"Victorious" Christian Life

[ITS]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

[Bernadette]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

I have been a Christian for 13 years. So far, I do not know any "Perfect" Christians. I do not know any one that lives above sin or is without sin in their lives - Christian and non-Christians.

Therefore, I think that salvation takes care of our original sin. When we are saved, we are justified - pronounced not guilty. We move from the kingdom of darkness to the Kindom of light and are born again.

Then, I believe that our sanctification (cleansing) is a life long process. I believe the Holy Spirit who sealed us at salvation walks throughout life with us. He teaches us, convicts us and helps us to live between the now and not yet return of Jesus Christ.

I also believe that those who ask the Father for the baptism of the Holy Spirit will receive Him. This is a supernatural experience that the Believer encounters and never forgets. It therefore can propel one forward in ministry and their walk in Christ.

It should be noted that there is no formula. One can be saved, baptized and sanctified all at once over a period of time. No two Christian's walk is ever the same. Their relationship with the Trinity is always personal and always unique.

[mrynsburger]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

A great deal of my growth and exposure to Christian ideas has come through my involvement in a ministry organization which teaches a version of ?Keswick Higher Life? sanctification. The basic model of sanctification (which I taught as a staff member of the organization for ten years) includes the idea that victory over sin comes through confessing your sin, yielding control of all areas of your life to God, and trusting God to fill you with the Holy Spirit (who will then take control of your life, enabling you to walk in victory until you ?take back the throne? of your life from Him, at which time you should repeat the process).

I still don?t totally disagree with these ideas, but I do see now (through what I have learned in this course) that this model tends toward a passive idea of sanctification, i.e., the Holy Spirit will sanctify you if you just yield control. I also believe that sanctification requires human effort; when temptation comes I must still choose at the moment whether or not to obey God, and I must choose whether or not I will go and be involved in ministry and service to others. Yet, self-effort is insufficient, as I know very well! I must ask God to help and strengthen me to obey. So I believe that my responsibility in sanctification requires both ?yielding? control to God, as well as exerting effort to obey Him.

[mrynsburger]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

I have been a Christian for 13 years. So far, I do not know any "Perfect" Christians. I do not know any one that lives above sin or is without sin in their lives - Christian and non-Christians.

Therefore, I think that salvation takes care of our original sin. When we are saved, we are justified - pronounced not guilty. We move from the kingdom of darkness to the Kindom of light and are born again.

Then, I believe that our sanctification (cleansing) is a life long process. I believe the Holy Spirit who sealed us at salvation walks throughout life with us. He teaches us, convicts us and helps us to live between the now and not yet return of Jesus Christ.

I also believe that those who ask the Father for the baptism of the Holy Spirit will receive Him. This is a supernatural experience that the Believer encounters and never forgets. It therefore can propel one forward in ministry and their walk in Christ.

It should be noted that there is no formula. One can be saved, baptized and sanctified all at once over a period of time. No two Christian's walk is ever the same. Their relationship with the Trinity is always personal and always unique.

Bernadette?s comments are interesting, and I agree with some of what she has written: that there are no perfect Christians, that sanctification is a lifelong process, that the Holy Spirit seals us at salvation and helps us to live the Christian life.

I wish she would elaborate on some of her comments however. I?m curious to know what she means when she writes, ?Salvation takes care of our original sin.? Does this refer to the idea that we no longer have a sin nature after we are justified? Or does she merely mean that at the point of salvation we are forgiven for all sin, both constitutional sin and for sins we have actively committed?

I?m also interested to know more of what ?Baptism of the Holy Spirit? means to her. She writes that it ?can propel one forward in ministry and their walk in Christ?, so it seems that she holds the opinion that baptism gives power for service. Referring back to her comment that the Holy Spirit seals us at salvation, however, I know she believes that the Spirit indwells us from conversion. Does she believe that the Holy Spirit baptism merely allows us to experience more fully what we received at salvation, or does she believe that it give the Christian ?more? of the Spirit?

[spiritword]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

Scripturally, I believe that a victorious Christian life would be characterized by the exaltation of the virtue of love in one’s life. Since Jesus Himself said that the greatest commandments of all are first to love God and then love people (Mark 12:30-31; 1 Cor 13:1-8); therefore, one who lives a life of sincere love would be living a victorious Christian life. Romans 8:37 says that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” And three chapters earlier, Paul explained that this love of God is “poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” when we received Christ (Rom 5:5). Thus, in light of the study of the Scriptures and this course, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the victorious Christian life by rooting and grounding a believer firmly in the love of Christ (Eph 3:14-21) and helping him or her to grow in this love daily. When this love foundation is properly in place, the fruit of the Spirit would abound in a believer’s life (Gal 5:22-23) and this would in turn undergird all the other aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, such as the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Cor 12. Whether one defines the “Baptism of the Spirit” as always occurring simultaneously in justification, or a post-regeneration event evidenced by tongues is not the most important issue. Of course, to understand all the details of doctrines and theologies would definitely enhance one’s spiritual life considerably; however, in terms of the overall picture, it is not necessary to have all the terms, definitions, and minor elements correct in order to live a victorious Christian life. Just after listing the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12, Paul went on to explain that if one can speak even the tongues of angels, and have the gift of prophecy, understands all mysteries and knowledge, has mountain-moving faith, and external display of good deeds, but has not love, then he is still NOTHING in the sight of God (1 Cor 13:1-4). This does not mean that we should treat the benefits of charismatic truths and sound doctrines frivolously, and forsake diligence in seeking after renewal in the Spirit, we should never, but it is a matter of priority. The Apostle Paul exhorted us to pursue after love first, and then sound doctrines and spiritual gifts. He elucidated on both love and spiritual gifts in the same Corinthian epistle.

Knowing the Holy Spirit personally and His gifts, anointing and ministry are important assets and marvelous experiences to the Christian life. This knowledge does play a major role in the success of believers. However, if the pursuit of charismatic theology and practices becomes an end to itself so that the focus is no longer on loving God and people, then it is not a victorious Christian life whatsoever (1 Cor 13:1-4). On the other hand, if love be the sole motive, way, and goal of seeking after the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, then it will profit the lover of God much and he shall live a victorious Christian life by the power of God’s love and Spirit. It is, therefore, not an either-gifts-or-love matter, but a both-and call of God with love taking priority over charisma. In conclusion, in the broadest sense, a victorious Christian life is one that is marked with a growing love for Jesus and people continuously. More specifically, this objective would be greatly aided by knowing the Person and work of the Holy Spirit intimately, who is the Spirit of love (Rom 15:30; 2 Tim 1:7).

[spiritword]

A great deal of my growth and exposure to Christian ideas has come through my involvement in a ministry organization which teaches a version of ?Keswick Higher Life? sanctification. The basic model of sanctification (which I taught as a staff member of the organization for ten years) includes the idea that victory over sin comes through confessing your sin, yielding control of all areas of your life to God, and trusting God to fill you with the Holy Spirit (who will then take control of your life, enabling you to walk in victory until you ?take back the throne? of your life from Him, at which time you should repeat the process).

I still don?t totally disagree with these ideas, but I do see now (through what I have learned in this course) that this model tends toward a passive idea of sanctification, i.e., the Holy Spirit will sanctify you if you just yield control. I also believe that sanctification requires human effort; when temptation comes I must still choose at the moment whether or not to obey God, and I must choose whether or not I will go and be involved in ministry and service to others. Yet, self-effort is insufficient, as I know very well! I must ask God to help and strengthen me to obey. So I believe that my responsibility in sanctification requires both ?yielding? control to God, as well as exerting effort to obey Him.

I agree with mrynsburger that believers should not be passive in the process of sanctification and neglect personal freewill choices and responsibilities. It is totally true, however, that we can never achieve holiness on our own merits and strength. I believe that a genuine “self-effort” done in the spirit (and not flesh) is still the result of the energizing of the grace of God within our lives (Gal 2:8, 20). Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who works in you both to WILL and to do for His good pleasure.” Therefore, I personally believe that the Keswick Higher Life’s emphasis on “yielding” to the finished work of Christ in sanctification is valid and important. There is still effort (energized by the grace of God) in yielding, but it is in essence an effort to rest in Christ’s work and not a struggle to grow in fleshly self-strength (Heb 4:11). In my view, yielding to the Christ within us is the key to appropriating the holiness of God, for Jesus Christ is the bodily personification of the fullness of the holiness of God. This can be summarized by Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20, and Romans 12:1-2:

Colossians 1:27
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in (original Greek can also be translated “of”) the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (brackets mine).

Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

[Harry Bratton]

In light of your study on the history of spirituality, describe what you believe to be the "victorious" Christian life.

I believe that the "victorious " Christian life is first of all knowing that you have born again by the Spirit of God. Victory start first with knowing Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. That gives me victory over sin, flesh, and the Devil. The victorious Christian life is knowing that as a Child of God I am no longer and child of the Devil and now have the Power to yield to God. The victorious Christian is having confidence that Jesus is with me at all times and at all places. The victoroius Christian life knowing that when I pray, read the Bible, have fellowship with other Christians serve God in the area that He has called me to serve it Christ in me that doing the work. So to me the victorious Christian life is Holy Spirit empowering me to do the will of God.