"Victims or Victors?"

 

“Victims or Victors?”

 

Dictionaries define victim as one who is harassed, tricked or injured by circumstances beyond their control. In contemporary culture, however, the term has had its meaning expanded to include those who have experienced misfortune due to their own poor planning, rash decisions or when events go against their wishes or the way they think things ought to be. This has created a “victim mentality” in which manipulation is used to get what they want (or feel entitled to have) or avoid accountability.

We as God’s people may sometimes feel like victims when our biblical values are ignored by legislators, judges and current societal “norms”. But should these trends take us by surprise? Listen to the words of Jesus: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18). A major theme in Acts is how those early believers suffered for Him (“The apostles…{rejoiced} that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”—Acts 5:41). So they didn’t see themselves as victims but victors and lived out John’s later words: “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4). (This is the basis of John Yates’ great 1882 hymn “Faith Is the Victory”—check it out in a hymnal.) A generation later Paul told his protégé, “…Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12). And this prospect is for us today as well.

In April we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection, the most important truth of our Christian faith. What the religious leaders, Romans and Satan thought was their greatest victory—that they’d gotten rid of Him through a series of kangaroo court hearings leading to His being condemned to a humiliating and excruciatingly painful death by crucifixion—ironically turned out to be their greatest defeat when our Savior emerged bodily from the tomb, (See the previous posting “Irony”.) Jesus, then, was the ultimate Victim who became the greatest Victor, leading Paul to cry out, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57, emphasis added). And with this victory comes a challenge: “Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

We may see and think of ourselves as victims but God sees us as victors. How do we see ourselves?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan