Let there be no celebration where there is no victory...

Accept no substitutes for spiritual victory!

We can recognize participation, but we ought not laud it as victory. We can commend effort, but we should not mistake it for winning.

We condition too many to think showing up is enough. Everyone plays; everyone gets a ribbon. It's just not true. Not everyone wins. Not everyone succeeds. Not everyone is equal in ability.

Fact is, spiritually, we all lose. We are all failures. "[We] have all turned aside; together [we] have become corrupt; there is none who does good,
not even one." (ref. Psalm 14:3)

Ahhhh! But, herein lies a great and precious truth -- we can only participate; we can only try, but Christ IS victorious and the believer is His! He has won and is approved and has ascended and is seated and is ruling!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

Jesus has won! He hides any who come to Him in Him and shares His victory with His Body. In Christ, we win! He defeated sin, death and hell, and because of Him, we will too!

Now, because of Jesus, we can celebrate. We might say and sing, "Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of glory and honor..."