Are You a Survivor?

“Recovery Group” programs put people in two categories: ‘victims’ or ‘survivors.’ In recovery group vernacular, a victim is someone who is still trying to cope with the problem. And a survivor is someone who has come to terms with it, and learning to take one day at a time.

Not bad—But neither term is an appropriate self-identification for a believer. Born again believers in Jesus are neither victims nor survivors. They are ‘over-comers.’ Jesus said “I have overcome the world.” He didn’t say “I have survived this world.” (And He certainly did not say “I am a victim.”)

Paul had a revelation of this truth—writing in his letter to the Romans: “We are more than over-comers” (8:37). The Greek word for the phrase “more than over-comer” is simply the word “over-comer” with the prefix “hyper,” meaning 'extra active!' We might say super instead of hyper. Now here's a mystery: Jesus says “I have overcame” the world, but Paul says we have “super-overcome” the world? How can it be?

When Jesus went to the grave taking the sin of the world He overcome death. But when Jesus rose from the dead he was more than an over-comer of death—His resurrection brought about a whole new creation. And the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has raised us too. We have not only overcome death, but more than that—we have overcome the power of sin. No longer victims of sin and Satan; no longer just surviving in a fallen world—we are super-over-comers.

"In Step" or "Twelve Steps"?

In the past 50 years, our culture has given birth to a multitude of self-help gurus who promise success to anyone willing to follow their steps: 3 easy steps to weight loss, 7 steps to reaching your potential, 12 steps to recovery… But the apostle Paul’s ‘formula’ for success was simple: just keep ‘in-step’ with the Holy Spirit.

To the Galatians Paul said walk [keep stepping] by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (5:16). A few verses later, Paul clarifies: let us keep in step with the Spirit (5:25, NIV). The phrase, “keep in step,” was used by the Greeks to express the regimented walk of soldiers—literally, in lock-step with one another.

As a counselor I certainly value ‘step’ recovery programs for their practical guidance. But I also know, both by way of experience and by Paul’s simple admonition (Gal. 5:16), that no number of steps will get you to your desired destination unless you are walking “in step” with the Holy Spirit.

Think about it: the last time you stumbled, you were not “in step” with the Spirit, were you!?

How Do You Measure Your Progress?

Whether economic recovery has begun depends on how you read the statistics. Real estate values are only down 20% versus 40% a year ago. GDP, while still declining, is not as bad as a year ago. Not surprisingly, the Labor Department is reporting success: only 11,000 jobs were lost in October versus 100,000 a year ago. Do you get the picture? Progress is relative—everything is less bad than it was a year ago!

As a counselor whose occupation for 25 years has been to help people “progress” in their spiritual growth, I’ve observed Christians tend to measure their progress not unlike this “less-bad” technique, saying something like: “I am not sinning as much as I was a year ago—I don’t get as angry (or anxious or depressed) as often as I used to.” While one might argue there is some validity to this measurement, it seems to me it’s akin to saying “I must be getting better: I don’t use drugs as much as I used to.” In other words, the standard is too relative. Is there not a more substantial way of measuring our progress?

There is an inherent danger in measuring our progress by where we used to be. Instead of paying attention to our history (Phil. 3:14), our focus should be the pursuit of excellence (1 Tim. 4), and pressing on to perfection (Heb. 6:1). To do otherwise is to sanction imperfection and mediocrity. Paul says, rather bluntly, it is foolish to compare ourselves with each other, and measure ourselves by ourselves (2 Cor. 10:12). If the standard is I-am-better-than-I-used-to-be, don't we risk falling short of “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13)? We will only be changed as we behold the excellence of Jesus' glory—not our progress! (2 Cor. 3:18) In the end, the only true measure of spiritual progress is whether we are like Jesus.