Undefeated

“Now thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in
Christ, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
                                         II Cor. 2:14, I Cor. 15:57

As impossible as it might seem, picture for a minute your favorite sports team, maybe the perennially hapless Detroit Lions, the 4-time Super Bowl losing Buffalo Bills, or the pride of the Corn Belt Iowa Hawkeyes, going undefeated!! Yes, I said undefeated, a perfect record, holding high the championship trophy for all to see, the victory parade through the city streets, appearance on all the morning talk shows, and all the acclaim that accompanies such an outstanding accomplishment in the world of sports. Even at just the thought, hearts begin to beat a little faster and imaginations run wild!

And while such a feat falls into the ‘too good to be true’ category in the natural arena, our going undefeated in this life, as we face the struggles and the hurdles that come our way, is promised to those who are in Christ. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers that God always causes those who are in Christ to triumph, and to be victorious in life through their relationship with Jesus. Our challenge is to discover what it means to be “in Christ” and to remain in that place no matter how great the storm that we find ourselves in is.  And as we learn to face life’s difficulties as an outflow of our relationship with the Lord Jesus, as opposed to taking them on ourselves, we will begin to experience the joy of living the victorious Christian life promised us.

Last night’s champion in college football fell behind in the first half, and we too may fall behind sometimes as we react to the hard things that come our way. But as we turn to the Lord for help, and as we get to that place of trust where we find ourselves “in Christ”, the score will turn in our favor and the victory will be ours when the final whistle blows. The thought of this devotion, undefeated, is that you will never lose when you live your life in intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You’ll never lose when you trust the Lord with all the hopes and dreams you have for your future!  You’ll never lose when you show tangible love to another human being who will never be able to repay you! You’ll never lose when you surrender your life fully to Him and walk in obedience to all that He asks of us in His Word! And so as we start a new day, it can be the first day of your undefeated season, of your finding victory in Christ!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church