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A Model of Victorious Living
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Humanism is a worldview in which each person is autonomous and has the right to make his or her own choices. Included in this view is the presumption of human potency, that is, the innate power to make such choices.
Christianity is a worldview based on Jesus as Lord of all, no exceptions. Therefore, Jesus makes all choices. Christians are charged to discern and obey God’s will. Why would anyone want to give up being a humanist to be a Christian? Being willing to live to serve God’s purpose is not attractive to humans in their innately fallen condition; so why give up what appears to be the freedom to choose to live as one wishes to be a Christian—a servant of Christ?
The answer is that humanism does not offer the answer to life’s ultimate issue: physical and eternal death. Humanism claims that there is no life after death and, therefore, no eternal judgment. This mindset is discussed and condemned as deception in Isaiah 28.
Christianity holds that the only true answer to the question of death is found in Scripture, and those who are given the grace to embrace the truth about the resurrection from physical death and deliverance from eternal death can realize victory over death.
What does this look like? Godly order, living in divine favor, engaging in apologetics, holding a life-defining worldview, the willingness to be a martyr for Jesus and to forgive persecutors, peace, joy, and victory. Consider these traits of victorious living that can be gleaned from the life of an early Christian named Stephen as recorded in Acts 6−7.
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Godly order (based on living congruently with the C4 principle (calling, character, capability, and commissioning), supported through fellowship (interdependent living) with the ekklesia (people of God) provides guidance in life’s journey. This facilitates growth in the quality and quantity of disciples.
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Each person is sovereignly designed to serve a specific purpose in God’s metanarrative (Proverbs 16:4). Furthermore, the C4 principle is a biblical principle to rule and guide each person into alignment with the will of God. According to Acts 6, Stephen had C4 to be a food distributor, which he accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Living in divine favor, full of grace and power, cannot be matched in life or death.
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In addition to food distribution, Acts 6 and 7 reveals Stephen’s calling to be an apologist who was so skilled that he confounded some of the first-century theologians and religious leaders. In his apologetic work, Stephen was full of wisdom, grace, power, faith, peace, and hope. He lived in divine favor in life and in death. This is a profound example of life as a disciple of Jesus. As Jesus modeled, Stephen lived to do God's will according to God's ways in God's timing and all for God's glory.
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Engaging in apologetics using special revelation (Scripture) with biblically literate people and general revelation (creation) with biblically illiterate people (Acts 17:16−34).
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In his apologetic work, Stephen displayed strategic skill. He knew his audience was biblically literate and so was he. Therefore, he used the metanarrative of Scripture to make his defense. Commonly today most people know little about the overarching story of history because most are biblically illiterate. Stephen masterfully used Scripture to give an account for the hope that was in him (1 Peter 3:15).
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Christianity, a holistic life-defining worldview, is focused on living under the lordship of Jesus, not a ritual-based religion like the Mosaic Law.
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Christianity is not ritual-based, event-based, or program-based. It is a lifestyle that encompasses all of life based on knowing the Lord through Scripture both cognitively and personally. The biological mechanism that assists humans is the brain. Scientists have discovered that knowledge is stored in the brain through neuropathways. Through teaching and studying the Bible, a person’s brain is transformed, that is, new neuropathways are made physiologically, which changes our capacity to think and live. Consequently, if a person knows the Lord and is engaged in learning the Bible, that person will grow through transformation of the mind and the ability to discern the will of God (Romans 12:1−2). Likewise, if a person is not engaged in the Bible, that person will not be transformed and, consequently, will not be able to think Christianly. To live as a Christian requires a person to think as a Christian.
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A willingness to be a martyr for Jesus and the ability to forgive one’s persecutors.
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Stephen modeled Jesus’ peace and forgiveness expressed in death. Maturity in Christ produces holy living, which is characterized by traits such as wisdom, grace, power, faith, peace, and hope. And the ultimate trait of maturity is a willingness to be a martyr for Jesus and in a willingness to forgive one’s persecutors.
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Physical death is separation of physical reality from spiritual reality; the spirit of those who know the Lord will go to be with the Lord in death (Luke 16:19−31). Faith in this reality produces peace.
In Acts 7, physical death is called sleep. It is the separation of human physical and spiritual reality. There is continuity between the states of life and death. In death, the spirit goes to be with the Lord and the physical body goes to sleep, waiting for the universal resurrection from the dead when every human will give an account of his or her life (Revelation 20). All will fail, but those whose names are in the Book of Life will be saved from eternal death and enjoy eternal life in the new creation. Those who understand they have been granted the gift of eternal life are at peace and don’t fear death.
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Death is not the entrance into purgatory, as postulated by some, instead there is joy and victory in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Though the process of physical death can be painful, there is joy, peace, and hope in the Lord Jesus. Stephen knew he was not going to purgatory; he had a vision of the Lord and saw that his spirit was going into the presence of Christ when his body went to sleep.
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Stephen’s life and death illustrate victorious living. There is wonderful truth in his example about how God’s universe works and how he expects his people to live. Modeling Stephen is modeling Jesus; both lived a victorious life. The apostle Paul spoke these words of the Christian mindset toward the difficulties of life:
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For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV)
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Consequently, no matter what a person’s lot in life might be, those who know Christ can endure victoriously. Facing adversity, we can have the face of an angel and display faith, hope, wisdom, gratitude, grace, and peace. This is a victorious life.
May we have the grace to live well as disciples of Jesus who walk according to his will, his ways, and his timing. And may we live singularly to glorify him.
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Teaching: A Model of Victorius Living
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Fall 2024: Strategic Life Alignment Seminar
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Biblical Guidance for Finding Your Life Purpose
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The Business Roundtable is a monthly gathering of organizational leaders who seek to lead and manage based on a Christian worldview.
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