A spirit-controlled life
March 10, 2008 (Monday)
Recently I preached a sermon from Philippians 2:5-11. It was a message about the names of Jesus in the New Testament: Lord, Jesus, and Christ. That’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s sufficient for one sermon. The names were selected for exposition because we often refer to our Savior as the “Lord Jesus Christ.”.
When I read the Scripture, I mentioned that it was the text for my very first sermon nearly 60 years ago. The sermon I preached then was very different from the one I recently preached. The original sermon was a totally topical message, based on the phrase in verse 5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The title of my sermon was, “Living as Jesus.”
I gave five or six characteristics of the life of Jesus and suggested that we try to live like Jesus did.
Further study of the New Testament, and additional experience in the Christian life, have shown me that the power to live like Jesus does not come from trying to follow His example, but from surrendering to His control in each of our hearts. Romans 8:28ff tells us that God’s purpose for each of us is conformity to the image of Christ. He wants us to be like Jesus, but moving toward that goal is a matter of moving out of the driver’s seat in the vehicle of our life, and leaving the driving to the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the person of The Holy Spirit, lives within each child of God.