Standing Victorious by Grace

I have been a Los Angeles Chargers supporter from my youth growing up in San Diego through all the ups and downs--and historically there have been many more down seasons than up.  To date they have only been to the Super Bowl once and were completely drubbed by the 49ers on the global stage.  After enduring losing seasons in bunches, I look at early-season losses and injuries as adversity, a crucible which can forge a winning team's identity.  Better to have a heavy dose of reality and the need to work and improve rather than becoming arrogant with pride through easy success.  A team that never gives up and claws back to win games is a side I would rather follow and be a part of than those who give up, stop putting forth effort, and whinge for penalties.  Many teams that start well grow disillusioned and flounder when they begin to fall from the top of the standings and lack character and resiliance to recover.  And if the team turns out to be a cellar dweller, players ought to maximise their efforts to have another chance the following year.

The Chargers have begun this season 0-2, and apparently teams that begin the NFL season this poorly only make the playoffs 15% of the time.  The Chargers have managed this feat twice in their history.  As I consider it, there are generally two approaches coaches employ to rally the team to play connected and work together to win and have belief in one another.  One is to appeal to an ideal identity the team has failed to live up to.  Coaches say things like, "This isn't us.  We are better than this.  We need to get back to playing fundamental football and impose our will on the field."  Another appraoch is to honestly address poor performance and disappointing results:  "Guys, we are not a good football team right now.  We're committing too many penalties, giving away turnovers, and missing assignments.  We haven't coached or executed our gameplan like we should."  I can see benefits to both these strategies in the realm of sports.

God takes quite a different approach in His word to His beloved people.  He does not say things like, "Knuckle down," "Do better" or "Try harder."  In Haggai God told His people to "consider their ways," to take an honest assessment if their lives reflected serving God as their highest priority.  The writer of Hebrews implored children of God by faith in Jesus Christ to consider the faithfulness of our Saviour we ought to emulate in Hebrews 3:1-2:  "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, ² who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house."  Paul told it like it is, showing Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God for us (1 Corinthians 1:24), and Peter said we ought to be diligent our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).  God never pumps up Christians by flattering us with how great we are but guides us to humble ourselves before God who will exalt us and enable us to stand victorious.  Having received God's love by grace, we are commanded by Jesus freely love others.

One quality every Christian shares in common is we are sinners who need a Saviour.  It was never by our good works, efforts of the flesh, personal sacrifices, discipline or willpower we have been saved or walk in victory:  it is by admitting we are sinners, repenting of sin, and trust in Jesus Christ marked by obedience that results in being strengthened to stand in the face of adversity by God's grace.  It is not by striving or fighting in the power of the flesh but by surrender to God He enables us to know and do what pleases Him.  It is not by works of righteousness we have done but according to His mercy He has saved us.  We are flawed; we continually fail.  Instead of focusing on our faults, we are called to admit them and entrust our lives to our Saviour who has called us, washed us clean of iniquity and guilt, imputed His righteousness to us by grace through faith, and helps us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Because Christ has claimed the victory over sin and death by laying down His life on Calvary and rising from the dead, we can rejoice to walk in newness of life today--despite our poor performance.  We aren't to be down on ourselves and become depressed we are failures, but to praise God He is our Redeemer whose love for us never fails.