During the past few evenings, we have been considering the way for a Christian to overcome. Thank God that many brothers and sisters among us have entered into the experience of the overcoming life. Last night we saw the way for the overcoming life to grow. Today we will consider another subject, the tone of victory. Often a person sings with the right words but the wrong tone. Please remember that the overcoming life also has its tone. It is not enough for the words to be right; the tone must also be right. Today we will consider the meaning of the tone of victory.
Psalm 20:5 says, “May we shout victoriously in Your salvation.” The word “salvation” can be translated as “victory” (see margin of ASV), and the words “shout victoriously” can be translated as “rejoice.” There is no great difference between salvation and victory; they are merely two aspects of the same thing.
Thank the Lord that many brothers and sisters have passed through the gate of victory. But after one passes through this experience, he still needs to have the right tone of victory. You may not understand what is meant by the right tone. Perhaps I can put it another way: Victory has its benchmarks. How do you know that you have overcome? When do you know that you have overcome? You know that you have overcome by Psalm 20:5: “Shout victoriously in Your salvation.”
I wonder whether you know the difference between victory and boasting in victory. What is victory, and what is boasting in victory? Victory is something that Christ has done, and boasting in victory is something that we do. Victory is the work of Christ, while boasting in victory is our work. Victory tells us that the work is done and still prevailing, while boasting in victory is a continuous proclamation after the act of victory. I used to play cricket. It is a strenuous game; the ball is heavy, and one’s hands hurt after hitting the ball for awhile. One competes for an hour, sweating and striving; he hits the ball through one gate, another gate, and finally through the last gate. This is victory. When a team wins, the other classmates wave their flags and rejoice and shout. This is boasting in victory. The team wins the victory, but the other classmates boast in the victory. Thank God that victory is accomplished by Christ! We did not shed any blood for it. Yet we can boast in His victory.
Please remember that after a Christian has overcome, he should continue to exercise his mouth to boast in victory. A day without a hallelujah is a day without boasting in victory. If we see only rivers of tears daily, there is no boasting in victory. Our tone should be one that rejoices in His salvation, one that shouts victoriously in His victory. When our cricket team won, we brought the victory to our school, and our classmates boasted in this victory. In the same way, our Lord has won the victory and brought this victory to us. Now we can boast continuously in this victory.
We should say, “Hallelujah! Christ is Victor!” All those who cannot say hallelujah may not be defeated, but they certainly do not have the tone of victory. A man from Kiangsi may speak the Peking dialect. The words may be right, but the tone is wrong. Those who cannot say hallelujah have the wrong tone. We have to not only overcome but also have the right tone. If our tone is wrong, others will doubt whether we have overcome, and we also will doubt whether we have overcome. Peter’s tone was that of a Galilean, and even a maid could detect it. When we lack the “Galilean” tone, our voice will betray our victory. Every day we need to have the “Galilean” tone. We should be identified as those who have followed Jesus, who have the “Galilean” tone.