I always like to be topical and
this week of course there have been many celebrations or commemoration
of VE Day, the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the 8th of May 1945. It was declared VE Day after
Britain and its allies formally accepted Nazi Germany's surrender
after almost six years of war. At 1500 hours the then Prime
Minister Winston Churchill announced World War II in Europe had come
to an end. I want to think about really
victory and if you want a text in the chapter that we read although look to other scriptures as well
in 1 John chapter 5 and verse 4 for whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world and this is a victory that overcometh
the world even our faith we'll come to that in a while
I guess to gain victory in business or sport or war well it involves opposition,
effort, struggle, injury, death and spiritual victory follows
the kind of same pattern despite these headings I trust
that we will be uplifted by what I wish to say. Well we start
with opposition or put in brackets evil forces in Ephesians 6 and verse 12 It says, for we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. So that's quite a plethora of
enemies, isn't it? It's not just one there's a whole
host of them there described in that verse so there are many
evil forces that affect everyone and that we are particularly
conscious as the Lord's people and then secondly there's effort
and in brackets I've put supplies from God in the same chapter
in Ephesians 6 and verses 10 to 11 finally my brethren be
strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the
whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil and the idea of wiles really
like with opposition that it can be quite subtle and we know
don't we from scripture that perhaps that Satan's trump card
is his subtlety but here we have effort saying about being strong
in the Lord and in the power of his might it's not our strength
it's the Lord's be strong in the Lord and in the power of
his might and what we are to do we are to put on the whole
armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the walls
of the devil so there's effort Now we know
of course that in order to be saved we're not saved by works
that is clear isn't it we're not saved by our works it's the
finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ it's not our works but
the evidence of a work of God in our lives the evidence of
salvation is that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling
as it says in Philippians 2 and verse 12. And so that's it isn't it? We're saved by the work of God It's not about doing things as
perhaps other religions. It's about doing things in order
to be saved or get to heaven. No, with the Christian, it's
not what we do. It's what has been done, what
has been done by the Lord Jesus Christ. but we are to still work
out our salvation with fear and trembling we are to run the race
that requires effort doesn't it to run a race a lot of training
a lot of hard work to run a race and to fight the good fight well
that requires effort as well so we're not just to sit back
you know we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling
knowing that the lord will help us it's the power of his might it's
his armor and the strength that we have comes from the lord So
we have opposition and effort and thirdly struggle third word
was struggle and in brackets I put sin and I always often
quote this regarding the Apostle Paul in Romans and chapter 7 and there are so many verses
in that chapter that speak of the struggle with sin that he
as a believer had. Verse 13 of Romans 7. Perhaps we can start there. What's then that which is good
made deaf unto me, God forbid, but sin that it might appear
sin working deaf in me by that which is good, that sin by the
commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the
law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which
I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no
more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. for I know that
in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is
present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not
for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would
not that I do now if I do that I would not it is no more I that
do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find then a law that when
I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man, that
I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death then he
says I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord and as you know when we are converted
we're still sinners aren't we? the reigning sin becomes remaining
sin we don't suddenly become perfect and sinless no and perhaps
we realize our sin even more but we know that there is no
condemnation that our sin will not if we are in Christ that
it won't be held against us but I'm sure that we've all if we
are the Lords that we are we are serious about these things
and we don't want to sin but sometimes we can't seem to help
it and then we want to do good things and we've failed to do
that I'm sure that we've all been there and experienced that
and have that struggle with sin. So we still sin even when saved
but they won't condemn us if we have repented and trusted
in Christ to take away our sins. So we have opposition, effort,
struggle. Then the fourth word was injury
and I put trials in brackets and there's a lovely verse in
Matthew 12 verse 20 that says a bruised reed shall he not break
and smoking flanks shall he not quench till he send forth judgment
unto victory And I found this that Albert
Barnes said on this verse. A bruised reed. The reed is an
emblem of feebleness as well as of fickleness or want of stability. A bruised, broken reed is an
emblem of the poor and oppressed. It means that he would not oppress
the feeble and poor as victorious warriors and conquerors did.
It is also an expressive emblem of the soul broken and contrite
on account of sin, weeping and mourning for transgression. He
will not break it. That is, he will not be severe,
unforgiving, and cruel. He will heal it, pardon it, and
give it strength. smoking flax. This refers to
the wick of a lamp when the oil is exhausted, the dying flickering
flame and smoke that hang over it. It is an emblem also of feebleness
and infirmity, almost extinct. He would not be like the Pharisees,
proud and overbearing, trampling down the poor. It is expressive
also of the languishing graces of the people of God, will not
treat them harshly or unkindly, but will cherish the feeble flame,
minister the oil of grace, and kindle it into a blaze, until
he send forth judgment unto victory. Judgment here means truth, the
truth of God, the gospel. It shall be victorious, it shall
not be vanquished, though the Messiah is not such a conqueror
as the Jews expected yet he shall conquer though mild and retiring
yet he will be victorious and there are many times aren't
there in life that we perhaps really feel in the depths we're
really up against it we feel very very low I'm sure that we
have experienced it or haven't will do we can't get any lower
and perhaps things seem to be against us we're at our wits
end and I'm sure that perhaps we can say that but the Lord
even if there's just seems like a crumb of spirituality there
He won't extinguish it. The Lord is very gracious and
kind to us. He knows us. He knows our frame
and remembers that we are dust. And as 1 Corinthians 10, 13 says, have no temptation or trial taking
you but such as is common to man but God is faithful that's
good to remember God is faithful who will not suffer you or allow
you to be tempted or tested above that you're able but will with
the temptation or trial also make a way to escape that you
may be able to bear it you know the Lord sort of has
his hand upon the on the temperature gauge on the dial and knows exactly
how what we can take this far no further the Lord knows us
better than we know ourselves and it's God is a great God our God is
almighty and all-knowing and all-seeing and all-powerful and
yet there is this love there is this tenderness and this sympathy
for his troubled people and we are often troubled aren't we
in different ways we won't suffer beyond what we're
able to cope with. When you think of if an office
block is being built, a public place, then it's important isn't
it there are fire exits, fire escapes. I mean it wouldn't be
allowed if there wasn't a way of escape. Well, we sort of do
that sort of in a natural sort of way in terms
of buildings and things like that. So we could be sure that
our Lord won't allow us to suffer beyond what we're able. And then finally on this point,
we have death. And 1 Corinthians and chapter
15 talks much there about the resurrection, doesn't it? And
really that our faith and preaching is worthless if there's no resurrection. But the word victory is mentioned
quite a bit from verses 50 to 57 of 1 Corinthians 15. Now this I say, Brevin, verse
50, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
a saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. 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 give
of us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ unless the Lord comes first we
shall all die think the the oldest person in
the world died recently I think last week or something I think
she was 116 she was a Brazilian nun and I think the oldest person
now in the world is actually British and she lives in a care
home in Lightwater in Surrey so not that far from us i think
she's about 115 or 116 but whether you live to that age i mean compared
to eternity well it's dropping the ocean isn't it but unless
the law comes back first we shall all die because we our fallen men and
women. But we see there that we have
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And these headings that I gave,
you know, we can sort of apply them to our Lord. He knew opposition. He knew what it was. to struggle. He himself was without
sin but it was our sin that he bore in our place and he knew
what it was obviously then to be injured, to suffer as he did
and to die and of course great effort that he did you know in
what The law did. He came into this world, didn't
he? And he perfectly obeyed the law. And he was completely obedient
to his father. He'd come to do his father's
business. But we have, don't we here, the
importance of faith. That brings me to the text in
1 John 5 verse 4. The second part, this is a victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith. So the faith really is saving
faith in the Son of God and the right understanding of God and
the Lord Jesus Christ and ourselves. Pastor James this morning read or quoted from Genesis chapter
11 and the city in the Tower of Babel and in those first 11
chapters of Genesis they are key aren't they to our
understanding of everything that goes on in the world and about
ourselves too all the origins it are in those first 11 chapters
with creation and the seven-day week and the Sabbath day and
the fact that we wear clothes and marriage and there's two
genders and then as we had in Genesis 11 languages that all
stems from there and of course sin and and suffering and death
and also there is the mention of the gospel too in those opening
chapters and these chapters aren't they they're so much under attack
today because really the foundation of our faith is in these chapters
and of course in the Lord Jesus Christ and so it's knowing Christ
and it's knowing what we are by nature and why he came and it's having a right understanding
in the heart not just knowing it in our head but knowing in
our heart you know do we know the Lord Jesus not just in our
head or we have some understanding mental understanding of the Lord
but do we know that he is our Lord and our Saviour that we
are sinners that we are forgiven that we've come to the Lord for
asking for forgiveness. We realise that we can't save
ourselves and we can only be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's so important, isn't
it? It's not about our works, isn't it? So much emphasis is
now on trying to contribute to our salvation. You know, there's
perhaps famine relief. There's an appeal, famine relief. And so we like to contribute,
put a £10 in the box to help famine relief. And we sort of
do that, don't we? And maybe perhaps the same mentality,
we say, well, I just want to do a little bit to help my salvation. it's not enough what the Lord
has done I need to do my bit now what we do is as a result
of what the Lord has done as a result of our salvation not
in order to help our salvation but may it be evident if we are
the Lord's may it be evident that we are and it's seen by
our works and we're told aren't we you know that people may see
our good works that they may glorify our God which is in heaven
and not say what wonderful people we are but glorify God they see
our good works and glorify God But of course our victory is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. As I said there are so many,
there's much opposition isn't there. We could go into that
a great deal more and as well as our own sinful nature still
and all around us opposition. in different ways, there seems
to be much to sort of deflate us or discourage us. But may
we be encouraged to know that if we are the Lords, then we're
on the victor's side. We have victory in Christ. Revelation 6, 2 says, And I saw
and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow,
and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering
and to conquer. then I love the book of Romans
and Romans chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It was Martin Luther described
the book of Romans as a diamond and he said that Romans chapter
8 was its sparkle and certainly adhere to that Romans 8 that
begins there is now therefore now condemnation no condemnation
so it begins no condemnation and it ends with no separation
but we see don't we something of of the glory and the victory
in Christ in this chapter I'll just read from verse 28 of Romans 8. And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the accord according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son. I heard a sermon recently on
being conformed to the image of his son. And that's right,
isn't it? And that's so if we are the Lords,
do we show that we're kind of spitting images that we're of
the Lord? I mean obviously we're far off
being anything like the Lord but there it says about being
conformed to the image of his son recently met somebody who hadn't
seen for quite a few years about 30 odd years and she had a daughter
and I firstly saw the daughter and I was thinking you're a spitting
image of your mum you know you look just like how I remember
your mum about 30 odd years ago. So there was that great resemblance. May it be with us that the people,
they see us and see something of the Lord Jesus Christ in us. That indeed there is this conforming
to the image of his son. carrying on in verse 29, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? And so lots of things seem to
be against us, but Who can be against us to defeat us? No one
or nothing. That's tremendous words to think
about that, isn't it? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. And that was a cost to the father
to give his son, the Lord Jesus, to come into this world. I mean,
to leave his throne in glory to come to this world, knowing
full well where he was to come. How shall we not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifier. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. It's all about Christ,
isn't it? It's all about Christ. And who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation
trials, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword. As it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. It's not us
doing the conquering, it's the Lord. For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, if we are the Lord's even when we passed
from this world. That can't separate us from the
love of God. Nor life, nor angels, nor principalities. I mentioned a lot about principalities. Spirits of the air and these
evil spirits that are mentioned. Nor powers nor things present.
Maybe there are things at the moment that are really worrying
us or disturbing us and we can't really think about anything else
it's just so much on our minds and that can't separate us from
the love of God or things to come things that may happen or
may not happen but whatever is to come that
can't separate us from the love of God nor height nor depth being
in the depths you know being very very low can't separate
us nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So wonderful words of victory
but it speaks doesn't it of Christ and our hope being in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just a final reference in Ephesians
1 from verse 15 Ephesians and chapter 1 From verse 15, Wherefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto
all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his
calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us would who believe according to the working of his mighty
power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come, and have put all things under his
feet, gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all in all
so there's great victory to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ
and of course he will always have the victory when we think
of somebody or a team being victorious then they've won but others have
lost There's only one team or one person who's won the cup
or the trophy, but everybody else has lost. They haven't won
it. But if we are the Lord Jesus
Christ, we cannot and we will not lose. We are the Lord's chosen
before the foundation of the world, saved in time, and the
Lord made sure that his people, he would lose none of them. None
of us will ever be lost. But Satan loses, and he's doing
his hardest. He knows he's defeated foe, but
he's trying his hardest to try and make things difficult for
the believer, and we know that. We know that in wars, of course, well, obviously many people die
in order that there may be a victory. And for us to have victory, well,
We are thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ lived and died for
his people. He died and then he rose again,
that it mentioned there in verse 20 of Ephesians 1, which he wrought
in Christ when he raised him from the dead. And 1 Corinthians
15, as I mentioned, spoke much there of the resurrection of
the Lord and If it didn't happen then there's
no point us being here or anybody preaching or whatever. We're
still in our sins. But if we know the Lord then we can be free of our sins
or the condemnation of it. Ultimately though we still have
to wrestle with sin now. as Paul, the Apostle Paul did. Yet there is victory, isn't there,
to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we know when someone
is victorious, they're very happy. And so if we're on the victor's
side, we should be very happy people, very happy with what
God has done and what he is doing. and yes he's gone to the lord
has gone to prepare a place for us and say in my house father's
house are many mansions not just one for all the people of God,
there is a mansion, there is a suitable, suitably prepared
place for each one of us. And that's wonderful, isn't it,
to know. The Lord has gone to prepare
a place for us. And one day we shall be there. And may it be that we know that
we will be there and that we know that the Lord Jesus Christ
came into this world, that he lived and he died on that cross
for us, that our sins have been taken away, that we're forgiven,
that we're saved. we are saved by grace. Can we
say we are sinners saved by grace? It's a wonderful sort of letters
to have after our name, isn't it? Title after our name. People have titles and letters
after their name. But for us to have sinner saved
by grace is surely the best of all of them. May the Lord bless
to us these few remarks. Amen. Let's sing in conclusion from
Hymns for Worship number 184. 184. When this passing world
is done, when has sunk yon radiant sun, when I stand with Christ
on high, looking o'er life's history, then, Lord, shall I
fully know, not till then, how much I owe. Hymns for Worship
184, tune 507. The same one is done. Dark as midnight's gloomy shroud. But when fear preserves the light,
Jesus comes and all is light. ♪ Where have I stood before the
throne ♪ ♪ Praised in beauty not by none? ♪ ♪ Where have I seen thee as
thou art? ♪ I love you. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us
all, now and for evermore. Amen.