The Sweetest Victory Kenneth Copeland 03 October If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

One afternoon, as I was studying that scripture, the Lord spoke something to me that nearly knocked me out of my chair. He said, Jesus was not free because He didn’t sin. He didn’t sin because He was free. I want you to let that statement sink in a moment. Can you see what it means? It means that many times as believers, we’ve been going at things backward. We’ve thought, If I could just kick this smoking habit, if I could just get rid of this disease, if I could just get some money in the bank, then I’d be free. But we need to go after the freedom itself. Once we lay hold of real freedom, those cigarettes, that disease and that financial lack will fall powerless at our feet. They’ll have no more ability to bind us than they had to bind Jesus. You may say, “Yeah, but people have laid hands on me until they’ve nearly rubbed all the hair off my head trying to get me that freedom—and I still don’t have it.” Listen, Jesus didn’t say you’d have hands laid on you and the laying on of hands would make you free. He said you’d know the truth, and the truth would make you free! He said, “Continue in My Word and you’ll be free like Me! Get in the Word and act on it. Then the laying on of hands will work.” I know it’s thrilling to have hands laid on you for healing and feel the power of God go through your body. But let me tell you, there’s an even stronger joy that comes when you get your healing or your deliverance by standing in faith in God’s Word. You know you’re growing up in Jesus when trouble comes and instead of running to the pastor crying for help, you go into your place of prayer, take your Bible and find the answer. You begin to read and, as you do, you hear God talking to you. Every scripture you find that quickens your spirit, you write down. Then, every night before you go to bed, you read those scriptures again—and you believe them. Your body may not feel any different. The devil may be standing by your bedside saying, You won’t get healed this time. I’ll kill you by the morning. But instead of wilting in fear, you just say, “Shut up, Devil, and take your hands off my body. I don’t belong to you and I never will. The Word says I’m healed and as far as I’m concerned, that’s the end of it.” The next morning, you get your Bible and read those scriptures again. Suddenly you catch yourself and think, Praise God, I got so excited about these verses, I’ve forgotten to hurt for the last 30 minutes! That kind of victory is the sweetest kind there is.Isaiah 54-55; Psalm 55I continue in the Word of God, and I am a disciple of Jesus. I know the truth and the truth makes me free. John 8:31-32

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:11-15