Victory!

February 14

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein

Far be it from me to dispute something said by one of the most brilliant men who ever lived, but it seems to me that before you can begin to learn the rules of the game, you have to decide which game you're going to play. We can turn the TV on virtually any evening in the Fall to see skillful athletes engaging in a contest of American football, but in the Spring, everyone's interest turns to basketball or tennis or swimming. The opportunities for playing the game are extremely varied. For some of us who are less active, a game of checkers might be our forte. Once one has decided his field of endeavor, he can become skilled in its pursuit and one can select a team to join -- or follow.

In the Game of Life, we have to decided whose team we will join. Will we play for Jesus, or will we ply our skills in the behalf of His mortal enemy? The rules are entirely different, for if we are on the Lord's team, He expects us to employ the gifts of the Spirit to further our game. He wants us to allow our efforts to be governed by faith, hope, love, joy, peace, temperance, gentleness, forgiveness, meekness. The opposing team is noted for its departure from those rules. It plays skillfully employing deceit, doubt, despair, condemnation, unforgiveness. Indeed, it will counter each of the Lord's rules for His team with its direct opposite.

As in any contest, those who engage in the Game of Life may be ahead or behind at any point in the game, but ultimately there are two distinct outcomes for those who engage in the conflict. Those who play for God's enemy will find themselves among the minions of hell for eternity. The more skillfully they have played, the more profound will be their anguish in that place where "the worm dies not" (Mark 9:44, 46, 48).

Those who play for Jesus will ultimately find themselves to be total overcomers as they share in the victory Jesus has provided for them by His shed blood. Because they allowed themselves to wear His colors--the blood-bought robe of righteousness that is bathed in His crimson blood--and because they allowed themselves to participate in life's contest by His rules of engagement, and because Jesus alone was their Coach, they must be, "more than conquerors through Jesus who loves them," Romans 8:37.

Shouldn't we then affirm that no matter how disadvantaged we may appear at times to be, no matter how negatively the world and its minions may perceive us, we will be resolute in our determination to play for Jesus! We have Him as our example of victory—He who hung on a cross and died for our sin appeared to be a loser in the eyes of the world! (See I Corinthians 1:18) But ultimately, HE is the only true Victor! No one else—spirit or mortal—can make that claim! Demons are bound for hell and man will follow unless he joins the victory train of Jesus, the One who won the game in man’s behalf.