Victorious Grace to win the war within

[0:00] I'm going to come to the word of God now to look at a subject really that's common to all of us. It's a fight that we're all in and how we can get victory over sin. Victory.

[0:12] Victory over sin. How can we know it? I'm talking about how to be a stronger Christian. How can we know God's power and find victory in our lives?

[0:23] Really it's a question we should all want to know because we're all in this battle. We're all in this battle. We are all under attack. I read a quote lately, the devil wouldn't be attacking you so hard if there wasn't something valuable in you.

[0:41] Thieves don't break into empty houses. There's something valuable that is you. It's your soul. And there's a sense we're all under this attack. It's a relentless attack. And it can mean actually that we're doing something right when we're under attack because the devil wouldn't worry with those that are going to hell.

[1:01] I like how one preacher told me when he feels that he's under attack, he goes for a counterattack. What he does is get some tracks and he goes dropping some tracks and witnessing.

[1:12] He goes out as a counterattack if you like to do something more for the Lord rather than giving way to despair. Now I was already preparing this message when I got a call from someone yesterday who told me they were struggling.

[1:27] And the fight is real. The fight is real for all of us. This one was thinking that they're losing. That it was hopeless. We sin and we keep on sinning.

[1:39] We feel unworthy of salvation. Some get the idea that unless they are sinless, they are not saved. Some people actually think that.

[1:50] But that is not so. It is not so. I want to urge you tonight to find in Christ an all-sufficient saviour. A sufficient grace. A sufficient saviour.

[2:01] Because his grace is all-sufficient for you and for me. And we can know a victory in this life. A daily victory. A victory that goes into eternity.

[2:11] We can embrace grace. We can grow in holiness. This battle that we're in. This battle with sin is a common battle that we all face. It's common to man.

[2:23] But go to Romans 7. This battle with sin is a battle common to man. And Romans 7, Paul talks about this struggle, this combat, this fight within.

[2:35] This struggle with sin. And he writes this in Romans 7 verse 18. He says, For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[2:53] For the good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do. So he's saying here, he wants to do right, but he ends up doing wrong.

[3:04] And the wrong that he doesn't want to do, he ends up doing. It's really the theme that we all have in life. It's clear that, as the Bible tells us, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

[3:17] Romans 3, 23. So it's a fundamental truth that it is really our sinful nature is this fight that we have. And as I talked of, there's a false belief that's called sinless perfection.

[3:32] Sinless perfection. Some mistakenly would exalt human efforts above and over God's grace. Really it leads to spiritual pride and self-deception. Sinless salvation. Likewise, there's the false teaching, the lordship salvation.

[3:46] That Christ has to be lord of all or he's not lord at all in the sense that we've got to have a completely sinless walk. Really it's not actually achievable, this side of glory.

[3:58] And it's a false idea. Repent of all your sins. Of course we should repent of sin, but as far as repenting of sin, it's not a biblical phrase. But this idea that we've got to repent of all our sin and get perfectly sinless before God receives us is getting the cart before the horse.

[4:15] We're saved by trusting Christ. And then God helps us get rid of sin. He helps us forsake sin. He helps us to deal with sin, to walk righteously, to walk godly.

[4:25] But our salvation is not part of that. That's another aspect. But this idea of sinless perfection is really a prideful thing and a self-deception. The teaching that claims that a Christian can reach this state of complete freedom from sin in this earthly life.

[4:43] But Paul says he doesn't have it. He says sin is a reality that he faced that in his flesh, he says, dwells no good thing. So this idea that we can be completely free of sin per se, this side of heaven, is contrary to the word of God.

[5:01] It undermines the very essence of our constant need for God's grace. We constantly have need of his grace. And sin is a reality that we all face. And it tells us that if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.

[5:17] And the truth is not in us. Of course, we know we want to be free from sin. God helping us will sin less. We'll find God's victory day by day to overcome sin in our daily walk.

[5:29] But sin is still that reality that we face as we walk this planet. We have that daily struggle. And Paul, as we say, one of the greatest servants of God, he told of his ongoing struggle with sin.

[5:43] Romans 7.15, in part, it reads, For what I would, in other words, what I want to do, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I.

[5:53] Paul says, in the same verses here, sin dwelleth in me. This is the most godly role model we could contemplate, really.

[6:05] The Apostle Paul, and he had this struggle, this very real struggle in himself. And it shows, really, the struggle against sin is reflective of our need to rely on God's grace.

[6:18] We have to rely upon his grace in getting saved and in staying saved. It's his grace from go to woe. It's his grace from the beginning to the end.

[6:31] He's the author and he's the finisher of our faith. And Ephesians 2, it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, that not of yourselves.

[6:42] It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So, in the receiving of it, in the receiving of the salvation, it's entirely granted by his gracious giving.

[6:56] And ours is simply the receiving of it, by faith. And it's not of works, lest any man should boast. Some get the idea we have to have faith plus works.

[7:08] Of course, that is a wrong idea. It's not faith plus baptism. It's not faith plus doing this or doing that religious work. It's not faith plus going to church.

[7:19] It's faith only that saves. Of course, God wants us to grow, to serve, to be fervent and godly and growing. But the salvation is by faith, by God's grace.

[7:33] And we can know as we walk out that salvation, as we work it out, we can know a victory over sin. As we know the power of his grace that saves us.

[7:44] We know that power that saves us. That power that saves us is evident in our walk with him. But thankfully, our salvation is not based upon what we do.

[7:54] Our salvation is entirely upon his work, his gracious work. That is the cross, where he took our place in shame and sin.

[8:08] He paid fully for the penalty of our sin, death. And through his resurrection, we see his glorious power to guide and empower us to live the life.

[8:19] And his power is resident in us. His Holy Spirit is enabling us. And day by day, we can know his health and strength.

[8:30] And we can know God's forgiveness. Of course, there's that daily walk where we can know his forgiving. As we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

[8:41] And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We can know a daily cleansing, a daily washing. We can know true victory over sin as we come to him with a humble heart, seeking his forgiveness.

[8:55] And we can know a renewing of our mind as well. I know these are familiar verses and we touched on this one this morning. To be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

[9:07] We can know a victory over sin such that our mind is renewed. It's renewed after God's way of thinking, God's thought patterns, with alignment to God's truth.

[9:20] And we can reject, in contrast to God's truth, the lies of the enemy. You know, the enemy would lie to you and tell you, you're not worthy. You're not pure enough.

[9:31] You're not righteous enough. You're not godly enough. You've not let go of sin enough. And this one that I was talking with was grappling with this idea that he had to be somehow performing enough.

[9:46] But no, it's not about our performance. It's not about our works. It's about his work. His work that was done. His work that was finished. The finished work of Christ.

[9:58] The complete work of Christ is the cross. And that's the work that saves us, not any work of our own doing. Really, anything that teaches such a thing is a lie of the enemy.

[10:11] That makes you have some doubt about your salvation. Because the Lord wants to fill our minds with truth and spiritual power to know his salvation gift.

[10:24] And the word shows us also in this victory that we can know that it's a walking with his spirit. Galatians 5.16.

[10:35] Where it says, Walk in the spirit. So the Holy Spirit empowers us in walking after God.

[10:47] The Holy Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and to live a life that glorifies God. And of course we know the Bible tells us we can be filled with the spirit. Filled with the spirit.

[10:59] God's spirit. When we're feeling inadequate, he can fill us. We can draw our resources from him. And when we can rely on God's strength. So the next one is Philippians 4.13.

[11:10] It says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. When we think how weak we can be. And this one that was struggling. It's true. We all struggle.

[11:22] We all have that weakness. And a lack of strength. But the Bible says that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. In this battle that we're facing, this victory over sin, it's not in our own strength.

[11:37] But it's through his strength, isn't it? That he helps us. He enables us. And thank God his strength is made perfect in our weakness. So as we reckon this battle that we're in, we acknowledge that we're weak, we're inadequate, we're limited.

[11:54] But we can draw our strength from him. We can get more dependent on his power, on his strength to overcome sin. As we humble ourselves before him, we can know and receive his grace.

[12:06] And as we yield to his power working in us, he'll affect that. That walk that is righteous and pleasing to him. Every day we can have his help to overcome, to resist temptation.

[12:17] And of course the Bible tells us that there is a way to escape as we face temptation. Here's a familiar verse. It says that there is no temptation taken you, but such that is common to man.

[12:29] But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted. Above that you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.

[12:39] So when we face temptation, and the Bible says we will, it says it's common to man, everybody has that temptation. He says that God will make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

[12:53] So we can know that victory over sin, if we just have our eyes open and see the way to escape, the pathway to escape, to avoid situations. Don't place yourself in temptation's way. Don't place yourself in those situations that you'll be led astray.

[13:07] Sure enough we can expect temptation, but God can help us to have that eye to the way to escape, to look out for the wise pathway to take, to discern and resist the enemy's schemes.

[13:22] And avoid temptation. One example of that we see in Genesis 39, we see Joseph, he was tempted as Potiphar's wife tempted him. And what did he do?

[13:33] He said he fled. He ran. He ran for his life. Joseph did the wise thing. He escaped the situation that could lead to sin. And friends, it's the same for you and me.

[13:45] There's a way to escape. God will show you the way to escape. And so there's practical things we can do. To set boundaries, to limit exposure to harmful media, to be careful, selective about who we're going to associate with.

[14:00] Whose friendships are we going to cultivate? Are they going to encourage righteousness? Choose your friends wisely. Choose godly friendships. There's ways we can find strength for this battle that we face.

[14:13] Practical things like the way to escape. Another way to encourage victory in your life is to store up the word of God in your heart.

[14:24] As the psalmist said, Psalm 119, verse 11, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. So there's a wonderful victory we can have as the word is in us.

[14:39] It can come to our memory and we can quote it and confess it. We can immerse ourselves in the word of God so that we have that word that will fit the situation that we face.

[14:54] And as we hide God's word in our heart, his word will help us to discern right from wrong. It will help us strengthen our faith and guide our actions. So there's strength also that comes from the word.

[15:07] Another source of victory, of strength for this battle is fellowship. Another help to overcome sin is to get around others who love the Lord. That's why the devil hates the church.

[15:21] He loves it when you opt out of fellowship. But accountability within the body of believers can really help our spiritual growth. Because we're encouraging one another.

[15:32] And so much the more, as it were, as we see, time is short. It tells us in Proverbs that iron sharpens iron. So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

[15:44] So we can seek brotherly counsel. We can encourage one another. We can seek to support and be supportive. And we can find the accountability that will help our spiritual growth.

[15:57] So when we share our struggles and our victories with trusted brothers in Christ and sisters in Christ, we can find a supportive environment that's going to help us.

[16:08] We can share the victories. We can share the challenges. And we can ask for others to pray for us. Confess your faults, it says. And I'm sure we can all think of something we could share to find some encouragement, to be some encouragement for others to walk in righteousness.

[16:24] And God's designed us for this, for community. The church is part of that support network that we need. As we walk alongside one another, fellow believers, we can help others get victory and no victory over sin.

[16:38] As we seek God's guidance, as we surround ourselves with a positive Christian community, we can stand firm on God's word. We can exhort and admonish one another.

[16:48] We can encourage one another and experience true victory over sin. So in the church, as the church functions well, there'll be discipleship relationships going on that can provide support and encouragement.

[17:03] The older women will teach the younger women. We'll have the faithful men teaching others also. There'll be an encouragement network there. And as we share our struggles with trusted brothers and sisters, we can allow us to pray for one another, to encourage, to offer a helping hand, to be there, to stir each other and spur each other on.

[17:24] Fellowship, it matters. Another way of strengthening your faith and your walk in this victory that God wants you to have is for you to ask God to help you to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.

[17:36] Of course, this is a familiar verse here about the fruit of the Spirit. It talks about the characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. It says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

[17:56] And against such there is no law. Look at all those qualities that we can have. They all help us to walk in victory when we see that fruit that comes out of the life that is under His will.

[18:08] And as we abide in Christ, as His Spirit works in us, more of that fruit will come. More of that fruit will grow out of our lives. And as that fruit grows, it'll help us to overcome sinful behaviours, which are, like in the context, the opposite of that, the works of the flesh.

[18:25] Rather, we can have the fruit of the Spirit and we can have victory there. And we can know God's strength also by prayer. We can know a communion with our Lord. We can seek His guidance and confess our sins and find His strength to overcome temptation.

[18:42] As our Lord teaches us to pray, in part, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Now, think of that. That's a good prayer to pray, isn't it?

[18:52] Ask God to help you to not go to temptation, to be delivered from evil. And as we spend time in prayer, in communion with our Lord, we can deepen that relationship with Him.

[19:06] That'll help you have victory too. Brother, you can know victory. You can know power to walk in victory over sin. So, another aspect, not only prayer, but praise.

[19:17] Praise is another tool that you can know in that battle against sin. It's interesting when Israel went out to war, that they sent the tribe of Judah ahead to sing praises, didn't they?

[19:30] They sang praises ahead of the battle. And the victory was through the praise as they trusted God. And as we see the walls falling down at Jericho, we see that it was their worship.

[19:47] It was their faithfulness. It was God's working, even in their praises, that God brought victory there. And we can focus our own hearts on glorifying God.

[19:59] As we align our desires with His will, think of how we can pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[20:09] Worship reminds us of God's greatness, doesn't it? Of the wonder that He is, of His glory. It draws us away from the attraction of sin. I think as we more and more glorify God, then the attractions of sin and of temptation will grow less.

[20:26] Because as we aspire to glorify God, do all things to the glory of God, then we won't have room for other things. Because the glory of God will so consume us that we want that, first and foremost.

[20:40] So here's a few points in summary thus far. We're all under attack. This is common to man. Don't think you're alone when you're going through some battle of the faith, some test, some testing, some discouragement, even an attack of your very faith.

[20:59] We can all have that. Know that Christ is an all-sufficient, all-sufficient saviour. Know God's forgiveness, that you have that forgiveness. When you stumble, His forgiveness is for you.

[21:10] We can know a renewing of our mind. We can make a deliberate intent. God, renew my mind. Give me some good brainwashing, as it were, to wash the washing of the water by the word, to wash away that which is gross and defiling.

[21:24] We can have a renewing of our mind. We can walk in the Spirit. We can determine that, to take that pathway, to walk in the Spirit, to walk in the light, to rely on God's strength. As weak as we feel, as humanly weak and inadequate and lacking as we feel, God's strength is for you when you're weak.

[21:43] And God provides a way of escape to avoid temptation. We're saying, again, to recap, hiding God's word in our heart. Hide it in so you can bring it out of your mouth.

[21:55] Speak it out. When temptation comes, when testing comes, you'll know the word of God to answer it. We can get strength from fellowship. Don't neglect that. We can aim to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.

[22:07] Work on it. Keep working on that garden, as it were, to grow that fruit of the Spirit, that God's Spirit will bring forth His fruit. And we can know God's strength by prayer. And worship and praise can help you in the battle.

[22:21] Another thing is experiencing forgiveness can help us get victory over sin. Sometimes people have got these skeletons in the cupboard of unforgiveness, of bitterness, of burdens, things not resolved.

[22:34] Our Lord teaches us to forgive, to forgive even those that we find it hard to forgive, to receive forgiveness too. Because holding on to unforgiveness can be a hindrance to your spiritual growth and to that victory that He wants you to have.

[22:52] So by extending forgiveness to others, we can receive God's forgiveness. There's a release that comes to you from letting it go. God's grace is sufficient to flow freely out of our lives, to all of those in our lives, even those that are doing us wrong.

[23:08] And forgiveness is a great source of strength in this victory. Despite all of this that I've said to you tonight, you may still feel like, Pastor, preacher, I'm losing the fight.

[23:21] I'm losing the fight. I just can't get there. I'm failing. You may ask, what if I fail? It's like this friend of mine. I'm failing all the time. The good that I should, I don't.

[23:34] The bad that I shouldn't, I do. I sin. Your salvation isn't dependent on your sin. It's dependent on His grace. It's dependent on His grace.

[23:46] Yet He wants you to walk right. And that's a growing thing. That's a growth thing. To walk in victory, we can learn from our failures and keep growing in grace. While we strive for this victory over sin, we will stumble.

[24:00] The righteous fall seven times as we talked about recently. We may stumble at times. It doesn't mean you're not His. It means you're human. Thank God our failures are opportunities to experience God's grace, aren't they?

[24:15] We can learn from our mistakes. Sometimes we don't. But we can learn from our mistakes. And often our mistakes are our best teachers, aren't they? Think, wow, what an idiot I was.

[24:27] I'm not going to do that again. And God helping me. So when there's failure, it's not a time for despair, but for refreshing of our faith.

[24:38] It's a time for calling on the Lord's strength to refresh our faith. It's not a time for giving up. It's a time for humbly seeking His help, His forgiveness.

[24:50] I'm weak, Lord. You are strong. Help me. And as you humbly seek His help, His forgiveness, His grace, you ask for strength to do better, He'll help you get victory.

[25:02] There'll be victories more for you. There'll be victories more ahead. So trust that God's grace is sufficient. This is really the fundamental. Trust that God's grace is sufficient. His grace is sufficient in your lack, to cover your weakness, your need, our inclination to do wrong.

[25:22] His grace can extend to you, and His grace can help you to overcome and to have victory. So believers here tonight, we've got the help of the Holy Spirit.

[25:33] Thank God to lead us and guide us into all truth. We can discern His leading and guiding, His promptings, to make the decisions that will honour God. As we maybe draw a line in the sand and think, wow, I really blew it here, but I'm going to draw a line in the sand, and I'm going to, God helping me, I'm going to endeavour more to lean upon Him, endeavour more to trust in Him, endeavour more to hear Him, and to make decisions that honour Him, that glorify God with my life, that leads me away from sin.

[26:06] And for us to know victory, we can grow in grace. So not only are we saved by grace, we can grow in grace. It's a growing that we can know. And really that's the Christian life, isn't it?

[26:19] The victorious Christian life, is that growing in grace. Grace upon grace. We'll never achieve perfection in this life. So don't feel condemned if you have something God's working on.

[26:33] It's all the more that God is in you, and He's convicting you. It's not the condemnation of the devil, it's God's conviction, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that yes, there's things to sort out.

[26:45] There's room for improvement. I can tell you there's room for improvement in this man. But in our imperfection, we can find God's peace. We can find His help. His strength is enabling.

[26:57] We can find abundant grace. Because He's an all-sufficient Saviour. His grace is all-sufficient. And I love this one, 2 Corinthians 12, where Paul was praying, Lord, take away this thorn, this problem I have.

[27:15] And God says to him, My grace is sufficient. My grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. So as we realise our weakness, we can know more His strength.

[27:28] As we realise our inadequacy, we can realise His sufficiency. When we humble ourselves before God and see how lacking we are, we can see how awesome and great and sufficient that He is.

[27:43] And His transformative power, we can grab a hold of that. We can know that, His strength. His strength will be our strength. So we see victory over sin.

[27:54] It's a battle we all have with sin. We all have this same battle, this common test. We all have this journey that He wants us to have of growth.

[28:06] And it's as we depend upon His grace that we'll grow in that grace. As we deepen that relationship with our Lord and Saviour. And as we walk this walk, there's going to be a growing in grace, a maturing, a strengthening.

[28:21] And that will include in our relationships with others as we are encouraged in serving Him in different ways. So, friends here tonight, may I encourage you to realise your new identity in Christ too.

[28:37] I look back and I think the old Andrew Craig is gone. He's gone. He's dead. He's dead and buried. Sometimes he gets resurrected and I've got to put him back in the grave.

[28:50] Now, there's that sense where the old man, isn't it? That old man, the old you is sometimes still rears his or her ugly head. But we've got a new identity, people, in Christ, haven't we?

[29:03] The truth is that you are a new creation, a new creation. By faith, if you're a saved one, you're born again. It says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature.

[29:14] Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. These are all pretty plain, obvious scriptures really, aren't they? And yet, we sometimes miss that, that you've got a new identity.

[29:29] And so, when you think about it, we're no longer defined by our old sins, by our past sins. The person that we were, we're no longer defined by that, but we're defined by the righteousness of Christ.

[29:41] It says that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. Think of that. I'm just dazzled by your righteousness here tonight. Because you are the righteousness of God in Christ.

[29:53] That's what it says to you, that you are. Sometimes we may not really realise that, but that is what it says you are. And as we embrace this truth that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, he's going to help you to break free from sinful habits.

[30:08] He's going to help you to walk in that fullness of that new life in him. There's practical steps you can take, there's practical things you can do. Of course, we know in reality that we're under this constant barrage of enemy fire.

[30:24] The Lord calls us to guard our heart. Keep thy heart, it says, with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. How's your heart? Is your heart close to God? Is your heart tender to God?

[30:36] Well, sometimes our heart can get hardened, it can get close to him, it can get a stony heart. But God wants us to have a heart of flesh, a sensitive heart, a tender heart, a kind heart, to be tender-hearted towards God.

[30:51] And the Bible says, guard your heart. You know, with all diligence, make some intent here. Guard your heart. Is your heart right with God? You can have a new heart. And protecting your heart involves really being mindful, like we talked this morning, about what is it that goes in the ear gate and the eye gate?

[31:09] Are we guarding our heart? Are we keeping our heart from being exposed to such things as media, entertainment, conversations that could be damaging?

[31:20] Are we filling our heart with that? Or are we filling our heart with God's truth, with the wholesome content of his word? God's truth, friends, we can aim to surrender unto him, to know his will and to do it.

[31:35] And God will help you in that day-by-day application of that. As we invite the Holy Spirit to work more deeply within us, he will enable that victory over sin.

[31:48] We don't have to live in this state of defeat, of feeling unworthy, because his grace is sufficient. His grace is sufficient for you.

[31:59] And friends, really tonight I'm talking to believers, you might say, well I don't know him. You can know him, simply trust him. Simply trust him. You can know him yourself.

[32:10] You can know his saving. You can know the saviour tonight by simply trusting in what he has done, in everything he has done for you to save you at the cross.

[32:21] Let him be your Lord and Master. Yield to him and trust him by faith. And as we grow in that faith, sure enough there's going to be challenges.

[32:36] If we stumble into sin, it's essential not to let guilt or shame keep us away from God. Rather run to him.

[32:47] If you sin, flee to him. If you fail, go to him. Confess to him. Yield to him. Approach him with that repentant heart.

[32:57] In 1 John 2 it assures us that we have an advocate. An advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. Think of that. That you've got an advocate. I don't know when you think of lawyers what their hourly rate is but you've got an advocate and he's free.

[33:12] He's free. He doesn't charge $200 an hour or whatever they charge. You've got an advocate with the Father and he's always there for you to represent you, to speak for you, to intercede for you.

[33:24] You have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. He's the one who comes alongside to help. Here's the sense of it. The paracletos. And so God is ready to forgive and restore us when we turn back to him in humility.

[33:37] Whatever stage of growing in grace that you're at, he's there for you. Whatever stage, you might say, I'm just a young Christian and I've still got a lot of rough edges. Look, you might be an older Christian.

[33:48] You still have some rough edges. There's a growing in grace. We're all in different parts of that growing in grace. And there's always more. There's always more that he can do. It says the path of the righteous, it shines more and more onto the perfect day, doesn't it?

[34:04] There's a sense where we're still on that journey. It's like Paul says, I'm not apprehended yet. He says, I'm not there yet. This is Paul. He should have had, of anyone, he should be the most advanced.

[34:16] But he says, I've not apprehended yet. I'm still on that racetrack. And so as we persevere in this race, this gospel race, may we fix our eyes on him, fix our eyes on eternity, keep that eternal perspective and that will help us to overcome temptations.

[34:32] As again, this familiar passage says, wherefore, it says, seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every way and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

[34:48] And then it says, looking, of course, unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[35:02] It's telling us there in this race, in this battle, in this battle zone, fix your eyes upon him, looking unto him, look unto the all-sufficient saviour, look upon him who has the all-sufficient grace for you, look upon him who is grace personified.

[35:20] You can find true victory over sin as you fix your eyes on him because he is your strength. He's won the battle. It tells us in the word that the battle is the Lord's. He's already won the battle for you.

[35:32] It tells us that even if our troubles of the moment are really just light and temporary, they're momentary compared to the eternal glory that is awaiting us.

[35:43] And so, if we just have that eternal perspective looking unto Jesus, it helps us to have victory as well. May we be those ones who will have that trust.

[35:56] And know this, friends, know this today, that we can be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

[36:06] So, he's begun the good work, you're saved, he will perform it, he will complete it, he'll see it through until the day of Jesus Christ, until the last day.

[36:18] And so, trusting God's faithfulness, knowing that you are redeemed by his grace, you are a redeemed people. Sure enough, you're going to have battles.

[36:29] There's going to be a battle tomorrow morning, if not before. And there's victory over sin for you, that we can know. There's victory, there's empowering grace, that will enable you, you have an all-sufficient saviour.

[36:43] He's all-sufficient for you, simply trust him and entrust yourself to his care. It says this, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

[36:58] So, as you trust Christ as your saviour, you trust him as your all-sufficient saviour, there's victory for you. It says faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

[37:10] Victory over sin, it's not a one-time event, it's a daily walk, it's a daily walk. You might have victory today, you might have defeat tomorrow, but there will be victory.

[37:23] You can get victory, you can regain victory, you can know that victory in your daily walk, in that maturing as you follow Christ, as you depend on his grace, know that God's grace is greater than all our sin, God's love is greater than all our failures, his power is made perfect in weakness, and my friend is still struggling, and I said, I am too, we're all in this together, we're all in this fight, we've all got this fight going on, like Paul had, the good that I would, I'm not doing, I could do more, I could serve more, I could fellowship more, I could study the word more, I could pray more, I could minister more, I could be more of a full on faithful Christian, I could do more, but the good that I don't, the good that I would, I don't do it, it's the sin of omission, isn't it, and the bad that I shouldn't do, I'm doing it, doing it, again and again, what I ought not to do, I'm doing that, Paul had that fight, and we have that fight, but we've got the same saviour that Paul had, and Paul said, he who has begun a good work is going to complete it, he's going to perform it, this fight is real, it's for all of us, but victory is here, we can feel sometimes like we're losing this fight, but friends know this, and I want to assure you of this, if you are saved, then you are forever saved, if you have eternal life, it is eternal in its duration, salvation, some would say,

[38:57] I'm saved today, and I might lose it tomorrow, and maybe I'll get it back again, and I'll lose it again, it's, either you're saved, or you're not saved, it's one or the other, and if you are saved, there's victory for you, you have an eternal salvation, and you've got an all sufficient saviour, and he'll see you through, here that has begun a good work, we'll see it through, till the day of Jesus Christ, we will face sin, and sometimes we'll feel unworthy of salvation, I feel unworthy of salvation every day, we might feel like we can never get victory, but know this, there is no condemnation in Christ, we're not under a condemnation, we have victory, and it's by faith, and this battle is the Lord's, he's fighting for you, you that believe, he's fighting for you, he'll help you to walk with him, he'll help you to do right, he'll help you to do the good that you want to do, that you're not doing, he'll help you to do it more, and the bad that you ought not do, he'll help you to not do that, and as you cultivate a life of prayer, as you stay connected to his word, as you find that support of brothers and sisters who love the

[40:11] Lord, you can know and experience a greater victory, a greater victory over sin. God's transforming work is the work of grace, isn't it?

[40:23] Praise him, let's pray. Lord, we thank you that salvation is possible for such creatures as we, that you would give such great grace.

[40:35] Lord, unworthy as we are and always will be, yet you graciously give to us such so great salvation.

[40:48] Lord, we thank you, we pray each one might have that trust that saves a soul, that trust in you as saviour, that faith in your finished work, Lord, in everything that you have done to save us.

[41:05] Lord, help us to be moved to remember that great work of the cross that you can save such a wretch, such a wretch like me, Lord God, and that grace continues to work, that grace helps us have victory, help us, Lord, not to be defeated, not to stay in that state of despair, but to know it.

[41:46] a daily triumph, a daily victorious Christian life.

[42:11] Lord, as we know your power, the power of your grace, that to know you are the all-sufficient saviour, all-sufficient grace, all-sufficient for everyone that trusts in you.

[42:24] We praise you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.