He Gives Us the Victory

November 21, 2022

1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to be victorious? When your favorite sports team wins a game, we usually say they are victorious. When an army conquers their enemy, we say they are victorious. Those examples do explain what victorious means, but the verses before this one describes our Savior, Jesus Christ as victorious over sin, death and the grave. 

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus’ entire life was a sacrifice? We don’t hear much about Jesus after his birth until His ministry, but we do know that He gave every single part of Himself to others daily, then He paid for our sins with His own life. It’s so easy to read the Gospels so often that we don’t always remember how truly powerful it is. 

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth to remind them, and reassure them, that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead assured them that they had victory over their daily lives. Paul is reminding us about the resurrection of Christians from the dead. He is telling us that our natural death is not the end of life for Christians. But it is the last step before we receive a glorified, resurrected body like that of the risen Jesus Christ. 

When Christ shouted, “It is finished!” He paid the full price for our sins.  Then when Christ came forth out of the sealed tomb, the angels proclaimed, “He is Risen!”

This is why the gospel message is so staggering, “God loved the world and gave us”. . . He sent us His son, Jesus.  He sent Him to bear our penalty, to endure our punishment, to face the wrath that we deserved.  He sent Jesus to die in our place.  Why?  So that whoever would believe in, trust in, rely on, this Savior, would not perish but would have everlasting life.

Instead of getting what we deserve, we are given eternal life.  Those who trust in Christ experience victory over the grave.  Death loses its sting.  Dying is no longer the end; it is simply a transfer point.

We have been blessed with everlasting life, spiritual power, and an eternal purpose.  We have what the world longs to find. We have the message the world is dying to hear. And we have these blessings not because of our efforts, our goodness, intelligence or personality.  We have these things because of the unmerited mercy and grace of God that is given to us through Jesus.

Thanks be to God . . . who gives us the victory in Jesus Christ!