RACE TO VICTORY

II Corinthians 10:1-5 “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Verses 4 in emphasis, “For the weapons of our warfare are not canal, but mighty through God in the pulling down of strong holds”.

Literally, victory is described as a state of having won a race or battle.

Now, to be victorious really depends on the ground we stand to battle.  Victory doesn’t come so easily.  Victory is earned by our believe, commitment and hand works because to win a competition or race and be victorious, one must go through a rigorous training and must be found fit by some experts to compete in the competition that is one and your personal efforts, which are your hand working and believing in yourself also count and must determined to fight to defeat your other competitors to victory. Mark 4: 1-8, “And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred”.

Therefore, victory is not meant for weak minds, fearful hearts, lukewarm hearts or unstable minds. Victory is meant for prepared, qualified and determined mind to succeed. (See Matthew 25:14-26).  Let’s consider Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is baby then verse 14 says “but strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised (trained) to discern what is good from evil”. To me these verses of the scripture points out inexperienced and unskillful of one and if one is unskillful or inexperienced in a race or competition for example, such ones can never earn victory because they are just like a babies. Verse 14 in says, but strong meat belongs to them that are full grown men i.e. full of age; that means also the trained, qualified and the determined minds that one ready to run the race to completion. May the Lord help us run

I also want you to know that as we are in this world we all in a competition or race and of course we have competitors competing with us the competition comprises two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness (the children of God and the children of beliah).  May I ask this question which part of the race do you pledge allegiance is it to the kingdom of God or other?

Therefore brethren, the ones who by reason of use (solid foods); as it is written have their senses and mental faculties trained to discern or distinguish what is good from evil are the victorious.  Of course those that have stood the test of times and determined not to give in but rather choose right and stand firm no matter what, are the victorious. Jesus Christ, exercised the use of the solid food, He went through rigorous training during His earthly ministries, He was tempted of the devil, rejected by His own, He was called names, He was persecuted for His good deed, He was crucified among thieves, He was buried in the ground, He was not found guilty of any crime yet He died outside the city as criminals and buried but He was Victorious as He came out of the grave, resurrected because the grave could not contain Him and took the key of the kingdom  seen for 40 days and ascended into Heaven, seated at the right of His Father interceding for you and me.  Jesus left that victory at the cross for you and me to be victorious.

Conclusion: I want you to reflect on these: that every day of life we all are drawing near to the end of our competition here in earth when the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the Holy Angels with Him, may He found us worthy, then shall He sits upon the throne of His glory.  Mathew 25: 31-46 says “ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal”.

Shalom

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