VICTORY CHAPTER

Text: -- I Corinthians 15:57

But thanks -- (Praise for Victory)

which giveth -- (Victory a gift -- present tense)

the Victory -- (Victory definite)

In the world God has given us great variety. The naturalist will tell us that there are no two trees alike; nor any two leaves or blades of grass or flowers exactly alike. The anthropologist will tell us that there are no two human beings alike in all particulars, not even twins. The psychologist will tell us men's minds differ. There is no monotony of sameness in the physical universe. We have mountain and hill and bluff and prairie, precipice, ravine, valley, dell, mesa, mound, bog, gulch and knoll and hillock and plain. We have rills and streams and rivulets and springs, rivers and seas and oceans. One photographer has twenty-six different shaped snowflakes! Over the physical world roam different kinds of animals, wild and domestic. In earth as well are hidden a great selection of minerals, iron, clay, brass, tin, zinc, copper, coal, silver, gold and diamonds. There is almost endless variety of climate and fruit and crop, in diversified zones. In the heavens are seen the same benevolent design to relieve from monotony -- Planets, sun, moon and stars, fixed and wandering. The fowls that fly in the heavens are also of great variety as well as the domestic fowls. The innumerable fishes of the sea are of different variety. Thus we find in ethnology, ornithology, psychology, geology, astrology, astronomy, geography and every realm known to man great variety.

As men vary in face and form and size, they likewise vary in intellect, talent and temperament. "To every man his work," is in the Divine order in the arts as well as grace; in the spiritual realm of supernatural gifts the same diversity is seen. "All have not the same gifts." Some prophesy; some teach; some have gifts of government; some pastors; some evangelists, In the heavenly abode we find angels, Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim.

Christ in life and service shows great freedom and illustrates variety of mode, manner and method. He knelt and prayed; anon, He told the disciples "When ye stand praying if ye have aught against any forgive." The chief thing in prayer was not the set form or manner of it but the forgiving spirit. He was hard on the staid, stereotyped and formal. As one has said He broke up every funeral procession He ever met and He relieved from monotony or sameness in the method or manner of doing it. He called the young man to come to life from off the bier and Lazarus to come out of the tomb, the one dead a short while and the other so long his body was decaying; the young maid He called back to life while lying on the bed. To her of tender years He speaks softly and gently "talitha cuma." Lazarus He calls forth with a loud stentorian voice resonant with power, command and authority.

He works not by cut and dried method, lie did not always do things alike.

Dining with the Pharisee, who was a stickler for traditional custom and etiquette, He refused the customary ablution of the hands before eating, to the great disgust of his host. But only by this freedom could He belittle the value of traditional and outward cleansing and thereby teach the real defilement, the inner pollution is not from unwashen hands but from uncleansed hearts.

He called Zacchaeus from up the tree to come down and Nathaniel from under the tree to come out and follow Him: Matthew from the receipt of custom and the fisherman from the sea.

He healed in a great variety of ways, saying a word, commanding to go wash in a certain pool, or again to go down the pathway of obedience to His word to find healing through obedience to His word as they went. Others He would anoint with clay made from spittle or He would lay hands on the sick or touch deaf ears with His fingers, or simply speak the opening words, Ephphatha. Again He would tell a fond loved one, if he would believe His word and go in obedience to it his son would live.

In the realm of the soul's salvation the description of its various stages not one but many synonymous terms are used. For awakening there is not one uniform term but conviction, alarm, reproof, awakening. Regeneration is not described by one monotonous term. We find conversion, justification, forgiveness, pardon, sanctification (initial or partial), the birth of the Spirit, new born creatures, washing of regeneration, saved, born again, born from above, born of God, sons of God, a new creature in Christ Jesus, children of the light, turned from darkness to light.

In the Word of God we find great variety of terms descriptive of the sanctified victorious life. No one need be in bondage to any one Scriptural designation of the holy life. How senseless it is for those who receive victory under the terminology used by A. B. Earle, "The Rest of Faith" to refuse fellowship to those who have been led into the light through the Bible term of victory. Dr. C. G. Trumbull in his recent book, "What is The Gospel of Christs," said "The Victorious Life," was another way of describing "The Sanctified Life." Now since he has liberty to use the term so dear to many let us be equally free to use the term, "The Victorious Life," he has popularized, not because it is his, but because it is Scriptural!

A friend who read his series of personal testimonies to "The Victorious Life," said they would have been all right if the term sanctification had been used instead of Victory. Now that is utter nonsense and unwarranted narrowness (of which we have been senselessly guilty). Sanctification is not found in the word sanctification but in Christ, the mighty Sanctifier. No more is victory found in the word victory but in Christ the mighty Victor. The terms are but vehicles through which God points out to us the unsearchable riches we have in Christ. In Christ is Life. "He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life," though he may have as he supposes, the only correct terms descriptive of Life.

We grant the word sanctification has been unduly avoided by some. Their justification is that it is perverted in its meaning and not demonstrated by its devotees. All the more reason those of ability should teach and exemplify its content. That the term sanctification and its derivatives and synonyms occur far more frequently in the "Word of God than "Victory" is but the statement of truth. We can see how that God who never hesitates to lay aside the man, men, movement of" movements, church or churches, who fail longer to serve His purpose, might, because of its perversion, change front and pour out His Spirit on some other Scriptural term which He is now mightily doing in many quarters but we cannot see how anyone can be ashamed of any God-inspired term and be well pleasing to Him or why He who is said to be the Sanctifier of them', who are truly sanctified should not honor this His own term when it is reasonably presented. This we also know He does. But why there should be a division between those who have essentially the same life in Him received under different terminology is not clear to us. Prejudice against sanctification is inconsistent with victory as victory includes freedom from prejudice. Likewise prejudice against victory is inconsistent with sanctification as in sanctification there is no wilful avoidance of any term found in the Word of God. "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed."

Sanctification is peculiarly, emphatically, His word. Studied avoidance of it is inconsistent with perfect victory. Perfect victory includes victory over this diffidence. "Every Scripture inspired of God is profitable" and as all Scripture is inspired of God therefore both victory and sanctification are inspired of God and both are profitable. Prejudice against any Bible term is an evidence of the lack of victory over that prejudice.

But we started out to mention some of the great variety of terms God has given us descriptive of victory: "Filled with the Spirit;" "Single Eye;" "Filled with righteousness;" "Life more abundantly;" "Glorious freedom;" "The renewing of the Holy Ghost;" "The freedom which is ours in Christ;" "A good tree bearing good fruit;" "Perfection as our Father is perfect;" "Pure in heart;" "Heart purified by faith;" "Salt of the earth;" "A city set on a hill;" The Golden Rule, "doing unto others as we would have them do unto us;" "A home built on the Rock;" "Rest unto the soul;" "The rest which remains for the people of God;" "Perfect Love;" "Freedom in the Son;" "Cleansed from all sin;" "Liberty wherewith Christ has set us free;" "Our old man crucified with Him;" "The freedom which is ours in Christ Jesus;" "The Heart of stone taken away": "As He is so are we in this world;" "Pure as He is pure;" "The servant as His Lord;" "Sanctification;" "Holiness;" "God's Son revealed in us;" "Christ in you the hope of glory;" "The body of sin destroyed;" etc.

No one can live the victorious life until Christ becomes his victory or the. God of peace sanctify him wholly. The truly sanctified life is the victorious life. No one is fully victorious until Christ becomes his sanctification. I Cor. 1:30. One may be sanctified, however, and still need to learn many things about the victorious life. Let us not be in bondage but have the liberty to use any of the great variety of terms God has given us to avoid monotony, and especially those terms God's power peculiarly accompanies.

The term "Victorious Life" is objected to by those who greatly emphasize the term referred to on the ground that the suppression only on sin is meant by this term. Whatever men may mean we are sure when Paul write I Corinthians 15:57 -- "But thanks be to God which giveth us The Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," he did not mean anything less than complete Victory over all sin, inward and outward -- as we heard Mr. Trumbull say, commenting on the verse, "such perfect victory over all sin in an instant, that God Himself could add nothing to our freedom from sin."

But, briefly, that Paul here means deliverance from all sin is seen from a look at the context. Bear in mind Paul is praising God for the Victory and then see what he mentions we have victory over Sin and Death, Glorification and the being caught up when Jesus comes -- changed so we shall ever be with the Lord. Now only the pure in heart shall see the Lord. So this victory involves the preparation or fitness to be caught up with the wise Spirit-filled, sanctified virgins who watch and are fully ready for His coming.

Then again that Paul does not mean the mere suppression or counteraction of sin and not its destruction is seen from the fact he uses the definite article to describe it. It is definite, emphatic, capital-letter, emphasized, outstanding victory.

Not "a" but "the" -- in the Greek, for the victory, Capital letters are used for emphasis by Paul, not indefinite, but definite, of a specific type, not minor but transcendent, par excellent victory differentiated from partial victory by the demonstrative definite article the. Hence it is synonymous with "The Promise of the Spirit" of Acts 2:39 and "The" or "That" sanctification of Heb. 12:14 "without which no man shall see the Lord."

Again it is complete victory because Paul exhorts, therefore, because we have it, we are to be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, a result not possible with out complete victory.

Further, the near context command to faithfulness in stewardship as God has prospered and not the fixed amount of one-tenth like the Mormons and Pharisees give to perpetuate their false religious systems, shows the extent of the victory. None but the fully victorious Christian can be fair and honest and just and Christian in stewardship. The Christian in partial victory keeps back part of the price. The perfectly victorious Christian consecrates all and gives as God prospers him if that amount be 75%.

As to the how of obtaining victory there is no sameness. We may seek with all our hearts until we find or we may as the text suggests, go on the doxology committee and thank God for the victory and receive Christ as our Victory as simply and with as little effort as we exert to receive a present or gift from a friend or loved one. "Now thanks be to God which giveth us the victory." Mourning through, praying through, seeking through, may have their place but here, in obtaining victory, as well as in the other realms mentioned, God gives us variety. He here invites the plan of praise only. Try it, He assures us, "Thou meetest him that praiseth." Again "Whoever offers praise glorifieth me" and He will show him the salvation of God. It is significant before Pentecost came that they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God in anticipation of His faithfulness to fulfil His good word of promise.

Paul Rader suggests, concerning the secret of victory in Christ: "It is not suppression nor identification nor counter-action, nor imputation (nor impartation, though in it we partake of the Divine nature) nor eradication (though the indwelling of Christ in His fulness eradicates and destroys our old man, the body of sin') but it is habitation," -- "Christ in you the hope of glory." He is right. His term is Scriptural. The New Testament has much to say about "Christ dwelling (inhabiting) in our hearts by faith" and "Christ revealed in us" and "Christ formed in us" and the Father and Son making their home (habitation) in the heart of the Obedient disciple.

The indwelling of the Christ incarnated in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, is surely identical with entire sanctification. His presence settles the sin problem. They tell us that no two things can occupy the same place at the same time. Then Satan cannot occupy the heart Christ fully occupies. He cannot fellowship Christ; Christ hath no concord with Belial, no fellowship with darkness. Christ, the light of the world, banishes all darkness from the soul when He comes to make His dwelling in the consecrated heart. Christ is our sanctification, as well as our righteousness. He sanctifies by indwelling as the Holy One.

The other terms mentioned are theological and not Scriptural, though some of them express the content of Scriptural terms, e.g., eradication is identical with the destruction of the body of sin and is not objectionable. But the counter-action of sin merely, by Christ, and not its destruction, is an insult to the extent of the blood of the atonement which cleanses from all sin.

We fear some have the idea of the power of the blood of Jesus, as did the little boy whom we asked, "If you were to empty all the potatoes out of the barrel, how many would be left?" After a little reflection on so deep a question, he replied, "Not very many." God has not now promised to save us from our humanity, nor our infirmities, but He has said that His Son's blood cleanses from all sin, as God sees sin. That is God's estimate of the value of the shed blood of Jesus, and should be ours. Suppression is much the same in meaning as counteraction. Sin is merely held in check. But Jesus was revealed to destroy the works of the devil and not merely hold them down. We would not imply that it is impossible to sin. Victory through Christ only, destroys sin in us and does not eliminate Satan from the world, or our power to disobey God, lower our shield of faith and let sin in again, as the holy pair in Eden did. Imputation is objectionable because the righteousness of Christ is possessed only by Him, and imputed merely, and not imparted, to us, as Peter says through the exceeding great and precious promises.

But victory is more than terms. It does not inhere in them, however high-sounding and accurate, but in Him. "He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son (whatever else he may have) hath not life." As far as the mere holding and contention for terms without power, is concerned, as a friend pertinently puts it, "One had better be a decent suppressionist and suppress it, than to be a radical eradicationist and let it break out, like it so often does." We overlook the fact that we can be as "dead in the light of correct religious views" as others are "dead in the dark of wrong views." The Master said that the Pharisees were correct teachers in Moses' seat and "whatsoever they bid you observe and do, that do," but, beware of the Pharisees's fatal omission, "They say (they were doctrinally correct) and do (or practice) not." Their teaching was better than their practice. Jesus reversed this order. "He began to do and teach." He lived His gospel before He preached it. And He said, "Whosoever shall do and teach." He gave the rule by which to measure men: "By their fruits ye shall know them." He knew how evil men could speak good things and under high-sounding" sacred names, hide hypocrisy. There are those who hold the eradication theory and whose lives are not as good as their theory, and there are suppressionists who present a better type of life than the eradicationists could conceive possible, with that theory. A merchant doing business on the city square with the sign of a square on his show window, is not, by these symbols of squareness, "on the square." He is only on the square when he is actually on the square. So, as the world has many meaningless symbols (e.g. Golden Rule Stores), the Church also has many symbols which stand for nothing.

The exhibition of the content incarnate, in living men and women, of the terms we contend for, will do more to convince men than all our exegesis. The great need is victory, complete victory, over all sin, inward and outward, however obtained. The soul should not rest until Christ, the Mighty Champion, has broken all its bondage. We have met people who were living the victorious, sanctified life, who had never heard a definite sermon on the subject, but who had been guided into all truth by the blessed, faithful Holy Spirit. Paul said that the Gentiles, in a way seemingly irregular to the Jews, had attained to "righteousness. "The Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness (by works) have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness by faith." "But Israel (who knew so much of the letter of the law) which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained (those who knew all about it, missed it) to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." Romans 9:32.

Paul said to the man who boasted of his circumcision and knowledge of the law, that in breaking the law he dishonored God and his circumcision became uncircumcision. But to the man who was in uncircumcision and thereby despised by the man who believed in circumcision, that if the man in uncircumcision, despite his disbelief of the circumcision theory, keep the righteousness of the law, God would count his uncircumcision for circumcision. "And shall not his uncircumcision... if he fulfil the lave, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?" -- Romans 2:25-27.

The same line of reasoning might be applied to the eradicationist and suppressionist. If the eradicationist, who theoretically claims that all sin is destroyed in entire sanctification, has great difficulty in keeping the principle down and under, after, according to his theory it is all removed, his eradication becomes suppression, and if his brother suppressionist, whom he believes is in great error, lives as should the eradicationist, were all sin destroyed, his suppression, if it fulfills the content of eradication, becomes eradication and condemns and judges his radical brother like the uncircumcised who kept the law, judged the circumcised who broke it. The world cannot understand many of our theories, but it does know fruit. "By their fruits, (not theories), ye shall know them," (religious teachers and professors), the Lord said. So we conclude that it is a matter of personal victory and not whether we train with a certain religious brigade or pronounce certain shibboleths, or hold the views of certain schools of interpretation and practice. We would not, of course, decry sound doctrine. Right opinion is a healthy basis for right practice. The relation of creed to conduct is argued alike by Reason and Revelation. The Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" and the keenest observers of human life have been compelled to concede the scientific accuracy of that claim. The faith of today will determine alike the conduct and character of tomorrow. A false theory eventually fruits in foul living. But we have been trying to point out that our teaching may remain correct on the whole, as the Pharisees, while our practice is incorrect. Then the holding of correct views with incorrect living is hypocrisy; it is "the holding of the truth in unrighteousness." -- Romans 1:18.