Pastor Fred Luter tells Liberty University students to ‘live in victory’

Former president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor Fred Luter spoke at Liberty University’s Convocation Friday morning, bringing a message of victory in the Christian life.

“I am indeed delighted and excited because I have been invited here with you,” said Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, La. Luter has been in ministry since 1977, when a devastating motorcycle accident changed the trajectory of his life and led to his passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ.

In light of what Jesus did on the cross to free those who surrender their lives to Him, Luter said Christians should be living from His victory.

“I believe in victorious living,” he said. “I believe God didn’t just save us to give us fire insurance from hell. I believe God saved us so we can be lights in a dark world and salt in a saltless society.”

But to live this way, Luter instructed the student body to recognize and intentionally implement three biblical disciplines he pulled from 1 Corinthians that encourage effective and unhindered living: discernment, devotion, discipline.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the apostle Paul informs Christians that when tempted, the Lord will provide a way of escape.

“I am convinced that every Christian can live a victorious life,” he said.

In a world that can be discouraging, followers of Jesus have a greater hope than the here and now.

“I don’t care what the devil says; the Word of God says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength,’” he continued. “I can’t speak for anybody else in here, but I choose to believe the Word of God.”

While believing what the Bible says, Christians must also begin living it out and pursuing closeness with the Lord.

“In order to win more than you lose, you must have a genuine, authentic, personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said.

This message of victory is one that Paul often implored the recipients of his New Testament letters to realize despite temptation and trials. While every believer will be tempted, we are to use discernment and hold true to what Scripture teaches us. Luter also pointed out Paul’s instruction to believers to display devotion.

“If you’re going to win more than you lose, you must have a growing personal relationship with God,” Luter said. “God is faithful to those believers who are faithful to Him. God is committed to those believers who are devoted to Him.”

Ultimately, the battle belongs to the Lord, Luter said, using an example from the book of Job, where the devil had to go through God before he got to Job. Similarly, although Christians will be tempted by the devil, the Lord will protect those who are His.

“Because of your devotion, the enemy has to go through God,” Luter said.

Along with having discernment and devotion, Luter says Paul instructs believers to practice discipline.

Luter said the problem in today’s world is that these three biblical practices are not all present in the lives of believers. In the midst of every Christian’s struggles, there is a way out through these practices which encourage reliance on the Lord.

“Honestly, that’s the problem with many of us, that’s the reason many of us fall; we don’t take the way out,” he said. “In order to be kept, there must be discernment in your life, in order to be kept their must be devotion in your life, and in order to be kept there must be discipline in your life. You can’t do it by yourself. You can’t do it alone.”

In the shelter of the Lord is where victory is found.

“It’s not about you and it’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about the God who lives on the inside of you and me.”