Overcoming Life

"... Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)

That is the triumphant note of Jesus' message.  As a Christian develops in the spirit, the Cross begins to fill his life.  The Cross fills his thoughts.  To get any victory he comes again to the Cross.  It was at the Cross his resistance to God first broke down.  It was there he got a broken spirit. Here pride leaves us and the spirit of humility takes hold of us.  It begins with the sense of unworthiness.  We pray, 'Lord have mercy' - only mercy - only grace - there are no merits in us for a plea.  It is at the Cross all our righteousness becomes filthy rags.  These are the benefits we are loaded with.  First the sense of unworthiness and then the forgiveness of sins and then the sense of victory.  'He has overcome and so I will overcome.'  Why? - because His nature has come into us.  We are made into spiritual men to exercise God's power.  The Jews ate bitter herbs with unleavened bread: you will eat bitter herbs but they will not make your life bitter.  They ate bitter herbs, but that very night they marched out of Egypt and their bitter bondage ended.  Your sorrow at the thought of your sin may be very bitter. You may even come near despair.  But Egypt ends there.  The victorious march from Pharaoh's kingdom begins.