How to Live the Victorious Christian Life :: by Unknown Christian
There are books I consider outstanding and others I think are must reads for every person. This falls into the later. Not merely a good book, this book should be required reading for the Christian life.
The author, who wished to remain nameless (hence: “Unknown Christian”), has written several books, this one being my favorite (though it is often difficult to find).
In today’s culture, according to Leonard Ravenhill, we are more afraid of holiness than we are of sin. In fact, I would argue that the church has become a place where we highlight our sin and argue against even the possibility of living a triumphant, victorious, holy Christian life. If one claims to be sinless, victorious, or holy, they are quickly thought of as liars or people who are masquerading the “truth” (a sin ridden life). So come on, people say, let us not hide our sin but be open and truthful about it. But Biblically, a Christian is NOT someone who is living in sin and hiding it – a Christian is an individual whom God Himself is living through and making the individual’s life just like Jesus’. In short, a Christian is one who is living the victorious Christian life triumphantly every moment of every day. Is such a thing EVEN possible? And if it IS possible, how does one live such a life? That is what Unknown Christian’s little book How to Live the Victorious Christian Life is all about. He proclaims to the world, “Yes it is possible … let me tell you how!”
I have been reading the book again and while I desire to quote every page, here is a sampling from the latest chapter I read:
The Victorious Life is simply a life fully surrendered to God, with Christ dwelling within and in complete control – a life in which the only desire is to bring glory to Jesus Christ. It is the only truly happy life, yet Christians refuse to enter in, lest their lives should be made miserable!
Some Christians are monstrosities. They are no more like Christ twenty years after their conversion than they were when they began the Christian life.
But let us be quite clear as to what the Victorious Life is…. Take the question of bad temper or irritability. Many Christians pride themselves on the fact that they exercise such self-control that their temper “never gets the better of them.” By this they mean that they never show it. Now the Victorious Life is not one which merely makes our outward actions right. It is a life which gives victory in the inner realm of the heart, so that our very desires are right. To want to do wrongful things and to restrain from doing them is not real victory. The wonderful thing is that God takes the “want to” out of our very hearts, and we long only to do His will.
The best test of all is in the matter of love. Do we love our “enemies” – those who despitefully use us or persecute us? Do we nevertheless love them? What is your first feeling when men injure you or oppose you? Is it a spontaneous outflowing of love towards them? Or do we first find it necessary to shoot up an urgent, earnest prayer that we may love them, and may not feel resentment? Do we eagerly welcome opposition, unkindness, rudeness, discourtesy (and suchlike) towards us, as opportunities of showing that the love of Christ is filling our hearts? It is in small matters we are tested.
