I was thinking about something and want to present a question today. Exactly what does it mean to live the "victorious Christian life"? I hear the phrase enough, but I'm not sure I'm clear what it refers to in light of the fact that Jesus has already won the victory over death and the grave at the cross. That would make the Christian life "victorious" by definition. Maybe what's meant by the phrase isn't referring to the cross at all, but rather gaining victory over the flesh...living a life that's free from sin. In other words (and I think better words) living a life that pursues holiness...that chases after the heart of God. But if you want to run after Him I would suggest that it takes more than just doing your best not to sin (although that's a good thing to do as well). It takes a Godward view of our sin. Often our attitude when it comes to sin is less God-centered and more self-centered. Having victory over sin or "being successful" in overcoming temptation has at its core an orientation toward self because the result may not be brokenness but rather a sense of "mission-accomplished". With this in mind I would say that our pursuit should be less about "victory" and more about "obedience"...and obedience requires knowing Who is primarily offended when we sin. Saul said "I have sinned" (I Sam. 15:24)...so did Judas (Matthew 27:4) but it was the declaration of David in II Sam. 12:13 and the "lost" son in Luke 15:21 that indicated they had sinned against the God of the universe. It was this broken-hearted attitude in light of the offense that brought repentance, restoration and right relationship with God. So let me suggest that obedience is the key to bringing Godly sorrow in our attitude towards our own sin. This is certainly not to say that God doesn't want us to have victory it's just that victory is a by-product of obedience. If we're focused on living a life of obedience and pursuing holiness in our lives we will experience the joy of victory over sin. We're out of town this week and I'm so enjoying the re-fueling and re-tooling. With more time to write and read I had this thought for you today. Have a good weekend.