PETER had a problem. Peter, the disciple of Jesus, that is. Peter frequently had problems, but this particular one had to do with forgiveness. How many times should one forgive a person who has wronged him? Some believe the rabbis limited it to three. But Peter had had enough to do with Jesus to know He would go beyond that. Considering the question, the disciple concluded that his Master would probably go to the perfect number seven. He decided to check out his idea.

"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" he asked (Matt. 18:21, R.S.V.).

Jesus' answer must have chagrined Peter. "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

What Jesus was saying, in essence, was, There must be no end to the number of times you are willing to forgive. God's willingness to forgive knows no limits; yours must know no limits.

This we all understand. This is marvelous! But it brings to mind another problem.

Here are two friends, George and Jim. One day Jim comes to George and says, "George, I owe you an apology. Yesterday, when we were discussing that problem about overtime work, I sort of lost my temper. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

And George generously forgives.

A few days later Jim comes to George again. "Say, George, it was stupid of me to take the attitude I did last night. And on top of it I lost my cool. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

In about a week another situation arises in which Jim gets heated up, and afterward feels it necessary to ask George's forgiveness. A few days later something else happens, and Jim, very shamefacedly, must apologize once more and ask forgiveness.

And so it goes. Every little while Jim loses his temper with George. Then, because he is basically a decent fellow, and because he wants to retain George's friendship, and because he is trying to be a Christian, he apologizes and asks forgiveness. And always, without any reservation, kindhearted George happily forgives, and puts the whole thing from his mind. Fine!

But how about Jim? What is his problem doing with his morale, his self-respect, for example? Doesn't it go down a notch every time he has to apologize? Doesn't he begin to feel very weak, morally?

Chronic defeat is a terribly demoralizing thing. The most optimistic, the most courageous, the most tenacious, can't go on forever being defeated. There has to be meaningful victory sometimes.

And consider how Jim gets to feel as time after time he is constrained to go to George and ask forgiveness. Embarrassed? In fact, after a time he certainly begins to avoid George, because he can't put up with having to keep asking for his forgiveness.

In some respects our illustration may be overdrawn. In other ways it is not. For while God will freely forgive seventy times seven and seven hundred times seven, there is the factor of shame, defeatism, and other attitudes that must dog the sincere Christian who keeps failing on the score of a particular weakness year after year, as was suggested in chapter eight.

In fact, there is something lacking if we continue to need to go to God year after year, seeking pardon for the same particular sin. His pardon "is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin" (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p.I14).

In the Review and Herald of April 21, 1891, Ellen White asks in a sermon, in a way that suggests a situation that ought not to be, "Are there those here who have been sinning [the same sins] and repenting, sinning and repenting, and will they continue to do so till Christ shall come?"

This book is about Christian victory. In most of the chapters we have endeavored to describe as clearly as we know how, ways by which we may gain the victory over sin and Satan. But in this chapter we want to focus on, and fortify, the idea of Christian victory.

There is surely great significance in the fact that, in His messages to the seven churches (Revelation 3, 4), Christ's rewards are only for him "that overcometh." In the case of everyone of the churches this proviso is made. In the Bible there is no provision made for defeat. Only victors will stand on the sea of glass, partake of the tree of life, and live eternally with Christ.

No allowance is made for defeat, because there is no necessity for defeat.

We ended chapter eight with a drawing of a heart with the name "Christ" inside, to represent the born-again person, the new life in which there are new motives, desires, inclinations, and attitudes.

Let us add something to this that clarifies why we may have victory:

"We know that no child of God is a [habitual] sinner; it is the Son of God who keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him" (1 John 5: 18, N.E.B.).⁸⁷

Victory, then, is a work of cooperation. But the responsibilities are not equal. In fact-

In these statements is a vital key to Christian victory. Not by our own efforts, not in our own strength, not by our own knowledge or wisdom, is victory gained. The victory is won as moment by moment by faith we depend upon Christ's power. For, in the battle with sin, our strength, whatever we may think, is as a straw trying to control a hurricane.

In the battle of life our greatest struggle will not be to overcome sin, but to surrender self.

Now, be encouraged by these words: "Victory is sure when self is surrendered to God." -The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Gen. 32:24, p. 1095.

Here is a great truth that every victorious Christian has firmly grasped. He is not like a beleaguered soldier standing on a knoll surrounded by enemies besetting him on every hand, and occasionally receiving help from Christ. Instead, he is a soldier inside the strong fortress of God's love and grace. His task is to use the strength Christ has given him to assure that no enemy enters the gates. The walls are kept by Christ, and no enemy can breach them. "We are secure, perfectly secure from the enemy's subtlety while we have unwavering trust in God." -Our High Calling, p. 22.

As we have been emphasizing throughout this book, the cornerstone of Christian victory is a perfect commitment to Christ-surrender. This surrender means giving over every area of life to God to be changed, purified, strengthened, as He wills.

It is not an easy matter to give up the rights of self in this way. But it is essential. This surrendering will mean a struggle with appetite for many. ⁸⁸ For this area in which Eve was overcome is used with great success by Satan in bringing about the downfall of multitudes.

Another area of our lives where many need to gain decided victories is in the area of amusements. Amusements have become almost the sum total of interest in the lives of multitudes, not a few of whom are professing Christians. But the Christian, whose goal is heaven and a character that will be fit for heaven, cannot permit himself to become immersed in the types of entertainment common to the world-sports, the movies and TV, and certain other pastimes that wean the mind from Jesus.

Other areas may be mentioned:

Alluding to Ezekiel 33: 15, which discusses restitution to ones wronged, ⁸⁹ Ellen White says-

Additional to the requirement for making restitution is another vital aspect, a clear conscience. No person can have such a conscience before himself and God until he has made restitution for every known sin. And no person can have a buoyant, confident, victorious experience while he has an accusing conscience.

The price of Christian victory may seem too hard, too all-encompassing, too detailed, too demanding, for many. There may seem to be too many things to remember, too many gates to watch, as it were. But the problem is in the seeming more than in actuality when one is fully, unreservedly committed to Jesus. "When the tree is dead, the leaves fall off."

There is another element absolutely vital to victory-perseverance. ⁹⁰ "When you are in any contest," said Dwight D. Eisenhower, "you should work as if there were-to the very last minute-a chance to lose it. This is battle, this is politics, this is everything." It certainly is the Christian life! "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," said Christ (Mark 13: 13).

Revelation 14: 12 is a text that Seventh-day Adventists feel has a message for them in a special way. It comes at the close of the three angels' messages, which allude to the fearful struggle God's people will have with the beast and his image. The King James Version translation is the most familiar one to those Adventists whose language is English: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

The Greek term from which the word "patience" is translated is better rendered "steadfast endurance." The New American Standard Bible has, "Here is the perseverance of the saints."

Picture, then, a people who, under all the pressures of being accounted outlaws, of being cut off, from the human viewpoint, from every necessity of life, and finally of being sentenced to death, yet hold without wavering in their loyalty to God and His law.

There is another attitude assumed by some professed Christians that, unless radically resisted, will keep them from the joys of victory and life eternal:

"So let us never tire of doing good, for if we do not slacken our efforts we shall in due time reap our harvest" (Gal. 6:9, N.E.B.). "His [the Lamb's] victory will be shared by his followers, called and chosen and faithful" (Rev. 17: 14, N.E.B.).