Tuesday; October 2
One word
that conjures up an emotional response is “victim”. For some, the word provides a rationale for
their present circumstance while others refuse to refer to themselves as
victims because that don’t want that to define them. In some discussions people question a person’s
victim-status because they were complicit in the circumstances that caused them
injury. No matter how we use the word –
at least on a surface level – few of us relish the chance to become a victim of
anything.
As
I pondered the term “victim” I began thinking about it from a perspective of
sin. How many of us are victims of the
sin in our life? How many of us have
made Jesus a victim by putting Him on the cross? Now, while there might be some logic in the
preceding statements, I am not sure that “victim” accurately describes
sin. You see, we are not victims of
satan because we know full well that we are willingly walking into his
trap. We are complicit with him in our
fall. Additionally, when it comes to
Jesus, He is not a victim to our sin, He is the Victor over it. He made the conscious choice to become the
sacrifice for our sins – He was not forced to do it, He chose to do it.
The
great news about what can be a confusing situation is that we don’t have to
worry about the victimization of sin – Jesus’ choice removed our consequences. The New Testament reminds us, “For while we were
still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6). Let’s not allow our failing to define us –
let’s live the life of freedom through the grace of Jesus.
Think About It!