15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one (John 17:15, ESV).
Some time ago I read a story about Sunday night, July 18th, 1999. It was the final game of the Americas Cup being played in Asuncion, Paraguay. Brazil was ahead of Uruguay 3 to 0 for the championship. The official time came to an end and the game went into two last minutes of compensatory time.
Everyone in the stadium from the commentators to the reserve players to the vendors to the fans knew that “Brazil won!” Everyone was on their feet dancing and singing. There were two minutes left in the game. That was not enough time to place three goals and tie the game or four goals to win.
A moment comes in a game when there are too many points and not enough time to win or to lose. The game was not over that night, but the winner had already been decided. Uruguay was still playing, but they had already lost. Brazil was still playing, but they had already won. And nothing would change it.
There is an incredible moment to still be playing the game, knowing it’s not over yet, but knowing you’ve won. You stay on the field. You do what you were sent there to do. You do it with a smile on your face and joy in your heart that comes with knowing the victory is already yours. You just have to play out the clock.
That is where we are a Christians. The game in reality is over. Jesus has won the victory for us. His resurrection proves it. We merely have to play out the clock. There will be injuries and apparent setbacks. There will be challenges and delays. There will be tears and suffering. Stay on the field and faithfully finish the game.
Paul understood this in his life. Apparently when he stood before Caesar he was condemned to die. Amoral and insensitive people would put him to death. Yet he would write in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (ESV):
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
To all of us the same writer would say in Romans 8:38-39 (ESV):
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is something divinely implanted in us that desires Liberty. I believe it is part of the victory that comes with Jesus. It is the image of God. We want to be free from the addictions of sin. We want to be free from the amoral and immoral control of others. Wouldn’t it be great if we could achieve spiritual and physical freedom? And, why should we not have both?
Liberty comes with the presence of the Lord according to 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV), “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That freedom or Liberty is costly. It cost Jesus His life to provide it and it costs ours to claim and preserve it.
C.S. Lewis once said:
“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”
There is cost to every lasting blessing of God, including Victory and Liberty.
It is not an easy thing because the devil wants to take your Liberty. HE wants to have immoral control over your life. Right now we are seeing his control internationally. He has shut down the economy and the populations of the entire earth. He has frightened people into compliance to all manner of ungodly mandates.
Yet there are some lovers of Liberty that are fighting his tyranny. It is a hard fight but it is a worthwhile one. True Liberty will come when we hold fast to Jesus and His truth. He IS “the way, truth, and life” (John 14:6).
How do we push back tyranny when it comes?
- Know and use the Bible just as Jesus did when tempted by the devil in the wilderness.
- Pray and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into our lives. As Paul stated, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
- Educate ourselves to the realities of our day. “Question all the answers,” as one of my teachers has said. Question what you see because there are things happening we don’t. For instance, did you know:
- Bill Gates has repeatedly stated that 7 BILLION people on earth need to die? I’m sure he doesn’t intend to be one of those, but that is the mindset of the Globalists.
- That the estimate for abortions in America is in the neighborhood of 77 Million since 1973? We have murdered that many innocent babies! They weren’t convicted felons, they were babies!
- Senatorial Candidate, Jackson Lahmeyer says there are three key issues facing America. These are Election Integrity; the Border Invasion; and the Rate of Inflation. What do you know about these issues?
- Speak up with truth. Truth does set people free and we need to share all manner of truth, biblical, medical, and scientific.
- Be willing to take abuses that will inevitably come to the truth-teller. Listen to 1 Peter 3:14 (ESV), “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,”
- Serve God and people, even our enemies, anyway. It is always right to faithfully serve for in the end, we win!
Keep The Light of Christ’s Victory for Us Burning!