FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
We Have Not Lost Our Victory
An Encouragement for Christians in Discouraging Times
I have spoken with a number of men over the last week who are discouraged. Some are angry. Some are frightened. Some feel as though the country they love is slipping away before their eyes.
And I understand why.
We look at what is happening in America, the people being elected, the ideas being embraced, the values being rejected, and the direction our nation seems to be heading. We wonder what kind of country our children and grandchildren will inherit. We wonder whether the things we have believed, defended, and stood for are becoming things our society no longer want.
It is easy to feel defeated. But I want to remind you of something…
Christians have not lost their victory.
We may have lost an election. We may lose influence. We may watch policies change, institutions weaken, and a culture move further away from the truth of God’s Word. We may even find ourselves living in a country that increasingly opposes the very things we believe.
But none of those things can take away what Jesus Christ has accomplished.
Our hope was never in a political party. Our confidence was never in a particular president. Our future was never secured by the outcome of an election.
Our hope is in Jesus.
And Jesus is still on His throne.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That means the Jesus who conquered sin and death is the same Jesus who reigns today. The world may change. Governments may change. The things people celebrate and the things they condemn may change.
But Christ does not change.
And neither does His promise.
Sometimes we forget that the story of Christianity has never been a story of God’s people always enjoying favorable circumstances. The early church did not have political power. The apostles did not have cultural influence. Christians were persecuted, imprisoned, and sometimes killed for proclaiming the truth.
And yet the Gospel spread. Why? Because the power of Christianity has never depended upon the power of Christians. It depends upon the power of God.
We need to remember that God is not watching America wondering what happened. He is not surprised by the results of an election. He is not scrambling to figure out how to accomplish His purposes in a world that has become increasingly hostile to Him.
He is sovereign.
That does not mean we ignore what is happening. Christians should care about truth, justice, human life, religious liberty, and the future of our nation. We should pray, speak, serve, vote, and stand firmly for what is right. But we must never allow our concern for the country to become greater than our confidence in Christ.
America is not our Savior.
Jesus is.
And the kingdom of God is not hanging by a thread because of what happened on election day. So, men, let us rise up. Not in bitterness. Not in fear. Not in hatred toward those who disagree with us.
Let us rise up in Christ.
Let us become men who pray more faithfully, love our families more deeply, serve our churches more faithfully, proclaim the Gospel more boldly, and stand upon the truth of God’s Word without apology. Let us remember that our children need to see something more than discouraged Christians who believe the world has won.
They need to see Christians who believe Jesus has won. Because He has. At the cross, Jesus defeated sin. At the empty tomb, He defeated death. And one day, He will return, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. That victory has not changed. So, yes, we may be concerned about America. We may grieve over what we see. We may pray for our leaders and our nation. But we do not have to live defeated.
The world is not in control of the story.
God is.
And our King is still reigning.
Take heart, Christian. We have not lost our hope. We have not lost our Savior. And we have not lost our victory.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
And He will be Lord tomorrow, just as He was yesterday, and just as He is today.
-Joe Bouch
