I came from the Father and have come into the world and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father…I have overcome the world…
John 16:28,33
Oswald Chambers wrote in his devotional for December 4, “ Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.”
Living mindful that we are not our own but His own peculiar people marks us for a life that is different from all others. God Almighty is the creator of all things and He alone gives life and breath to all, therefore, I came from God into this world. How I live now in the time that has been allotted to me is determined by how I respond to everything that surrounds me. My first response, as a Christian, is to make sure my actions align with Him. My first pursuit, as a Christian, is to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, established by my own efforts of doing and being good, but from a vital union with Him that aligns me, moment by moment, to His purpose; a willing and obedient vessel.
This response and this pursuit then assures me my activities in the world are truly a reflection of Him. As He is, so are we in this world. This then, builds a confidence in us to stand before Him on the day when the books are opened and life is judged that we are not found ashamed of whom we have been and the works we have/have not finished; because, like Jesus, we have overcome the world.
The appetites and desires of our life have been so altered and realigned in His presence that these things in the world grow strangely dim. We live with our affections set on heavenly things. Heaven fills our hearts and like Paul, we can say our desire is to depart and be with Jesus, but for the sake of others, it's better that we remain.
As we walk through this month of preparation towards Christmas, let us be mindful that the celebration of the birth of Christ reminds us that He, the King of Glory, is coming again. As surely as He came into this world as the son of God, He is coming again. We have a day that we look for and hasten, making sure our lives are lived in this world in all purity and holiness.