Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com

Victory Over Sin 31When we come to a stream where the bridge has washed away, it still may bepossible to cross it –- not in short steps, but with one long jump. So it is whenwe give ourselves to God. When the bridge of blame and excuses is gone, weneed to take that one long leap, without any thought of returning to a life ofhalfhearted commitment. Though our dedication may have to be renewedmany times, we must make it clear, specific, and as final as we can, knowingGod will be with us to keep us walking in His way.4. Realize that our ultimate goal is not victory – but God Himself!Augustine wrote in his, Confessions, “O Lord, Thou hast made us for Thyself, andour hearts are restless until they find their all in Thee.” Ultimately, not evenvictory over sin can satisfy. Only God can do that, for He has made us to needa person-to-person relationship with Him. He is the Person in whose likenesswe are made.Copernicus, who lived 1473-1543, was the astronomer who concluded that theearth rotated around the sun, and not vice versa – as was believed up to thattime. With the sun at he center of the universe, the planetary motion could beexplained more easily. The complicated equations needed to explain themovement of planets were simplified by this new theory.God wants us to have our own “Copernican revolution.” He longs to be broughtfrom the circumference to the very center of our life to make our lifemeaningful and rewarding and to give us the beautiful simplicity of life thatserves a sovereign who is both Creator and Redeemer. The victory over sinthat we seek will come from our relationship with God. When we seek toknow God and to love Him with our whole mind, heart, and soul, thefreedom we are looking for will come about.We may think that knowing God is a rather theoretical and mystical goal. God isinvisible, and may seem inaccessible – It does seem easier to establish goals in business -- or in our marriage -- and family life, doesn’t it?The wonderful promise of the Scripture is that we can know God. God said to usthrough the prophet Jeremiah, “You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I willlisten to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.And I will be found of you” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).Throughout the Bible the desire to know God is compared to a thirst. The OldTestament prophets spoke of the time when the land would be flowing with water,when God Himself would give His people springs in the desert.Jesus spoke of Himself as the One who could give the living water. “If any man isthirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, `From hisinnermost being shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38).