3 Reasons To Smile

– John Greenleaf Whittier

There is Victory

We have victory in Jesus because He conquered the grave and defeated death, but the point is that we are not the source of that victory; He is. We must give glory to God and not say, “I made a decision for Christ” or “I accepted Jesus as Savior,” but rather “God saved me through Jesus Christ by His free gift of grace (Eph 3:8-9)! Remember, we are no match for the Devil, but Jesus is greater and has already defeated Satan at the cross, therefore we don’t fight for victory, but from victory, and victory’s been brought and bought by the precious blood of the Lamb of God.

You’ve been Adopted

The Apostle Paul wrote that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Eph 1:4-5), and God now has custody over us, but not like a foster parent; He is God the Father and if He declares us as His own child and in His own family, it’s done.

You’re as Good as There

Did you realize that although you’re not in heaven, God looks at it as if you’re already there! Paul writes that it was “when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:5-6). Where is Jesus right now? He’s seated on the right hand of the Father and Paul says that God “seated us with him in the heavenly places” but only “in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion

Victory could only come by the One Who defeated death and that was Jesus; those who are His have had the adoption process approved by God and now they’re a child of His; and you are as good as there with Christ if you’ve trusted in Him, even though not yet reigning with Christ.