Triumphant Life



Triumphant Life

2 Corinthians 2 : 14 - Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Introduction


·      A triumph, among the Romans, to which the apostle here alludes, was a public and solemn honour conferred by them on a victorious general, by allowing him a magnificent procession through the city.
·      This was not granted by the senate unless the general had gained:

i.     a very signal and decisive victory, and
ii.  conquered a province

·      Triumph is countable victory
·      It is not just the victory declared by faith
·      It is beyond that – a countable victory

Samson’s triumph

Judges 15: 14 - 16
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. {loosed: Heb. were melted}
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. {new: Heb. moist}
16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. {heaps upon...: Heb. an heap, two heaps}


Samson is counting his victory as one heap, two heaps and so on

Paul’s triumph

Paul has conquered the Corinth and Macedonia with Gospel.
It is manifest that the epistle, 2 Corinthians, was written from Macedonia, (2Co 8:1-14; 9:2,) and was sent by Titus to the church at Corinth.
Titus had come to him from after staying in Corinth for some time to understand the effects of Paul’s first letter
Paul learned from him that his efforts in regard to the church at Corinth had been successful, and that they had hearkened to his counsels in his first letter
Paul also was favoured with signal success in Macedonia.
These instances of success Paul regarded as occasions of gratitude to God.
So it is right to celebrate his triumph in Christ.

Our triumph


Leviticus 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.


Luke 11 : 21, 22
21     When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
 22    But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.



Colossians 2 : 13, 14, 15
 13    And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
 14    Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
 15    And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. {in it: or, in himself}


Triumph is final victory and conquering possessions

 
Steps to Triumph


I.      Holiness – separateness

II.     Pulling down strong walls

III.   Conquering and possessing the blessings


 
1.    Holiness


Why should we be holy?


1.   Our Captain moves in our midst
2.   We are called by God to be a holy nation
3.   He wants to do marvels among us


 Our Captain moves in our midst


Exodus 33: 3    Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Joshua 3: 5       And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

Joshua 7: 1 - 13
1         But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. {Achan: also called, Achar}
2                And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
 3      And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. {about...: Heb. about two thousand men, or, about three thousand men}
 4      So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
 5      And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. {in...: or, in Morad}
 6      And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
 7      And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
 8      O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! {backs: Heb. necks}
 9      For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
 10    And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? {liest: Heb. fallest}
 11    Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
 12    Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
 13    Up, sanctify the people, and say, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.


We are called by God to be a Holy Nation

Exodus 19: 5, 6
5    Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6    And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.


1 Peter 2 : 9    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: {peculiar: or, purchased} {praises: or, virtues}



He wants to do marvels among us

 Exodus 34: 10 - 14
 10    And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
 11    Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
 12    Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
 13    But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: {images: Heb. statues}
 14    For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.


Deuteronomy 12: 2 ,3 
2    Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: {possess: or, inherit}
3    And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. {overthrow: Heb. break down}


Exodus 23: 31 - 33
31     And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
32     Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33     They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
2.    Pulling down strong walls


2 Corinthians 10 : 4, 5
 4   (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) {through God: or, to God}
 5   Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; {imaginations: or, reasonings}


3. Conquering and possessing the blessings


Joshua 8: 1, 2
1    And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
2    And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.


Deuteronomy 7: 1, 2
1    When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2    And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:


Leviticus 20:24     But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.

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