(ADVENT 16) Unwrapping Christmas: Victory Over Sin

God not only calls us to a holy life, but through what Jesus did through His death on the cross and His resurrection, we are empowered to release His holiness through us. 1st Peter 1 tells us:
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

The capability is there, the question is whether or not we will depend on Him in order to release the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to live through us.  We can enter in to a life that reflects the image of Jesus Christ, that demonstrates that we know Him. We have victory in Christ, and out of great love for Him and a desire to please Him, we can make it our goal to walk in holiness.  It's been said that we might not be sinless, but we could "sin less."  And, when we confess our sin, He forgives and cleanses us. 

+++++

This is December 16, Day 16 of Unwrapping Christmas, in which I have identified 25 different gifts that have been made available to us through Jesus.  It's our Faith Radio Advent Guide, "25: A Christmas Advent-ure," and here on the 16th day, the gift is: victory over sin.

This is so important - we live in an age where good is called evil and evil good, and definitions of what is sinful have shifted, to our detriment. But, God's Word is clear, and there is a passage in 1st Corinthians 15 that includes today's theme verse:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

As she spoke at a convocation at a major Christian university just over two months ago, a high-ranking state official provided insight for them about to whom they belong; the school's website reported...

...she reminded students that Christians are tenants, and that God is the landlord.

“These bodies of ours, they don’t even belong to us,” she said. “We are living in a rental acting like we own it.”

The speaker was the Lt. Governor of Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears, and the place was Liberty University; the article continues:

While many in the world act entitled, as if they “brought themselves here,” Earle-Sears said they will one day discover that that is not the case.

“They do have a Maker and they will answer to Him someday,” she said.

Sears recently received a high honor from the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship, its 2022 Distinguished Christian Statesman Award. According to the National Religious Broadcasters website, D. James Kennedy Ministries President and CEO Robert J. Pacienza said, “We’re thrilled to honor Lieutenant Governor Sears for her bold and principled leadership and her outspoken Christian witness...”

The article notes that:

In her remarks, Earle-Sears reflected on the impact of prayerful Christian leaders.

“What would it look like if the President of the United States prayed for the people?” Earle-Sears asked. “I saw it modeled for me when the governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia was being inaugurated, and he had our lieutenant governor, me, and our attorney general and our spouses walk with him and Suzanne, the First Lady, down in front of the seal of Virginia. We held hands, and the governor prayed.”

Earle-Sears continued, “It was the first time that I’d ever seen it done, and I’m hoping that it starts a tradition. He was not afraid to ask God for wisdom. He was not afraid to pray for the members of his cabinet, to pray for the other statewides. He was not afraid to pray for the General Assembly members and to pray for the people who had come against him.” 

It says that, "Earle-Sears is the first female Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the first Black female elected to statewide office." The Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty included this in a story on its website:

When her family immigrated from Jamaica, her father had just $1.75 to his name but he worked hard and became successful (he is now retired). Sears also seized on the possibilities that the land of opportunity offered her, joining the Marine Corps, working as a licensed electrician, eventually starting her own appliance and plumbing repair business, and becoming a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates.

She explained, “I want people to understand that I didn’t do anything special to become lieutenant governor of Virginia; all I did was stay in school and study. Prepare, prepare, prepare — that’s all I did because I want the little girls and boys to know that if I can do it, [they can do it.]”

The university's article stated:

She said she grappled for years with what having faith truly means before eventually coming to recognize, through in-depth study of Scripture, that faith is trusting in what God says even when the way ahead looks confusing or appears daunting.

She referenced biblical examples such as Abraham, Rahab, and the woman in the Gospel of Luke infected with a blood hemorrhage — all broken people who trusted that the Lord was who He claimed to be.

“(The Bible) says that without faith it is impossible to please God,” she said.

By faith in Christ, we can be saved.  By faith in Christ, we can please the Lord.  As we trust in the Lord, we can experience victory in areas in which we struggle with sin.  We can resist temptation.  Winsome Earle-Sears exhibits a "can do" spirit, but that is not something exclusive to her or a few high-profile celebrities, political leaders, or sports heroes.  Each of us can practice our faith effectively and can overcome what threatens to hold us back spiritually.

As the Lt. Governor noted, we belong to God - that's consistent with 1st Corinthians 6, which tells us that we are not our own: our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to glorify God in the way we act.  If we're living for the Lord, it's our desire to please Him and we can surrender our selfish desires and adopt His desires for us.  Christ lives in us, and we have the power to obey Him.