Victorious in Christ

 

Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;

they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

—Psalm 125:1 (NLT)

 

Trust is the ability to rely upon or place confidence in someone. When you trust someone, you rely on the integrity of that person and the security they give. You have faith in them. Those who trust in the Lord, the psalmist proclaims, have confident faith in His security and protection. They know that in trusting God they will not be overcome but will always be victorious.

 

The Old Testament God that Moses encountered on Mount Sinai offered security to the Hebrews if their behavior met His law. Their security in God was conditional on their performance. They staggered in fright when God commanded them not to touch the mountain. Moses himself trembled in fear (Hebrews 12:20). The Law defined what righteous living is. God blessed or cursed them based on their conduct. 

 

On the cross, Jesus changed everything. His grace defined righteous living as not performing according to the law. When someone is reborn in Christ, the righteousness of Christ becomes God’s standard of judgment for that person. Conduct no longer remains God’s standard of judgment. The Law gives sin its power (Corinthians 15:56). God has given us victory over sin in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). Grace has overcome. Sin is no longer master over us. We are no longer under the Law but now under Grace (Romans 6:14). Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Law no longer is our judge. Christ took our judgment. He took our condemnation and punishment and gave us His righteousness. 

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, NKJV).  

 

God looks upon our hearts and sees the righteousness of His Son in us. We don’t walk according to the flesh. The flesh can never fulfill the requirements of the Law. Jesus has. We walk according to His Spirit who is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

 

"You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people (Hebrews 12:22-24a, NLT). 

 

You have come to Jesus, my friend, who negotiated the New Covenant between God and you. He is Mount Zion—the city of the living God, and He no longer lives outside of you. The Kingdom of God is within you. You have no reason to fear God who became flesh and gave His life for you. His love is no longer conditional on your performance. God revealed His real character in the gift of His Son. He is love. He is grace and truth. Now you run to Him—without shame or dread. He is tangible. He is touchable. He is forgiveness and healing and grace. You are His firstborn. Your name is written in His heaven. You can trust God, your Father, who loved you enough to send His Son to perfectly meet the conditions of His law you never could meet.

 

Do you trust Him? If you trust Him, you are secure in Him. You have peace. You have joy. You believe His truth, and you receive His love. When you understand your relationship with God, you have His faith to believe in the integrity of the security that He has given you. You have confident faith in Him because you know how much He loves you.

 

If you are dealing with trust issues in your relationship with God, you must understand who you are in Him. You are His beloved. You are His child. He is your righteousness—your healer—your provider—your Abba Father. You can draw from the wellspring of His love for you. You can share your heart and leave your burdens in His care. You don't need to fear punishment. Yes, God is the judge over all things, but Jesus has negotiated a New Covenant for you. Jesus took the judgment for your sins on the Cross and received your punishment. God sees you through the finished work of His Son. You are without blemish—forgiven and healed and whole.

 

When you place trust in the Lord, you exercise faith. You believe you are secure in His love, and nothing that comes against you has the power to defeat the powerful loving God who lives in you. You have received from the spiritual riches that Christ redeemed for you Ephesians 1:3-4). Christ, the hope of glory, is in you and you are in Him (Colossians 1:27, John 17:22-23). With your heart you believe Christ has justified you and made you right with God (Romans 10:10). Eternity with God began for you, my friend, the moment your heart believed by faith in Jesus.

 

Those who trust in the Lord are secure in His love. They are not defeated by the struggles of life. They are not defeated by the lies of the enemy. They know who the Word says they are in God’s love, and they are at rest in their identity in Christ. No weapon that comes against them will prosper. Their righteousness is in Jesus (Isaiah 54:17). They are overcomers and absolutely victorious in Him.

 

© 2022 Lynn Lacher

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