Our resurrected victory in Jesus Christ  Part Two
 
The world has one definition of victory but God has the exact opposite reasoning as to what a winner means and represents. The world bases victory on
competence,success and money. God measures victory in a different way.
 
If an individual allows God through His Son Jesus Christ to take them through a trial then he or she becomes victorious through the resurrected power of His Son. The world basis victory on what we can do in our flesh. God bases victory on what we allow Jesus Christ to do thorough our lives.
 
Two different definitions on the road to two different destinations.
 
Jesus looked at the Widow, saw that she gave 1 penny and praised her because she had the proper motive but the people around this lady thought she was a nobody. Lazarus was a beggar yet he sat with Abraham in the afterlife according to Luke chapter 16.
 
This is one reason why if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior it would be wise to do so because you will never have true victory apart from the Son of God.
 
Not only does the world and God have different definitions of victory but Eternity has two different places. One is a place of victory where the love of Jesus Christ works through us forever. This place is heaven. The other place defines defeat. If a person dies without accepting Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior, that individual dies with a fixed character away from God. This is called an unregenerate state. Their spirit is dead so as a result they go to a place of death. Nothing is alive in Hell. It is the ultimate place of defeat.
 
There are more examples of 7+10 =17 in the Bible. In Romans 8 there are 17 truths that can never separate us from the love of Jesus Christ.This passage is broken down in the form of 7 and 10.
 
In Hebrews 12:18-24 the Old dispensation and the New are compared. First the Bible says,"For ye are not come"...and then lists 7 truths of the Old Covenant. In verse 22,"But ye are come" and then lists 10 truths of the New Covenant.7+10 = 17.This is how exact God is in His Word.
 
Noah's Ark stopped twice. Once in Genesis 7:11 when ..."The fountains of the great deep broke up"...on the seventeenth day. The Ark finally rested on Mount Ararat on another 17th day.
 
The Holy Spirit gave a model in the Old Testament of the cross and the resurrection. Remember Jesus Christ died on the 14th day of the month but He rose from the dead on the 17th day of the month.The meaning of the number 14 in the Bible is salvation (Jesus Christ died on the cross) and three days later on the 17th of Nisan, He rose from the dead and was victorious over sin.
 
When Moses took the Israelites across the Red Sea they started on the 14th day but did not cross until the 17th day. God needed to show a foreshadowing of the cross (Passover) and the resurrection (Firstfruits). This is why the number 17 in the Bible is our resurrected victory in Jesus Christ.
 
Anytime somebody or a group of people tells you that victory is apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ they are giving you a false gospel message.Run in the other direction. The only way we will be victorious (17) is through the resurrected Son of God who now sits at the right hand of God The Father in heaven. "If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.' Colossians 3:1.
 
Jacob in the Old Testament was the father of Joseph. Jacob was a type of God the Father. Joseph was a type of Jesus Christ. In Genesis 37:14 we see that Jacob (a type of God the Father) sent Joseph (a type of Jesus Christ) to his brethren.
 
God the Father sent His Son from heaven to earth for His brethren but Jesus Christ was rejected. The Bible says that at the second coming the Jewish people on earth will be reconciled to Jesus Christ. Zechariah 14, Matthew 25.
 
Joseph was "seventeen" when he was rejected by His brothers but God balances the whole picture out at the end of his life. When Jacob sees Joseph again, notice his Son is ruling the land. Sounds like the 1000 year millennium. At the end of Joseph's life the Bible says, "And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years." Genesis 47:28. The life of Joseph was parallel with two 17 year time periods representing the first and second coming of Jesus Christ. The Bible says Jesus Christ will be victorious at His second coming.
 
There are probably 10 to 20 more points that could be brought out but it would have to be obvious that the biblical meaning of the number 17 means our resurrected victory in Jesus Christ.
 
There is no need for me to keep gong on and on except to say that I have had victories in life but most were defeats. This world puts the spotlight on winners and marginalizes the losers. When Jesus Christ walked on this earth, He was drawn to the down and outers. He spoke to everyone but it was who He stopped to help that makes me think.
 
If you are feeling low and don't know the Lord Jesus, He would like to come into your life. Of course you would have to invite Him into your heart as your very own personal Savior but rest assure Jesus Christ is more than willing to come and reside in you.
 
If you are like me, confused between victories and defeats, let Jesus open up your spirit in your loss. He will speak and work through you. I guess what I am saying is we should be very open in how our Savior and Lord is communicating to us as opposed to what we have to endure in our defeats.The reason for this is because the peace and love of God transcend our circumstances.
 
Of course our greatest victory will be the very soon to occur rapture of the Church. If we can't quite appreciate our victories and defeats,take heart because we as Christians are going home to heaven very soon!
 
Love in Christ
   Bob D.