Transforming from Victim to Victor through Faith and the Spirit of Christmas / S3E15

What if the true spirit of Christmas could transform your mindset from one of victimhood to victorious living? Join us as we explore this uplifting journey of faith, drawing inspiration from Romans 8 and Philippians 4. We promise you'll gain insights into how the birth of Jesus empowers us to overcome adversity and reject a victim mentality. In an era where society often leans towards embracing victimhood, we focus on the liberating power of trusting in God's grace and mercy, encouraging you to cultivate positive and noble thoughts. As we navigate through life's trials, remember that true peace and victory are found in Christ, who calls us to rise above challenges with hope and love.

This episode also delivers a victorious Christmas message, inspired by 2 Timothy 2:14-17, reminding us to avoid fruitless arguments and to speak words that uplift rather than harm. Discover the significance of presenting ourselves as diligent and approved workers of God, spreading the good news of Christ's birth and the new life He offers. As Christmas approaches, let's celebrate the joy and strength found in faith and the triumph over adversity through Christ's victory. Share in the blessings of faith this season, and may your Christmas be filled with peace, hope, and joy!

Chapters

• 0:12 From Victim to Victorious
• 10:17 Victorious Christmas Message

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

Christmas is almost here and I hope you guys are having a wonderful season. Today we're going to talk about from victim to victorious. I want to start out with Romans 8, 31 through 39. What, then, shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us? Who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all? How shall he not him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? Is it God who justifies? Who is he who condemns? Is it Christ, who died and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword, as it is written, for your sakes? We are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us, For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angel, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, things to come, nor height nor depth or any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ, our Lord. You know we're looking at Christmas right now and I have to say that because of his birth, we've been made more than conquerors.

Speaker 1: 2:04

I don't want to talk about this long, I'll just talk about the mass shooting. But I'm not really talking about the shooting. I'm talking about a comment that was made by a deputy, and the deputy said every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. I have had things happen to me in my life and I'm not a victim. God makes us more than conquerors, and when Satan wants to put these ideas in our heads that when something bad happens to us we're continually victims that's not what Christ came for. He didn't come so that we can be victims. He came that we should have life and have it more abundantly.

Speaker 1: 2:58

I read a statement and it said in recent years, our culture has taken a very unhealthy turn, embracing a perspective which predisposes our collapse under life's adverse circumstances rather than causing us to persevere through them. The essence of this new perspective may be summed up in the word victim. No longer are we responsible for our attitudes and actions when we have been wronged or abused. Now we are the victims. Whatever happened to us is no longer our fault, Nor are we responsible for the way we choose to respond to it. You know, growing up I was always told it's not what happens to you, it's how you react to what happens to you.

Speaker 1: 3:55

Do you know who was the largest victim in history? But he never had a victim mentality, and that was Jesus Christ. From the moment he was born, people were after him. He had to go to Egypt because they were going to kill all the firstborn children, but he never took the attitude of poor me. Look what happened to me. He had to go to Egypt because they were going to kill all the firstborn children, but he never took the attitude of poor me. Look what happened to me. Everything happens to me. I just can't make it because I've just been so mistreated.

Speaker 1: 4:30

That's not what God has in store for us. That's not what God wants for us. That's not why he was sent here. He was sent in here to save us. He was sent here to give us grace, to give us mercy. He was sent here for our salvation. And how can you be a victim with that.

Speaker 1: 4:58

Philippians 4, 6-9 says Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, With thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things, the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me. Do these, and the God of peace will be with you. When we meditate on the things that God has for us, we can't be a victim, and I was so sad when I read that that they will be victims forever. How was he to make that decision for those people? Aren't they the ones that decide whether they're going to be a victim or not? If they have trust in God, if their life is built on God's grace and his mercy and his compassion and his healing, they don't have to be victims forever. I don't know why that made me so angry when I read that. It was just like Satan was saying it and like I told you at one of my other podcasts lately, I've been constantly saying Satan, you are a liar, and he is a liar. He's the father of lies.

Speaker 1: 6:47

Romans 5, 1 through 5,. I want you to really listen to this scripture. It says Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into his grace, in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of glory. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character and character. Hope. Now, hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. We can go through tribulations and God goes right along with us. But just because we've gone through tribulations and God goes right along with us, but just because we've gone through it, doesn't mean we're a victim, In fact. In fact, we're not a victim, we're victorious. We're victorious in all those things because of Christ Jesus, because of the armor of God.

Speaker 1: 7:57

This is a scripture that I think really sets the tone. It's 2 Corinthians 4, 6 through 10. It's 2 Corinthians 4, 6-10. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. That the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

Speaker 1: 9:00

And if you know me, I'm going to talk about music. And if a lot of you know this song, you probably know exactly what song I'm talking about, and it's Trading my Sorrows by Daryl Evans. I love that song and it uses that scripture I'm pressed but not crushed, persecuted, not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. I am blessed beyond the curse, for his promise will endure. His joy is going to be my strength. Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. And isn't that what it's about Going through these things? Knowing that his promises are true, Knowing that no matter what comes against us, he's there. A victim, Absolutely not. There are no victims in Jesus Christ. He takes us from victim to be victors. He takes us from a victim mentality to a victorious mentality.

Speaker 1: 10:17

2 Timothy 2, 14-17 says Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, but shun profane and idle babblings, For they will increase to more ungodliness and their message will spread like cancer. And telling people they're going to be victims is telling them they have cancer. You know we need to be telling people when we hear things like this. We need to be reminding them that God is in control. God is in control, not people that are out.

Speaker 1: 11:33

That you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Jesus, blessed are you, For the spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. He is victorious. We are victorious. Tell others, tell others this Christmas that he came to make us victorious, that he came to save us from the fiery darts of Satan. From the fiery darts of Satan, that Christ child came to give us new life. Merry Christmas.