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2 Corinthians 2:14a - Victory in Christ. (complete devotional)

THIS REPLACES THE EARLIER DEVOTIONAL BY THIS TITLE AS IT WAS 
INCOMPLETE. 

2 Corinthians 2:14a - Victory in Christ. (complete devotional)

2 Corinthians 2:14a (NCV) Thanks be to God, who always leads us 
in victory through Christ. 

Paul does not mean that things always turn out the way we want, 
but that in Christ we are always on the road to victory. Setbacks 
happen, but they are never final or fatal. [Life Principles SB By 
Charles Stanley] 

As God transforms us, giving us victory over our dependencies, 
temptations and sins, we begin to reflect his grace in our life.  The 
fragrance of God's transforming work will be readily evident to others if 
we are open and transparent with them.  We don't have to be a 
wonderful speaker to share the Good News.  We can reach out to others in 
the ways we are able to and be willing to share our story.  Our 
humble message passed along by word and deed may be all the 
encouragement someone needs to get his life back on track.  [Life Recovery SB 
mod.] 

   Now on whom dost thou trust?" (2Ki. 18:20).  Such was the 
challenge which the blatant Assyrian field-marshal, Rab-shakeh, flung at 
the beleaguered king Hezekiah, more than two-and-a-half millenniums 
ago.  Little did he guess that before many more sunrises 185,000 of 
his proud army would be corpses, cut down by an invisible scythe of 
the Almighty!  Hezekiah did not reply to Rab-shakeh, but despite the 
hopeless-looking circumstances his heart was fixed, trusting in Jehovah (18:5).  
This was his secret of victory. 
   Even so today, the first mark of the true Christian is 
reliance on Jehovah-Jesus.  We rely on Him exclusively as the vicarious 
Sinbearer through whom we have the salvation of our souls. 
   But we are to rely on Him continually as our victorious 
Champion through whom we have victory in our daily life ... So long as we 
rely on Him we have victory.  Temper, fear, lust, pride, envy, 
grudging, moodiness, impatience, despondency, worry ; over all such we 
gain victory as we really rely on Jesus. 
   Again, we are to rely on Him as our vigilant Provider, who 
"supplies all our need" (Phi. 4:19; Psa. 34:22).  He does not always 
employ ravens to feed His Elijahs, but by one means or another He 
sustains them if they really rely on Him.  [J. Sydlow Baxter; Time with 
God devotional SB] 

To have the religion of Christ means that you have absolutely 
surrendered your all to God, and consented to the guidance of the Holy 
Spirit. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit moral power will be given 
you, and not only will you have your former intrusted talents for the 
service of God, but their efficiency will be greatly multiplied. The 
surrender of all our powers to God greatly simplifies the problem of life. 
It weakens and cuts short a thousand struggles with the passions of 
the natural heart. Religion is as a golden cord that binds the souls 
of both youth and aged to Christ. Through it the willing and 
obedient are brought safely through dark and intricate paths to the city 
of God. MYP30 

EXAMPLE

   Dwight buttonholed me as soon as we came out of church. 
"Larry, I want to talk to you," he said. And for 10 minutes he proceeded 
to recount the sermon I'd just preached. Later my friend Norm 
grinned. "He didn't want to talk to you," Norm said. "He wanted to talk 
at you." I smiled. If Norm had only known. 
   Eighteen months before two members of our church picked 
Dwight up off the street. He'd just been released from a local mental 
hospital, but still was unable to speak a sentence. They took him into 
their home, where he spent most of the time curled up in a dark 
closet. They brought him to church, but often Dwight would get up in the 
middle of the service and run out into the yard. 
   Then they started bringing Dwight over to my house each 
Wednesday evening. We'd play basketball, eat hot dogs, and talk together 
about Dwight's progress and how the couple could best help him. 
   In time we learned Dwight's story. He'd been a successful 
young businessman, with a wife and two kids, a nice home, two cars, a 
boat. But then he'd become obsessed with illicit sex. Gradually his 
world fell apart. He lost his job, his home, his family, his cars and 
boat. Finally he even lost the capacity to talk in sentences. He was 
below rock bottom when the couple from our church found him and took 
him into their home. 
   The morning Norm made his joking remark I thought back over 
the months since Dwight had come to us. As he experienced the love 
of his new friends, he'd gradually calmed. As he participated with 
us in church, he'd found the Saviour. And then, not suddenly but 
surely, he'd begun to heal. That very week Dwight had begun to work 
again--he'd started a lawn service. And that morning he'd been able to tell 
me, in great detail, exactly what my sermon was about, and what it 
meant to him. 
   I had the overwhelming realization as I looked that morning 
at Dwight, that the Person I saw was Jesus. It was Jesus, looking 
out through the unveiled face of Dwight, revealed clearly through 
the transformation His Holy Spirit had worked in Dwight's life. 
   Each Sunday that I came to our little church and looked 
around, I saw Jesus everywhere. For each of us, like Dwight, had shared 
our lives with the others. We were an imperfect people. The warts 
and blemishes of our humanity were all too visible. But we were 
growing and changing too. In the ever-increasing glory of the 
transformations taking place, we recognized and knew our LORD. [The 365-Day 
Devotional Commentary] 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php

Excellent Spiritual Resource Site: 
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/   

More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com