Comfort In Conquering

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”n1 Cor 15:57 (ESV)

Sorry for the late post. I spent the last couple days with the Ten Institute talking about their products and trying to decide if they are producing something our Crossfit athletes can benefit from. More to come on that…
However, last night a buddy of mine (he does the spoken word in the video at the bottom) sent me a video. During the spoken word portion of the song, Isaac said this, “He has defeated me in my sin, conquered me in my sin, welcomed me into His presence.”
This struck me then and sits heavy with me now. He defeated me. He conquered me. And that is good. Matter of fact that’s the best news I have ever heard. See, the reality of my soul is that if left to my own devices and ends I would destroy myself, my relationships with others, and leave a trail of destruction in my wake. My heart is wicked.
It would be a lot like what happens if a athlete tries to figure out how to be an elite level weightlifter with no coach, no video to watch, no programming to follow, and no direction whatsoever. It’s just going to end with a mess. This is how we are. Psalm 51:5 reminds us that without exception we are all sinners. That sin, if left unconquered or surrendered, will destroy us and end with a giant mess and ultimately take our lives.
Isaac’s words reminded me that part of me was conquered by Christ on the Cross. I needed to be conquered and defeated in order to place my hope and faith where I’m safe. Just like a lifter needs his bad habits fixed and his misunderstanding of the lifts changed to see positive gains.
There is comfort in being conquered. Before I became a Christian my greatest hope was found in my merit, good works, and abilities. Christ conquered me by showing me how frail, insufficient, and incapable I am. Incapable of leading a life free of sin much less one sufficient enough to save myself. This is why the Lord sent Christ.
However, I needed to lay my sin and my idols before the Lord and allow Him to reshape my heart. I needed to be conquered. The things I believed I was best at, that I had created and formed, that I deserved credit for, and that would ultimately save me; they needed to be defeated. All I have was given by the Lord and all I am is found in Him. To believe that I created any of who I am or that I am responsible for any talent I may have is no different than a clay pot taking credit for what it looks like and its maker being disregarded. The maker deserves the credit and the honor!
There is comfort in allowing Christ to conquer your heart. It puts your heart firmly in His hands and lets you rest there. Trusting He is, was, and remains good enough to save you.
Here’s the video: Kari Jobe (Live): Forever