repent immediately, turn around, and return to God's word. He will surely lead us again.
At this time, you must turn your steps back to the church. Abraham was weak, but he returned to the place where he first called upon God and built an altar for God. You can understand this as he restored his communication with God. When you leave the gathering place, when you leave fellowship with brothers and sisters and stay alone in this world, it is easy to fall into the devil's trap. At this time, when you call upon God, He will stretch out His arm to save you.
After getting out of these things, what you need to do is quickly return to God's word. Return to the church. You must, like Abraham, return to the place where he first built an altar and call upon the name of the Lord there. Thank the Lord, this is Abraham; he did not choose to continue living in sin. He accepted God's salvation and left that place.
Let me give another example from the New Testament. Peter was very proud and arrogant; he said, "Even if all fall away, I will not." As a result, Peter denied Jesus three times. When he went fishing, Jesus came to find him.
Some people, when they are weak and sin, feel they have no face to see God. This will only make them weaker. Please remember, no matter how you are, as long as you are willing to return to God's house, Jesus is willing to receive you. He has been waiting for you.
After Jesus died, Peter was weak and did not know what to do, so he went fishing. That night, things did not go well; they caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus came to find him. Peter did not say, "Jesus, don’t look for me; I have no face to see you. I am just a fisherman; I cannot become the messenger you said to save the world. I cannot do it. Look, I betrayed you for more than three years; go find someone else..."
Peter did not say that. Although he made a mistake, when he knew it was the Lord Jesus, he immediately ran toward Jesus, leaving the fish behind.
John 21:6-7
Jesus said, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
We are like this, brothers and sisters. When you are weak, you should be like Peter, hear the voice of the Lord Jesus, and immediately run to the Lord Jesus. When Peter walked toward the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus did not say, "Peter, first confess your sins; otherwise, I will not listen to anything you say."
Jesus did not rebuke Peter, as if nothing had happened.
Brothers and sisters, this is us today. We may sin, but that does not mean we want to live in sin. We will be saddened by this, which means you are saved. This is the Holy Spirit guiding you.
Perhaps you used to want to gamble very much, but after you accepted Jesus, you no longer want to do such things. One day, when some of your friends force you to go again, you cannot resist and go, but you will feel very uncomfortable in your heart, and you will resolve not to want to do this anymore.
Why is Lot a failing Christian?
He saw the wickedness of Sodom and was extremely distressed in his heart, but he was unwilling to leave that place. He liked Sodom very much; perhaps there were many things in Sodom that attracted Lot, but in God's eyes, Sodom was exceedingly sinful. He was given opportunities to be saved but was reluctant to leave.
Once, the king of Sodom was defeated in battle, and the people in the city were taken away. There was a war between four kings and five kings, and the king of Sodom was defeated, resulting in the entire city’s people and possessions being captured, including Lot. However, when Abraham learned of this, he took three hundred eighteen trained men and rescued Lot and his possessions.
After Abraham helped him regain everything, Lot returned to Sodom. He returned to that sinful place again, seemingly very fond of that place. This is the reason for his failure. We must learn from Lot and never be like him.
Lot did not stop there; he returned to Sodom again, continuing to live in his sin, seeing the wickedness of these people, yet still feeling distressed. God sent two angels to tell Lot to hurry and leave that place because He was going to destroy the city. The people in that city were exceedingly sinful. The angels also told Lot to inform his family and relatives to hurry and leave with him. Lot told this news to his two sons-in-law, but they thought he was joking.
Genesis 19:15-16
When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
But in verse sixteen, Lot lingered, which is a very obvious sign of a failing Christian. He clearly knew he was in a sinful city; he clearly knew he was standing on sinful ground, yet he was unwilling to leave.
All that he had earned in the past disappeared with the destruction of Sodom. Doesn’t this resemble what worldly people strive for? Many people spend their whole lives grasping for this world, only to end up with nothing.
Some Christians fail; they know certain things should not be done, yet they still deliberately act. For example, they create factions, constantly spreading negative news, always focusing on sinful news, as if the gospel of Jesus has no effect on them.
If your child is addicted to games and the internet, what you need to do is not to condemn him but to pull him out. Don’t just pray for the Lord to change him; you need to take action to pull him out. Lot's wife was worse than Lot; she was truly unwilling to leave. God had made it very clear: do not look back, but Lot's wife looked back, which actually meant she was really reluctant to part with what she had in the past and did not want to leave that place. Thus, Lot ultimately lost everything.
How much blessing did Lot initially have?
Genesis 13:5 says: Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents, and the land could not support them because their possessions were so great.
Do we see God's grace? Lot also had a lot of possessions. But he went to the wrong place and ended up losing all his possessions, and his wife was lost too.
The Bible also tells us: Remember Lot's wife.
The Israelites often looked back; whenever they encountered a little difficulty, they complained, saying, "Oh, how good it was in Egypt! We had leeks, onions, garlic, and meat to eat. This place has nothing, not even water. This place is too hot. This road is too difficult." They forgot that although there were leeks and soup in Egypt, there were also whips and insults! The failure of the Israelites was also because they did not see God's provision. They only looked at their gains and losses.
What God gave them was a life of freedom, a life full of blessings. Yet they did not see it. Many Christians are like this, often complaining. They say, "I believe in the Lord, but I have not seen anything good; the unbelievers are doing better than I am." But you forget that you were once a sinner. If you continue to live as you did before, the ultimate outcome is eternal death.
Although some unbelievers may be doing better than you, their lives are so short. After their lives end, they face eternal punishment. You are different; you have already believed in Jesus; you are a saved Christian. Today, you can still live according to God's word and become a victorious Christian.
On the morning when Sodom was destroyed, Abraham saw all that happened, seeing Sodom like a burning kiln, with much smoke rising. Such things did not happen to Abraham because he was a victorious Christian living according to God's promises. Although Lot did not face such disasters, he lost many blessings that he should have had.
If you have encountered things like Lot, having lost many things in the past by relying on yourself, I suggest you repent, return to the church, come back to the Lord Jesus, and follow His footsteps. God will still lead you on the right path.
Share the second point: A victorious Christian knows that he receives blessings directly from God.
Abraham had a direct relationship with God.
Abraham was a person who often built altars. After leaving his hometown, he lived in tents throughout his life. In many places, Abraham had a habit of building altars and offering sacrifices to God. What does this represent?
Why is Abraham a victorious Christian? Because he was a person who often offered sacrifices. What does offering sacrifices mean? He thought of the lamb, which symbolizes our Christ Jesus. You should also be like Abraham, becoming a person who often offers sacrifices before God.
Of course, you do not need to bring bulls, sheep, or doves to offer sacrifices; what you need to do is offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Offer prayers as sacrifices to God. Communicate with God often.
Although Lot also believed in God, his heart was not with God. When Abraham encountered problems, he first offered sacrifices.
When Lot encountered problems, he first thought of his own interests. Therefore, Lot did not rely on God, while Abraham often thought of others and helped others.
Where do we see this?
Both of them had many flocks and herds, and the land could not support them. This was likely due to the lack of grass; the livestock was their main asset. When the livestock increased, there was naturally not enough grass to eat. The herdsmen would argue for this reason. Abraham saw the problem and then said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are brothers.”
Both of them were believers, so you could also call them brothers. When problems arise, faith reflects in people's actions. Abraham was willing to bear witness for God; he did not want others to see their quarrels. Today, are you also willing to be a good witness for the Lord Jesus?
Do not say, "Anyway, I am already saved; my behavior does not matter." Let others think what they want; I am just like this. It does not matter if I do not speak clean words; after all, I am a righteous person, and I do not care how my behavior is. The thief on the cross can enter the kingdom of heaven; I will definitely receive more rewards than him.
If you compare yourself to such a person, your behavior may indeed be very poor. You may find it difficult to become a victorious Christian. What did Abraham do in this matter? He said, "We should not quarrel about this. Look, is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. We can no longer be together, so let us part ways; you go left, and I will go right; you go right, and I will go left."
It seems that Abraham had great faith, but actually, whoever chooses first has an absolute advantage. This is not a good idea according to the herdsmen, but why did Abraham have such faith to do this? Because he relied on God in his heart. He believed that God would surely lead him. He believed that God would provide enough grass for his flocks and everything he needed.
When the problem arose, Abraham provided a solution. Lot chose first; how did he choose? He did not pray to God. He lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar.
Lot was also a believer, but he did not seek God; he relied on his own sight and abilities. He relied on himself. Do not say, "I know I should rely on God in everything," but you see, Lot did not rely on God in such matters. Lot looked up and thought, "This place is good; it has good prospects for development! My flock may yield thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold; I will be richer in the future."
But sometimes, some things may look beautiful but are not necessarily good. You must learn to pray to God. Some things may look good at first glance, but you still need to pray to God and rely on Him. Through prayer, let the Holy Spirit guide you. When you pray, if you feel uneasy in your heart, please wait a moment. Do not be like Lot, completely casting God aside and doing what looks good to you.
You must pray first, brothers and sisters. If God stops you, do not do it, even if it looks good; do not proceed.
Here is a piece of advice for sisters, especially those who are unmarried. There is a serious problem in the church: many older sisters, including some in our church, are in their thirties or even older and have not found partners. Some of them have problems with their standards for choosing a spouse; they want someone handsome, wealthy, capable, with a car and a house, etc. If they only look at outward appearances, problems will arise. There are many men who are handsome and wealthy, but you do not know what is in their hearts. When encountering such matters, you must pray before God because what God prepares for you is the best.
God can see a person's entire life; you can only see their present. You do not even know what their tomorrow will be like. So do not act according to what you see; know that you are a person who receives blessings directly from God. Only by relying on the Lord can you truly be victorious. The happiness you seek is not given by that person; it is prepared by God for you. Even if he is a person who lacks nothing today, he may have nothing tomorrow. This world is unpredictable; you do not know what will happen in the next second. But if you both rely on God, He will surely guide you and lead you to victory in everything.
After Lot and Abraham separated, he gradually moved toward Sodom, and from that moment on, his life began to deteriorate completely. Therefore, the Bible tells us not to stop gathering. When you stop gathering and stop worshiping God, your life will also gradually begin to deteriorate.
Leaving the mutual connection with the body, struggling alone in this world, it is easy to fall into it. If this is you now, I suggest you turn back, return to God, and look up to Christ again. Know that without the Lord Jesus, we can do nothing. Your steps should not move toward Sodom; they should move toward the church. You must often move your steps toward God because He is the source of your blessings, and you can receive blessings directly from Him. Hallelujah.
After Abraham parted ways with Lot, God spoke to Abraham, saying, "Lift up your eyes from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."
Brothers and sisters, do you see? When we do not act according to our sight but according to faith, everything becomes very simple. Lot took the best land, and what was left was the mountainous area. Abraham later lived in the mountains, where there was actually very little grass. But in this situation, God said to Abraham, "Lift up your eyes and look in every direction." This requires us to look with spiritual eyes; you must see that every day ahead of you is blessed by God. After you believe in Jesus Christ, know that every day you are blessed by God. This will enable you to be victorious in everything.
God said to Abraham, “All the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.”
We should not look at this world with our physical eyes; we should look at our position with the eyes of faith. Even if the current environment is terrible, Abraham may have been standing on a bare mountain, but in his heart, he was thinking, "How many descendants will the Lord give me? The blessings of all nations are mine; I am not just the father of one nation; I am the father of many nations." Hallelujah.
You should also meditate like this; you are not an ordinary person; you are a child of God. God can give you all His blessings, and you can be victorious through Jesus. In everything, look to Jesus Christ and God's provision. Because you are a person who can receive blessings directly from God. You are a person who can be victorious in everything through Jesus.
God said to Abraham, “I will make your offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth.” God actually gave Abraham a picture to meditate on, which is dust. Just think about how much sand there is by the sea; the children I will give you in the future will be that numerous. This indeed requires Abraham to look with spiritual eyes. Because he cannot produce so many by himself, he must look with spiritual eyes.
Now, the blessings you receive materially must first be seen with spiritual eyes before you can obtain them materially. God said, "Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."
Close your eyes and meditate on what God said to Abraham; it is also speaking to you. No matter how bad your environment is, when you think of God's words, you will have strength. You can also meditate: my environment will change; I will be prosperous like Abraham. My inheritance is abundant; God will bless what I do with my hands and make me better and better!
When you have needs, when you are confused, when you have problems, what you need is not to complain; what you need is not to grumble. What you need is to return to the Lord Jesus. When you are overcome by sin, you need to come to the Lord Jesus, looking to His strength to overcome this sin. Hallelujah.
Just like Abraham, he lied, but God saved him and led him to victory. He was willing to leave that place and follow God's footsteps. Brothers and sisters, you may occasionally be overcome by faults, but I hope you move your steps; always move toward the church, not toward Sodom.
Set your eyes on Jesus Christ, and you can become a victorious Christian. When you act according to what you see, what you see is very shallow and very little. But when you rely on God, you receive thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold blessings.
Abraham's son Isaac, during a year of famine, sowed in faith, and that was when he relied on God. Brothers and sisters, that indeed requires faith. When he sowed in faith, God gave him a hundredfold harvest that year, and he overcame by relying on God's word. In him, we see God's power.
David wrote a psalm saying, "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Because he knew that goodness and mercy would follow him all the days of his life. Hallelujah.
Do you believe? Do you believe that God's goodness will follow you all the days of your life? When you believe this, boldly rely on your God. Do not look at how bad your current environment is; God can always overcome this environment. You can become a testimony of victory for everyone.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Our salvation is very simple; we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths, and we are saved, not by our works, but by Your complete grace.
Please lead us, not only to be saved but also to be victorious in life and in everything. We are willing to rely on the Lord in all things like Abraham.
Thank You and praise You, God. I am willing to live by Your word. Please guide me in everything, so that those around us can see our changes, see our victories in everything, and let me be the best witness for You in life.
Bless the brothers and sisters who listen to the word. In the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!