How You Can Start Winning - The Key 2 Victory

How You Can Start Winning:

When Kirk Gibson stepped to the plate in the World Series, he had a choice to make. He could either swing the bat and try to hit a home run or give up and lose. It may not seem like it, but this is similar to the position you are in. You can either respond to the amazing news of Jesus’ clutch play and swing the bat or you can sit back and decide to lose. Here’s the good thing, because Jesus has already done it for you every time you swing you will win. So, let’s take a step back and look at the big picture.

Right now, you are either playing for Jesus’ team or against Him, there are no spectators. God said it plain and clear,

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

By default, everyone starts out against Jesus. When you were born, you joined the opposite team. How did this happen? It’s kind of like when you join any sports team. Whether you like it or not, the past legacy of that team becomes a part of you…including losses. In a similar way, when you were born you joined all human history with an inherited sin nature. However, your sin did not stop at your birth. Not only did you inherit sin, but when you broke God’s commands, you sinned yourself. You are a sinner both by birth and by choice. God says it like this,

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Not only that, but once you die, that’s it, there’s no changing sides. If you die playing against Jesus’ team you lose and have to pay the punishment for your sins. Making that choice would be like if you decided to go and run the extra sprints you had as punishment, even after one of your teammates did them for you. But here’s the problem, you’ll never be able to pay for all your wrongs…ever! You would have had to live a perfect life to do that, and as we already said, we’ve all blown it.

Thankfully, because of what Jesus did, now you get to pick which team you’re going to play for. So, what can you do right now to make sure you’re on Jesus’ team? Well, you have a choice to make. This might surprise you, but it’s not complicated. There are no tryouts, you don’t have to take a certain test, you don’t even have to be good enough. Whoever you are and wherever you are, you can join Jesus’ team as a free gift. God said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

No punishment, no work, absolutely free. It comes in the simple act of realizing that you have been playing for the wrong team, and then turning to Jesus’ team. God calls this repentance and said that,

“He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

When you repent you must turn from your sinful ways and depend on Jesus alone to bring you true victory. Jesus said it like this,

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

That means you can no longer live for yourself when you join Jesus’ team. Glorifying God becomes your mission. God says everyone on Jesus’ team must,

“make it our goal to please Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9).

That doesn’t mean it will be easy, as Jesus said,

“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).

But, what you have to give up is nothing compared to what you gain.

Repentance also means you understand that Jesus is the only way to be reunited with God, and there’s no other way you can earn it yourself. God said,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, when you begin to trust in Jesus, and you join His team, what are the things that need to change, or the things you need to give up? Well, it’s kind of like joining an actual sports team. You have to acknowledge that you’re changing sides. You have to turn from the ways of your old team to the ways of your new team. You have to build a genuine relationship with the coach, aka God. And you have to get rid of all the things that the new team doesn’t accept. Those thing that in reality, have prevented you from becoming all that God created you to be.

If you’re not on Jesus’ team right now, you’re fighting a losing battle. The game is already over. The score has been settled. Jesus’ team has won. Now you can stick to your own ways and struggle through the loss or you can join Jesus’ team, where there are no favorites and where when you die you get to experience your ultimate purpose of being reunited with God. God has said,

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 65:6-7).

So, what do you think? If you haven’t ever trusted in Jesus, now’s your chance. You’re not guaranteed tomorrow, and this decision is not one you should wait on. God said,

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

God has been kind enough to let you live this long playing for the other team, but you don’t have forever to change sides. God has told you not to put this decision off when He said,

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

Are you ready to make that choice?

The key to victory comes down to two simple steps, repent and believe. God says it like this,

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” (Acts 3:19).

And also,

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

The key to victory is really that simple. Are you ready to do this? God tells you to call on His name,

“for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13).

Call on the name of the Lord, repent from your sins, trust in Jesus, and begin to live a life of victory.

You can use this simple outline below to cry out to God, but remember, this is between you and God. So, speak from your heart.

God, I have been playing for the wrong team.
I have sinned and deserve punishment.
And I have been separated from you.
But now I want to change my ways and be made new.
I want to join your team.
I want to play for you and build a relationship with you.
I believe that Jesus lived a perfect life on earth, died a death for me, and rose again.
I know that Jesus has brought me ultimate victory and I turn to Him for this free gift.
I confess Jesus Christ as my personal, Lord, and Savior.
Thank you, God, I’m on your team now.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you just decided to join Jesus’ team, congratulations! You just received the key to victory. Now, it’s time to live it out.