“It is hard for those who are slaves to sin and evil habits they have long sought to overcome, to believe that by simply accepting Christ and yielding to Him they instantly receive a new nature, and power enabling them to live a new life. Yet this is true, and countless thousands have experienced this mighty miracle.”—Meade MacGuire, The Life of Victory, p. 64
“Man of himself not only has no life, but he has no peace, no victory, no faith, no righteousness, nor any other attribute of God. The Father gathered up all the blessings of infinite love, and bestowed them upon us in the precious gift of His Son. Nothing has been withheld. All is embraced and included in the one great gift.
Is it not strange that everywhere men are praying and pleading for what has already been graciously given? They pray for peace, but the Father answers, ‘I have already bestowed My peace upon you in Christ. Receive Him, and you have all peace.’ Men pray for life, and the reply is the same, ‘I have given you eternal life. It is in My Son. Receive Him, and you have life.’ Men cry to God for victory, and the answer is, ‘There is no victory for humanity except in the Victor.’
Christ took our humanity, and won everlasting victory, not for Himself, but for men. In the same way that life and peace are gifts, so is victory a gift. ‘Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory.’ 1 Cor 15: 57. Why do men struggle and fight to obtain what comes as a gift in Christ! They talk of victory on this point and victory on that point, when if they would only believe it, Christ is the victory on every point.
It is not some new gift from God that we need; it is a better understanding of the fact that He has already given us everything in Christ. It is laying hold by faith of the blessings which are already ours in Him.
‘By faith you became Christ’s and by faith you are to grow up in Him,—by giving and taking. You are to give all,—your heart, your will, your service,—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all,—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper,—to give you power to obey.’—Ellen White, Steps to Christ, p. 70.
How many there are who have given all to God! They have made a full surrender to Him and desire only to do His will. Yet they are often filled with disappointment because of a conscious lack and failure. The secret of this failure is here disclosed. They have given all, but they have not taken all.—Meade MacGuire, The Life of Victory, pp. 102-104.
1Cor. 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”