Present Victory by G. B. T.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 23, 1916

Present Victory

By G. B. T.

VICTORY! This is the battle cry of nations; for this they pour out costly treasure, and sacrifice the best of their sons. Victory is the longing of the human heart. For this the Christian seeks and prays.

Jesus desires that we have victory over sin; not over a few sins only, but over every known sin. Anything that is wrong the Lord expects us to forsake.

When Jesus met the man in the temple whom he had healed at the pool of Bethesda, he said to him, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more.” “Sin no more.” What did the Saviour mean by these words? What should you have understood him to mean if he had spoken them to you? Should you have understood him to admonish you to taper off some of your bad habits, or that you should quit them altogether? Should you have understood him to mean that you were to make some improvement, not lose your temper so often as you once did, nor be so cross and disagreeable as you had been? Or should you have understood him to mean that you were to stop getting impatient altogether, and be kind and gentle all the time?—Why, the latter, of course. He meant that that healed man was to stop committing known sin.

Jesus is a savior “to the uttermost.” He is able to save you and me from every sin. What sin is it that Jesus cannot save us from? There is no habit, no passion of the soul, that Jesus cannot conquer. Sin brings death, but Jesus has the keys to death and hell. He triumphed over all the kingdom of darkness. He conquered the author of all sin, and spoiled all the principalities of hell. We can never meet God in the judgment with the excuse that we could not gain the victory over some known sin, for there is no sin in all the catalogue of sins that Jesus is not able to subdue. He has promised to you and me power over all the power of the enemy. The Lord has not given us any privilege to sin. Nowhere in the Bible are we given permission to do wrong.

You say, “I am a Christian, but I do not have this victory.” Well, whose fault is it? Is it your fault or God’s? Do you mean to say that he is not able to subdue your evil propensities? What passion of your soul is it from which Jesus cannot give you deliverance? Do you know of any?—Certainly not. Then the trouble is with you. You can have victory if you want it. When you are willing to give up the sin, and actually do so, you will have the victory.

But you ask, “When can I have the victory?” When?—Why, now; now, at this time. While you are reading this, it is your privilege to lay hold by faith upon the promise of God, and claim the victory over every sin the Lord has ever revealed to you. Today is the day of salvation. Salvation is for us. It is for us now, at this very moment.

But you say, “I expect sometime to gain the victory over every sin.” But when? Why not take the victory now? Why not have it this year as well as next year? Why not have the victory today as well as tomorrow? Do you know of any reason why you should not have the victory over every known sin now as well as any other time? Why do you think you can gain the victory at some future time any better than now? The suggestion that you can have the victory sometime in the future better than now is from the devil. He wants you to postpone claiming victory. The Lord wants you to lay hold of the promise now, this very day, this very hour. Why not now? You will have no better chance later on than now. All the omnipotent power of God and the blessings of heaven are within your reach now. There is nothing more than this in the future for

tempted souls. Accept victory and deliverance now, this hour; you might die the next, but you can die a victor.

But you say, “I am improving. I do not lose my temper so often as I used to do, and am not so disagreeable and cantankerous as I once was.” Perhaps not, but read this:—

“There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . . When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see, creates a new being in the image of God.”

—“The Desire of Ages,” pp. 172, 173.

Making improvement is not enough; there must be “a new life altogether.” We see a man repairing his house: he puts on a new roof, strengthens the foundation, repairs the porch, and gives the whole building a fresh coat of paint. It is improved in appearance, but it is the same old house. I fear that many are satisfied with an improved appearance of the old man of sin, instead of experiencing the new birth, having “a new life altogether.” It is not enough to cease becoming as impatient as you once did, or to speak more kindly and gently than was once your habit; to be more agreeable than you used to be, or to hold in subjection the passions of your soul more completely than you once did. It is victory, full and complete, you need, so that these wicked things will die out completely. This is the blessed experience that the Lord wants to bring into your life.

G. B. T.