A few weeks ago I was prayer walking around dawn with a friend of mine when we came across a few hundred trumpeter swans. Every once in a while a few of them would start bobbing their heads back and forth at the same time. This would lead to the little group flapping wildly as they ran awkwardly across the water. And finally they would take flight and soar high above us. Sometimes they would bob their heads and decide not to take off. But by the end, they were all airborne. It was inevitable.

We felt like God was saying this is like the church trying to catch the wind of the Spirit. A small group here or there starts bobbing their heads, like, we’re going to do this, right? You ready? Let’s go!

Sometimes it fizzles into nothing. Other times, the group breaks away from the behavior of the majority and makes a big flapping fuss running on top of the water, looking awkward and splashing everyone. They get criticized for trying so hard: flying is supposed to be easy. And it takes way too long to get off the water.

But inevitably they all fly.

What about us?

Some people think sinning is inevitable, that the world is getting worse and worse, and the powers of darkness are getting stronger, like Satan, demons, addictions, cancer, sickness, depression, anxiety, etc. The best we can hope for is to just hang on, not sliding into sin before we die.

The New Testament says the opposite about our progression:

• your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing – 1 Th 1:3
• being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory – 2 Co 3:18
• he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion – Philippians 1:6
• bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God – Col 1:10
• we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ – Eph 4:15
• add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love – 2 Pe 1:5-7
• grow up in your salvation – 1 Pe 2:2
• I press on toward the goal to win the prize – Philippians 3:14
• so that everyone may see your progress – 1 Ti 4:15
• let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity – Heb 6:1
• that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything – James 1:4
• grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – 2 Pe 3:18
• May the Lord make your love increase and overflow – 1 Th 3:12
• train yourself to be godly – 1 Ti 4:7
• every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful – John 15:2
• Saul grew more and more powerful – Ac 9:22
• we are being renewed day by day – 2 Co 4:16

We’re not in the middle of the world’s conveyor belt taking us to sin, death and destruction. We’re not clinging to the handrail trying not to get dragged along. The conveyor belt we’ve stepped onto is going the other way.

• Everyone born of God overcomes the world. – 1 John 5:4
• Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Co 15:57

Jesus is King. We’re on his team. Victory is inevitable.