Surrender part 3
It seems to me that while we spend so much time trying to "overcome," we miss out on the glorious truth found in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." In Him we have peace. Because HE overcame the world. Which means, even though we shall have tribulation, there's nothing left for us to overcome. He brought every mountain low and every valley high and made the way straight. Now the weight and the sin that so easily besets us no longer has to be a stumbling block. It can be simply set aside. We don't have to fight. We can surrender. Let me say it like this, "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whoseover shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:29). Or let me say it like this, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). The fight is over. Only the good fight of faith remains--BELIEVING that the fight is over, and being of good cheer BECAUSE the fight is over! Jesus fought, and won, the war to end all wars on the cross. That means there are no more wars to fight. We don't have to fight evil. We don't have to resist it. But that doesn't mean we have to be overcome by it either. We already overcame it. Because JESUS already overcame it. God is love. And that ought to make us lovers, not fighters. We always think we need to defend God. As if He's helpless unless we can shove Scripture down someone's throat. Guys... God is OUR defender. He is OUR Savior. He is OUR safe refugee. How many times in the Old Covenant did God command the people not to fight at all? He would command them to march around a wall. Or break open a clay jar with a lamp inside (what a picture of US, the treasure in the earthen vessel, that is!). And then HE would fight for the people. HE would get the victory. That's what happened in fulness on the cross. Jesus got the victory. He moved us out the realm of conflict and war and into the realm of righteousness, PEACE, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Out of the world and into the Kingdom. Which brings me back to Jesus' words in John 16:33. He said, "In the WORLD ye shall have tribulation." And we accept that without even thinking about it. Of course we have tribulation, because we're in the world. But... on this side of the cross we're not IN the world, are we? We're in the Kingdom. Because the Kingdom is in us. We're in Him. And in Him we have peace. In Him we don't need to fight. We can turn the other cheek. If someone takes our coat we can give them our shirt. We don't have to defend God, and we don't have to defend ourselves. The fight is over. The battle is won. Peace reigns! And let me say this: Light and dark don't fight with each other. When the light shines, the darkness flees. It's no contest. So let your light shine. By surrendering. By presenting your body as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Living His life by letting Him live His own abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life in, and through, and as you! Light doesn't shine by trying really hard to shine. Light shines because that's it's nature. Jesus is the light of the world. YOU are the light of the world. He shines in you, when you believe that He's shining in you! The good fight of FAITH. Laying hold of the gift we've already been given. Not fighting. But surrendering to the truth!