HE CAUSES US TO TRIUMPH
2 Cor 2:14 Morning Meditation
5/3/2007
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." Paul credits the Lord as the cause of every triumph in the Christian life. The words "Now thanks be unto God" translates "thriambeuo" and means, "totriumph, to celebrate a triumph." It is from the root word meaning a hymn sung in festal processions. It is a "Sudden outburst of gratitude incontrast to the previous dejection in Troas." -Robertson's Word Pictures.When the Church meets, singing is always one of the main parts of theservice. These songs of praise are songs that celebrate our victory in Christ. Let's look at some things that He is the cause of in the Christian's life.
HE IS THE CAUSE OF SALVATION1. He is our Creator and wants to be our Re-Creator. Ephesians 4:24, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Salvation is God's plan not ours. Ephesians 1:4-6, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before himin love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by JesusChrist to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To thepraise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in thebeloved." Note the words, "Wherein he hath made us accepted." He is thedynamic of this transaction. There is no sweat on the face of the believerbecause he didn't do a thing but cast himself on the mercy of God, i.e.,"God be merciful to me a sinner."2. He is directly involved in the salvation of each soul. The Word ispreached and His Holy Spirit is His unseen presence to enforce theregeneration of the believer when faith is exercised. He is the CAUSE of oursalvation.
HE IS THE ONE WHO CAUSES US TO STAND
1 Corinthians 2:5, "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,but in the power of God."The word "faith" in this verse is not talking about saving faith; it istalking about what we as believers believe. Many of those to whom Paul waswriting would have to seal their testimony of salvation by standing firmlyon what is believed. God is able to make us to stand. Romans 14:4, "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his ownmaster he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is ableto make him stand."In the work of soul winning, I have run into many who have used for anexcuse for not immediately receiving Christ as Saviour, that they could nothold out. First of all, a person is not saved by holding out; he is saved byletting God do the holding. John 10:27-30, "My sheep hear my voice, and Iknow them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and theyshall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. MyFather, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluckthem out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."
HE IS THE CAUSE OF HOLINESS
1 Corinthians 1:30, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is madeunto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:"It is God who makes Christ Jesus unto us wisdom, and righteousness, andsanctification, and redemption. The word "sanctification" in this verse isthe translation of a word that means "holy."This means that Christ is our holiness before the Lord.
HE IS THE CAUSE OF OUR SECURITY
Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost thatcome unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."This verse says that "He is able" to save to the uttermost, "seeing he everliveth to make intercession for them." Our security is in His intercessoryministry.Romans 8:35-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shalltribulation, 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; weare accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we aremore than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, thatneither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, northings present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any othercreature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is inChrist Jesus our Lord."The world, the flesh, or the Devil cannot separate us from our position thatwe hold in Christ Jesus.
IT IS HE THAT CAUSES US TO BE VICTORIOUS
1 John 5:4, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this isthe victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." We are saved byfaith in Him, and once in Him, He becomes our victory in this present evilworld. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, andmaketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." We arealways triumphant in Him. He gives us His triumph. May the Lord bless these words to our hearts. In Christ- Bro. White (Dr. Earl White is a friend of mine and a great man of God with much wisdom, thus a sometimes contributor to this blog.)