It is not that I did choose thee,
Lord, for, Lord, thou couldst not be. Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Niver. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyberg. In 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14,
Paul makes a glorious statement that is true for every believer. He says in verse 14, Now thanks
be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. I've entitled this message, How
Often Do We Triumph? Paul says, thanks be unto God
who always causeth us to triumph in Christ. Life is difficult. Sin makes life difficult. You and I are sinners. We're sinful men and women, and
we live in a sin-cursed world. We live among sinful men and
women, and that creates all kinds of troubles in the home and outside
the home. There are very difficult relationships
because of our sinful natures. We live in sinful bodies, bodies
that are dying, sickness, disease, old age, physical problems, mental
problems, emotional problems, relational problems. troubles
that everybody experiences. We all deal with disillusionment.
We all deal with disappointment and heartache. We all deal with
discouragement. Trials and troubles come. And when one leaves, another
is waiting at the door. And I've not yet mentioned our
personal sins and our personal failures and our personal losses. I could go on and on, but there
is trouble in this sin-cursed world. We're sinful people. And if you're feeling real positive
and optimistic, I'm happy for you. But trouble is coming. Somebody says you're being negative.
No, I'm being realistic. Trouble is coming. Loss. Failure. And yet, Paul the Apostle
says, thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph
in Christ. And when Paul made that statement,
he wouldn't deny anything that I just said. Paul was a man familiar
with trouble. He said in this same epistle,
we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that
we despaired even of our lives. He said in this epistle, a thorn
was given to me, a messenger of Satan that buffeted me, continually
buffeted me. Paul knew trouble within. Paul
knew trouble without. In this same epistle, he talked
about all the persecution he experienced because of preaching
the gospel. He was stoned. He was beat. All the trouble he had. And yet,
thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. How often does a believer triumph? Always, at all times, under all
circumstances. Now understand, this can't be
said of every natural man, of every son of Adam, those who
do not believe. Even if everything's going well,
it's a loss. No matter how good it may appear,
it's all bad. While it's true that if God be
for us, who can be against us, it's equally true that if God's
against us, nobody can be for us. Now, not every son of Adam
can say, thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in
Christ. This is only for the believer.
You see, God is not for everybody. If God be for us, who can be
against us tells us that He's not for everybody. You know He's
not for those in hell. He's against them. He's punishing
them. He's not for those who die rejecting His Son. God's
not for everybody. He is for His people And all
of his people can say, thanks be unto God who always causeth
us to triumph in Christ. Now, in the context, the us is
those who preach the gospel. And in the broader context, it's
the same us of whom Paul said we are more than conquerors,
speaking of all of God's elect. We are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. Now, here's the promise. And
this is for every believer, and every believer can take this
to themselves. If you're someone who looks only
to Christ, this promise is for you. God always at all times,
under all circumstances, causeth us to triumph in Christ. I've heard of people living a
defeated Christian life. According to the text, there's
no such thing. If you're in Christ, you're always
caused to triumph. There are no losers, only victors. There are no losses, only gains. Romans 8, 28 says, and we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. Now, how can
this be? How can this be? Well, here's
the way I'll answer that question. With God, nothing shall be impossible. And God causes every believer
to always triumph in Christ. Now, here's the first way we
triumph, because God gives us this victory. This victory is
not something we've achieved through our ability, dedication
or hard work. It's not a triumph that we've
earned in any way. It is a gift. Look what Paul
says in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 57. He says, But thanks be to
God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if God gives me the victory,
I triumph. Now, in verse 54 of this same
chapter, he said, So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death
is swallowed up in victory. Now, when I think of death, I
don't think of victory. But death is swallowed up in
victory for the believer. Look, he says in verse 55, O
death, where is thy sting? Listen to the triumphant tone
of this question. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. There's
only one reason anybody dies. Only one, sin. Somebody says,
well, what about Christ? He was made sin, that's why he
died. The only reason anybody dies is because of sin. And the
strength of sin is the law. All God's law does is expose
sin. And this is how strong sin is. All you do is sin according to
the law. The strength of sin is the law,
but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. If the sting of death is sin,
how can the victory of death be removed? Because the sting
has been taken away. The reason for death has been
removed. Sin was removed by what the Lord
Jesus Christ did on the cross. Now, if you saw a wasp coming
at you without a stinger, what could it do to you? You may be
afraid of it the way it looks, but it can't harm you because
the stinger is gone. And you may look at death, if
you're a believer, and be afraid of it. But remember, the sting
has been removed. The only thing that makes us
afraid is sin. If there were no sin, we wouldn't be afraid
of death. But the sin has been removed. for the believer. It's been put away, it's been
blotted out, and now thanks be unto God which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're victors by virtue
of the gift of God. Now let me read another passage
of Scripture to you from Revelation chapter 12. Beginning in verse
9, we read, And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world. He
was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him. And I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom
of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser,
and look what Satan is called, the accuser of our brethren is
cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And let me say some things about
the accuser of the brethren. I know something about his accusations. They sound something like this. You call yourself a Christian? Why, you're nothing more than
a hypocrite. an actor, a pretender, a contradiction
at best. You, a Christian, look at you,
the evil desires of your heart and mind, the evil things that
you do repeatedly, that men don't see, but God does. You call yourself a Christian? Look how easily you give in to
temptation. Look at the doubts you have. You, a Christian, look how easily
you cave in to the fear of man. And you call yourself a Christian
while you're far too sinful to be saved. You couldn't be saved
or you wouldn't be like this. You're an actor. Satan knows
how to accuse, doesn't he? And he doesn't have to make those
things up. Every accusation he makes is true, and he doesn't
have to embellish the truth. He simply has to state it. No
lies. He is the accuser of the brethren. Now let's go on reading. He accuses
them before our God night and day, verse 11, and they overcame
him. Every one of these people that
he leveled these accusations against, they overcame him. They won the victory. They triumphed
over him. How? By the blood of the Lamb. Here is our victory. They overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb. Now this is talking about the
blood of the Lamb of God. the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you what the
Bible says His blood has actually achieved. And this is how He
has won the victory for every single one of His people. Now
remember, these people in and of themselves, these accusations
that Satan make, they're true. They're true. But they overcame
the accuser by the blood of the Lamb. Now according to Romans
5-9, we're justified by His blood. That means not guilty. That means
that the accusations are false. I stand before God just. His blood has removed my sin. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 12 says
we're sanctified by His blood, actually made holy. So that when
God looks at everybody that Jesus Christ died for, He sees somebody
who really is holy. Somebody says, well, that's positional
holiness. There's no such thing. I am actually holy before God. My sin has been removed. I'm
just, and I am holy by His blood. by which will we are sanctified,
we're declared by God to be holy through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. Colossians 1.20 says he made
peace by his blood. I didn't make my peace with God.
He made my peace with God, and now God has no reason to be angry
with me. He's at perfect peace with me,
and I have such peace knowing that His blood makes God at peace
with me. Oh, what peace we experience
from that being justified by faith. We have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 1, 7 says His blood cleanses
us from all sin. All sin. Revelation 1.5 says
we're washed in His blood. Ephesians 2.13 says we're made
nigh by His blood. I'm actually close to God. Matter
of fact, I can't get any closer. I love what the hymn writer said,
near, so near to God. Near, I cannot be. In the person
of His dear Son, I'm as near to God as He. Dear, so dear to
God. Dearer, I cannot be. in the person
of his dear son I'm as dear to God as he Hebrews 10 9 says we
have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ
now I actually have boldness to come into the very presence
of God and know I'll be accepted and embrace confidence to come
into his presence through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins,
and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day, and there may I, though vile as he,
wash all my sins away. They overcame Him by the blood
of the Lamb. And next, by the word of their
testimony. What is the word of their testimony? They overcame
Him by the blood of the Lamb. That's our message. The blood
of Christ cleanses us from all sin. And the scripture next says,
They loved not their lives even unto death. We're willing to
die for this message. The message that the blood of
Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, by His grace, I'm willing
to die for this message. Every believer is, every believer
truly is a martyr of the Lord, willing to die for the gospel. Now, in 1 John chapter 4, or
chapter 5, we read that we're born triumphant. Listen to this
verse of scripture, in 1 John chapter 5, verse 4, for whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world. Now, you look at life,
and it seems that there's some who are born winners, And there's
some who are born losers. Now you've observed this. There's
some people who are born into homes with every opportunity.
They're given every opportunity to achieve and succeed. They
have parents who love them. They have money. They have education.
They have wealth. They have all these different
things working for them. And they seem to be born victorious.
They're born talented. They're born intelligent. They're
born with all these blessings. And then you can turn it around.
And there are other people who are born in homes of wretchedness.
And it seems like everything is working toward them never
being able to achieve or succeed. And they're never going to be
given the same opportunities these, quote, born winners have. They're born losers. You've seen
that in life. But listen to me. In the Kingdom
of Heaven, everybody is born a winner. Because when you're
born again, When you're birthed by God, you're born a winner. You have a new nature. You were
born with truly royal blood in your veins when you're born again.
That nature must triumph. You are born a winner because
greater is He that's in you than he that's in the world. Now,
let's go on reading concerning this being born a winner. For whatsoever is born of God,
overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world? But he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. Now, I couldn't help but think
about the Ethiopian eunuch after he's heard Philip preach the
gospel. And he says, after hearing Philip
preach, and we know Philip was preaching from Isaiah 53, you
can read about it in Acts chapter 8. He says, here's water. What hinders me from being baptized? Now, this man was being honest.
He thought there may be something wrong with me. There may be a
reason why I shouldn't be baptized. Maybe I'm not sincere enough.
Maybe I don't know enough. Maybe I don't understand enough.
Maybe I'm not good. What hinders me from being baptized? And Philip answered him, If you
believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He didn't say, I believe
I'm saved or I believe I'm one of the elect or I've straightened
up. No, he says, I believe. that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. And John says, who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is
the Son of God. Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is the uncreated, eternal Son of God? Do you believe that it
was Him who said, Light be, and light was. Do you believe that
all things were created by Him and for Him? And He is before
all things, and by Him all things consist? Do you believe that
in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a body? What
an incredible, all the fullness of God, fullness of sovereignty,
fullness of justice, fullness of love, fullness of holiness,
fullness of power, All that God is resides in the body of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Do you believe that He is the
same yesterday, today, and forever? Do you believe that since He
is God, failure is impossible for Him because of who He is?
Whatever He intended to do, that's what He did because He's God.
He's God the Son. Do you believe that Jesus is
the Son of God? Then, beloved, you've overcome. That's what the Scripture says. You've won. You always triumph
in Christ. As He is the overcomer of the
world, you have overcome the world. Now listen to this passage
of Scripture I'm going to read from Matthew chapter 12. This
victory which we have does not deny the reality of our personal
weakness. Do you always triumph in Christ?
Yes, I do. What about how sinful and weak
you are? I still triumph. Listen to this passage of scripture
from Matthew chapter 12. These are the words of the Lord
Jesus. It said of him, verse 18, Behold, my servant whom I've
chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will
put my spirit upon him and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.
He shall not strive No cry, neither shall any man hear his voice
in the streets. Listen to this. A bruised reed, a hollow reed
that's crushed, can't hold up anything. Good for nothing but
to be thrown away. Can't even be used for kindling.
A bruised reed shall he not break. And a smoking flax That's when
a candle has gone out and you just have that little ember that's
just getting ready to go out. It's so weak. A smoking flax
shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory. You see, this triumphing in Christ
does not deny our own personal sinfulness and weakness. But
he still will not bruise that broken reed or put out that smoking
flax. Now, according to Romans chapter
8, verse 37, this is talking about every believer. We are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now, you've
seen a sporting event where two teams were evenly matched and
one just barely managed the win over the other. It's not this
way at all. We are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. More than conquerors. I mean,
it's a resounding victory. It isn't even close. I didn't
just barely make it by the skin of my teeth. I'm more than conqueror. This is true of every believer.
We're more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Thanks be
unto God who always causeth us. to triumph in Christ. Revelation 1-5 says regarding
every believer that they've been made a king and a priest to God. That's no loser. That's triumphing
in the Gospel. Now, though the Scripture tells
me that I always triumph in Christ, the battle seems to still be
going on. It seems like I face losses and
failures and going backwards and unbelief every day. And you tell me that I always
triumph in Christ? How can that be? Because Romans
8.28 says that all things, my failures, my losses, Even my
sin, God is so glorious, my sin drives me to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not using, I'm not excusing
my sin in any way. I'm not saying let us sin that
grace may abound, but I'm saying that all things, I'm not saying
it, God's saying it, all things, all things, good things, bad
things, indifferent things, all things, work together for good. to them that love God, to them
who are called according to His purpose. So although the battle
does still seem to be going on, it's not. It's simply God working
everything for my good and His glory. And according to the Scriptures,
the battle is already over. When He said it is finished,
it was finished. And I am seated in heaven right
now. If Christ is there, I am too,
because I'm in Him. How often does a believer triumph? Thanks be unto God, who always
causes us to triumph in Christ. Now, we have this message on
cassette tape, on DVD and CD. If you call the church right
or email, we'll send you a copy. And I'd also like to invite you
to services at Todd's Road Grace Church. Our morning worship begins
at 10.30 this morning. Bible study at 9.45. And we'd
love to have you come out. And if you can't come out this
morning, come out this evening. Our evening service is at 6 p.m.
And you will hear the truth of the gospel preached. That's our
appeal. The truth is preached. May God
richly bless you. That's our prayer. Amen. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.