V I C T O RSample

We must look through the lens of this life with the eternal eye of heaven in order to fully see ourselves in the completed work of Christ. God sees us through a lens of love where we are fully justified, wholly sanctified, and entirely a victor in Christ.

However, the lens we often view ourselves through is a lens of self-reflection which can be skewed and tarnished by our actions of past sin. Sin and self-imposed condemnation smear and smudge the lens of love that the Father wants us to view ourselves through. This distorted perception of self can cause a diminished vision of who we are in Christ. Condemnation attempts to remind us that we are but mere shame-filled creations and blind us to God's goodness in our lives.

When we look through the cracks of condemnation, failures in this life often blur our belief in our true identity of who we are. Within those fractures of failure, the Enemy slowly steeps us in lies and accusations to skew our view as Victors in Christ. As this sludge of skepticism slowly fills our minds, the lies begin to cement into our version of the truth, even if “our truth” is but a lie. Diabolic criticisms such as “Who do you think you are because don’t you remember when…” and then the accusations allow you to fill in the blank with whatever means of disqualification as to why you are not a victor but will remain a victim of sin and shame.

The key to destroying these distorted perceptions is to recalibrate our focus on Christ and recall who He says we are, His vision of us, and who we are in Him. He sets our gaze every time on the Cross, which calibrates and cleans up our view so that we see clearly and confidently that in Christ, we are truly loved, forgiven, and that we are indeed Victors in Christ!

In order to have a crystal-clear vision of who we are in Christ, we must yield to the Spirit as He removes the residue of pride and self-righteousness that we often project when the focus is not on Him. When we perceive ourselves as God perceives us, we will reflect His image and likeness everywhere we go into the world. Having the vision of a victor will cause you to look into eternity and see yourself as complete in Christ as it is promised in God's Word.

Reflection Questions:

How can you recalibrate your focus on Christ and recall who He says you are?

What specific steps can you take to do this?

What are some specific ways that sin and condemnation can distort our perception of ourselves?

How can we overcome these distortions?

How can you see yourself more as God sees you?

What specific steps can you take to do this?