OceanSide church of Christ

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TRIUMPHANT IN CHRIST

Wayne Rodgers

TEXT:  2 Corinthians 2:14

 

THESIS:  To encourage faithfulness to Christ in whom we have the victory.

 

INTRODUCTION:

1.     We long to be victorious in all things.

2.     We will find ourselves failing miserable unless we are “in Christ” and are following Him in all things.

3.     In Christ, there is a way to victory.

a.      There is victory over sin.

b.     There is victory over the trials of life.

c.      There is victory over death.

 

DISCUSSION:

 

I.                 CHRISTIANS HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN.

A.    For the child of God, there is victory over the guilt of sin.

1.     “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:9, 23; 6:23).

2.     Christ offers the only absolute remedy for man’s sin problem (Heb. 2:9).

3.     The Law of Moses could not take away sin (Heb. 10:3, 4).

B.    It was God’s plan that through the death of Jesus Christ, man could have redemption from sin.

1.     “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

2.     “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).

C.    Through Christ the child of God also has the power to overcome the temptation to sin (2 Peter 2:9; Psalm 119:11).

 

II.               CHRISTIANS HAVE VICTORY OVER TRIALS OF LIFE.

A.    Christians need to overcome sorrows in life and are able.

1.     Through God, we can overcome sorrow and grief with the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-5).

2.     The life of Christ and his disciples and prophets who have gone before inspire and encourage us to move forward through grief and sorrow.

B.    Christians are faced with many difficulties, but are able to overcome through Christ.

1.     “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

2.     Though we face many troubles in this life, we can persevere with Christ (Phil. 4:13).

3.     Christ is there to help in time of need (Heb. 13:5).

C.    Every Christian is faced with fears.

1.     The Psalmist wrote: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of  my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).

2.     Christ will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5, 6).

3.     “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

4.     “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

D.    As Christians, we can overcome the world.

1.     The apostle John taught not to “love the world, neither the things in the world…For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

2.     Jesus overcame the world.

3.     “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

 

III.             CHRISTIANS HAVE VICTORY OVER DEATH.

A.    Death itself is a universal problem and very much a part of life.

B.    “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come” (Job 14:14).

C.    Paul spoke of this victory in his first letter to the Corinthians:

1.     But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.   For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor. 15:20-22).

2.     “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57).

D.    To the church at Thessalonica, Paul wrote of the order of that final day and resurrection of the dead at the final trump and those alive who will be caught up to meet Him in the air and forever be with the Lord.

E.     Ultimate Victory in Jesus Christ.

 

CONCLUSION:

1.     In Christ Jesus, we can have victory in life and over death.

2.     In all that we face, Christ has provided the means to have a great life despite any trials and temptations.

3.     When we face death, we can have assurance that we will overcome, as well through Christ who gives the victory.