The Christian's Path is Not Always Easy

SPEAKER B Jesus promised his disciples in Acts One eight, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all here and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Welcome to. You shall receive power. And here are your hosts, Ettienne McClintock and Colin Hone. SPEAKER C Greetings and a warm welcome. Thank you for tuning into the program today. It's Colin, and my pleasure to have your company. And as we study the Word of God together, we know that God will bless us. Look, we're going to take a very pragmatic view of the Gospel and that we spoke about the previous program. We spoke about the thorns in the flesh. And today we're going to continue that theme and even get into Day 31 of the book Prayers and Devotionals to prepare for the latter rain in Christ's return. That is day 31, which talks about the Christian path, is not always easy. So we want to give you encouragement. We want to say to you that God will never leave us nor forsake us. He's promised us that and we got to accept it by faith. We don't walk by sight, but by faith. And faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So there's many promises in the Bible that we can claim that is to encourage us, to strengthen us. And the Word of God is living and powerful. We've seen it evidenced in the creation account of Genesis, chapter one, where God speaks and it was done. He commanded and has stood fast. And that same word, that same power is present in the Word of God. And under the unction of the Holy Spirit, we can have the power of God working within us. And as we studied in our previous week's lesson, we actually looked at the fact that Paul was told that when he was weak, then the power of God would be strong within him. So as we open the Word of God today, we just ask you just to bow your head with us as we invite God's presence and His Holy Spirit to anoint us and bless us in our study. Gracious Father in Heaven, we're so grateful that we can have access to Your Word. We have freedoms to be able to study that we have the Holy Spirit to be a teacher and instructor, Father, and also a comforter even when we go through difficult times. So we can have Your peace and Your love and joy and the fruit of the Spirit in your lives. Regardless of what our experience is. And Father, we not know the experience of every person listening out there today, but we just pray that you would bring comfort and healing and restoration to their lives. Bless us, Father, and bless them also. Now, with the fresh baptism of Your Spirit is our prayer in Jesus name. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Right. So we're continuing our study. Colin, some very important aspects here, because sometimes when people come to the know, it's almost like they have an idea that is going to be happy ever after. Now, of course, we can have love, joy and peace in our hearts, but we may go through some difficulties and trials and we got to be aware of that. SPEAKER E Well, the Bible tells us that we're in war. We're in a war. We're in an actual spiritual war. Yes. And I want to talk about last week we were talking about that many Christians, and I can tell on my own Christian experience I've been a Christian for 25 years is that sometimes we're not experiencing deliverance from temptation through Christ, but we're trying to do it through our own efforts. We're trying to overcome by our own efforts and we're asking God to add his power to our efforts. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E When we do this, we're not experiencing the light burden that Jesus is referring to in Matthew chapter eleven, verse 28 and 29. You know that light burden where he says, my yoke is easy. Instead, the life is weighed down with frustration, bewilderment and feelings of defeat. And Jesus calls us to come to Him with this burden. And if you learn how to do this, you'll find rest and your walk with the Lord will become much easier and lighter. Why? Because Jesus is giving you his victory and you are resting in Him. When you're asking Jesus to give me the victory and having faith that it's his work and you're resting in that, that gives you rest. SPEAKER C Faith is the key aspect. You mentioned faith there it says faith is the victory. This is the victory that's overcome the world, even our faith. And we are told in Hebrews chapter three and Hebrews chapter four, that Israel, when God led them out of the wilderness, couldn't enter into his rest because of unbelief lack of faith. Lack of faith. So the way we're going to receive rest is actually by faith and receiving the Word of God and expecting God to do exactly what he promised he would do because His Word is alive and powerful. The creative energy of God is in His Word, and we can receive that power working in our lives by faith. SPEAKER E It's interesting you said that, that Israel could not enter the Promised Land because of lack of faith and unbelief. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And everything in the Bible are parallels to what's happening in the last days. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E Maybe entering into the heavenly canaan into the heavenly. We're not there because of lack of faith, because Jesus says when he comes. SPEAKER C Will he find faith on the earth? SPEAKER E Faith on the earth. So maybe there's a parallel there. SPEAKER C Look, there's a definite parallel. It even says that Enoch was translated by faith. He was told by God that he was loved by God and that he walked with God. He walked with god, and he was translated without seeing death by faith. So we are the same. If we believe we're going to be that last generation that will see Christ coming in the clouds of heaven and be translated without seeing death, it will also be a matter of faith. SPEAKER E Amen. So I must admit, before I came to personally understand, experience the reality of abiding in Christ and allowing to manifest Himself in and through me, I did not understand these words of Christ. For me, to be honest, the Christian life has been sometimes a burden, and obedience wasn't easy. But when I became to understand and experience Christ's abiding presence, then I found his words to be true. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. He offers the same abiding experience to all who believe in me. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E But many times along the road, I've even believed this. But I've defaulted back to the old ways, trying through my own know, taking your eyes off Jesus and trying to do things in your own efforts. And then you go back to the struggle again and you go, Why am I struggling? You go back, Please help me, Lord. And you're asking us like, help me instead of, Lord, you do it. Give me your righteousness, give me your victory. SPEAKER C Now, this offer that Jesus makes, is there other exceptions? Is anybody excluded from the offer that God makes in regards to giving us his rest and to give us a burden that is light? SPEAKER E I don't believe so. SPEAKER C I don't believe so either. I think it's every person listening out there at the moment. God is talking to you. You are not excluded from this offer. SPEAKER E And so I want to give some more things that I've learned about this kind of victory that Christ requires us in a moment by moment communion with Him. Remember, it's about that white cloth and the blue cloth that we spoke in our last program. We are the white cloth covered with the righteous of Christ, and Christ is the blue cloth. And when the blue cloth and the white cloth come into contact each other and they're constantly in contact, the white cloth becomes blue and bluer and bluer till the point that comes to it. You can't tell the difference. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER E It's Christ 100% living in the believer. SPEAKER C Just like the Sanhedrin realized after Jesus ascension. And the people had been baptized with the Holy Spirit that the disciples had been with Jesus because they were unlearned, uneducated ments. And here they spoke boldly and with power and eloquently, they presented the Gospel of Christ. SPEAKER E And so I love what David wrote in Psalms, chapter 16, verse eight. He says, I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. See, David knew the necessity of the Lord being always before Him. Yes, always before him. And we must not let our communion with Jesus be broken. This has got to be a constant day by day, morning by morning, even out throughout the day, moment by moment communion with Jesus. And we can also see that victory Jesus offers us requires a moment by moment surrender to Him whenever a temptation comes, because a temptation just doesn't come in the morning. It comes throughout the day. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E It comes at times when you at least expect it. SPEAKER C It's true. SPEAKER E And whenever temptation comes, we must surrender to Him, no matter how much we have enjoyed yielding to it in the past. So complete 100% surrender is the only way for complete 100% victory. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And I love what Ellen White wrote and this necessity of moment by moment communion and surrender with the words from the beautiful book Desire of Ages, page 324. SPEAKER C She says, we may leave off many bad habits for the time we may part company with Satan, but without a vital connection with God. Through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy and shall do his biding in the end. SPEAKER E He will get you in the end. SPEAKER D In the end, yeah. SPEAKER E Did you see, though, that the secret. SPEAKER C Was the moment by moment surrender of ourselves? SPEAKER E Yeah. A personally with Christ and a continual you know, Paul said Pray what? SPEAKER C Without ceasing. SPEAKER E Prayer is communion with God. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E Pray without ceasing, continually talk to God throughout the day in situations, and then when you're tempted, you're in communion, lord, hey, give me that victory over whatever it is you're facing at that time, that temptation at the time. Because if we don't, as she says, we may leave off many bad habits for a time, but without a vital connection through surrender ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And with a personal acquaintance with Christ and a continual communion, we're at the mercy enemy and shall do his biding in the end. So how do we do this? Daily receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is also essential for our communion with Christ to remain unbroken. That's why Ellen White confirmed this when she wrote in their review on Herald, April 5, 1892. SPEAKER C She goes we must have a living connection with God. We must be clothed with power from on high by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that we may reach a higher standard, for there is help for us in no other way. SPEAKER E She's clearly telling us the baptism of the Holy Spirit is what gives us a living connection with God. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E Because the baptism, the Holy Spirit is asking for Jesus to dwell in us and the Father as well, through the Holy Spirit in us. You can read that in John chapter 14 where Jesus talks about that. And so we're told the Spirit's infilling is absolutely necessary for this to happen. And I love many people have heard of Charles Finney. Maybe potentially he's a well known 19th century revivalist and evangelist. His name was Charles Finney and he understood the gospel teaching of how the Christian overcome sin. He also realized that many Christian leaders of his day who did not understand this truth were actually teaching sanctification by works. And so what did he read from the book Power of God, page 119 to 120. If you could read that, it's just a wonderful example here. SPEAKER C Okay, so Charles Finney says, in all my Christian life, I have been pained to find so many Christians living in the legal bondage described in the 7th chapter of Romans, a life of sinner resolving to reform and falling again. And what is particularly saddening and even agonizing is that many ministers and leading Christians give completely false instructions on how to overcome sin. The directions that are generally given on this subject, and I'm sorry to say about this, is that take your sin in detail, resolve to abstain from them and fight against them, if need be, with prayer and fasting until you have overcome them. Set your will firmly against the relapse into sin. Pray and struggle and resolve that you will not fall and persist in this until you form the habit of obedience and break all your sinful habits. To be sure, it is generally added in this conflict. You must not depend upon your own strength, but pray for the help of God. In a word, much of the teaching, both of the pulpit and the Christian press really amounts to the sanctification is by works and not by faith. SPEAKER E So what we see from this is when the Christian struggles with sin in this manner, he is actually focusing on the sin and not on Jesus. SPEAKER C It's like you said in the last know you want to balance the broom on your hand and if you focus on your hand, you can't balance it. But if you focus at the top, you look up, then you can actually. SPEAKER E Balance, focus on Christ, give you the victory, you focus on yourself, you'll fall. And so it'll never bring the victory when we focus on sin. And Paul instructs us that the victory over sin and even our besetting sins, our thorns happen as we look unto Jesus who begins and completes the work of victory in our lives. And we can read that in Hebrews chapter twelve, verse one and two. SPEAKER C And it says therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. SPEAKER E So saying, put aside, lay away, your weights. He's talking about your sins. Put aside your sins and look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E Look up to Jesus for the victory. SPEAKER C So Jesus authored our faith, and he finished our faith. He perfected our faith. SPEAKER E That's right. And so when we look to Jesus, who begins and completes this work of victory in our life, and Finney wrote of what happens when we struggle with temptation, he says, this, it will be perceived, is directing the attention to the overt act of sin, its source of occasions, resolving and fighting against it. It fastens the attention on the sin and its source and diverts it tightly from Christ. We're focusing on the sin, and that's what the devil or Satan will try and get you to do, is to focus on your sin and yourself instead of focusing on Christ and asking him to overcome that in and through you. And so Finney then goes on to point out that love is the real issue. Paul tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law. In Romans, chapter 13 and verse ten. SPEAKER C It says, yeah, love does no harm to its neighbor, therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER E He does not say that strolling with temptation is the fulfilling of the law, does he? SPEAKER C No. SPEAKER E And so now, what is resolved against this religion of resolutions and efforts to suppress sinful habits and form holy habits? Love is the fulfilling of the law, but we do not produce love by resolution. Do we eradicate selfish by resolution? No. Indeed, we may suppress this or that expression or manifestation of selfishness by resolving not to do this or that, and by praying and struggling against it, we may resolve upon our outward obedience and work ourselves up to the letter of an obedience to God's commandments. But to eradicate selfish from the heart by resolution is an absurdity. That's what Finley is saying. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C Well, it is an absurdity, but many try it. And dare I say that my previous experience, there have been times when I've tried it, grit my teeth, try harder, but unfortunately not successful at all. SPEAKER E We all have. We all have. And all such efforts to overcome sin by fighting it will end in failure every time and will never produce love in our hearts. And that's why Finley puts it in this way. He says, all our battling with sin in the outward life by the force of resolution only ends in making us whiten. Sepulchres. I think it's sepulchers. Yeah, sepulchers. All our battling with desire by force of resolution is of no avail. There's only one way to overcome sin in our life. That way is to have faith that Christ will give us the victory. That's it. Have the faith and believe that Christ will give us the victory. Jesus is the author and finisher of our victory over sin. He is the way, the truth, and the life in John 14 six, christ is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C One of my favorite texts, one Corinthians. SPEAKER E Chapter one, verse 30, finley describes how the Christian obtains the victory through faith in Christ in the following way the fact is that it's simply by faith that we receive the Spirit of Christ to work in us, to do to will, and to do according to his good pleasure. That's found in Philippians, chapter two, verse 13. Yes, he sheds abroad his own life in our hearts and therefore thereby kindles ours. Romans five five the love of God is poured out on our hearts by. SPEAKER C The Holy Spirit, which has been given. SPEAKER E To us by the Holy Spirit. So every victory over sin is by faith in Christ. Whenever the mind is diverted from Christ, by resolving and fighting against sin, whether we're aware of it or not, we are acting in our own strength. We are rejecting the help of Christ, and we're under the speciest delusion. Nothing but the life and energy of the Spirit of Christ within us can save us from sin. And trust is the uniform and universal condition of working of this saving energy within us. SPEAKER C Very insightful. SPEAKER E I think Finley was well aware of the pervasiveness of the teaching common in his day. And I would say in our day as well, that the Christian must struggle with temptation and sin in order to have the victory. SPEAKER C Sure, look, I agree with that. I think sometimes it just takes on a more subtle form. For example, how many times we have heard we need to be loving and lovable Christians. We don't love enough. We need to love more, focus just on loving more. Well, whose energy and whose power are we relying on to be more loving? Our own, if we do that. But if we surrender and God does what he says he would do by giving us the Holy Spirit and pouring in in our hearts the agape love of God, those principles will then act in and through us. And that will be the unction for us to be those loving, lovable Christians. But that comes through surrender, not by us gritting our teeth, trying to be more loving and lovable. SPEAKER E That's true. Or we can DeVault to the other side and completely say, this is impossible. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E You know what I mean? We've just had defeat after defeat after defeat. And so we have to then design some new theology that says we can be saved in our sins. SPEAKER C Well, that's just another word for humanism, because what happens is we create a theology rather than accepting the theology of Christ in the Bible by faith. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C So it's man made then. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER C That's like having another God before you. SPEAKER E That's right. Or just saying, listen, you know, God understands and we're just going to keep sinning and it's okay. There's nothing we can do about it. And so they're stuck in Romans seven and they never get out of Romans, chapter seven and find the truth of Romans, chapter eight, which is a wonderful, wonderful promise. That's right of victory in Romans, chapter eight. SPEAKER C And you know the Romans chapter seven, man says, O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body or death? And that wretchedness is mentioned again in the latice and condition. You don't know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. SPEAKER E That's true. That's true. And so I love this is what Finley wrote about it. He says it is rooted so deeply that one of the hardest lessons for the human heart to learn here's his .1 of the hardest lessons for the human heart to learn is to renounce self dependence and trust holy in Christ when we open the door. By implicit trust, he enters in and takes up his abode with us and in us. By shedding abroad his love, he quickens our whole soul into harmony with Himself. And in this way, and in this way alone, he purifies our hearts through faith. I love it. And Finley concludes his discussion of victory in and through Christ with these words. Do you want to read out this part? SPEAKER D Okay. SPEAKER C So this is from page 26 of the book, power from God. SPEAKER E 126. SPEAKER C 126. Thank you. Oh, that it could be understood that the whole of the spiritual life that is in any man is received directly from the Spirit of Christ by faith as the branch receives its life from the vine. And of course, he's quoting there from John 15, verse four and five, away with this religion of resolutions. It is a snare of death. Away with this effort to make the life holy while the heart does not have in it the love of God. SPEAKER E Wow, he's really nailed it, hasn't he? SPEAKER D Yeah, very. SPEAKER E He really has. And so this was God's gift to us. When Adam sinned, Satan thought he had taken the most precious thing away from God, man, who God created in his own image. And Satan hated God. And the man that God created And Satan knew that God had created man to enter into a close, intimate relationship with himself, even creating him a little lower than Elohim himself. It says in Psalms, chapter eight, verse five to six, he created us a little lower than Elohim than himself. SPEAKER C Yeah, the Elohim, of course, in the Hebrew there can mean God. It can mean angels. And then if you look at the Septuagint, it actually transferred as angelos, which is angels. SPEAKER E Angels little lower than angels. However, man was so precious to God that he made a decision back in eternity past to save mankind from the terrible consequences of sin, eternal death, and separation from God in Revelations 13, verse eight. And so therefore, God devised a plan where Christ would come to this earth as a man. And we can read that in John chapter one, verse one, to three and 14, and he lived a perfectly sinless, righteous life. One Peter chapter two, verse 21 and 23 says that. And Peter saying to die the death that we deserve. And you can read that in Isaiah chapter 53, verse five and six. These are all the verses talking about why Jesus came. And in essence, this is what God says to you I love you and want you to live with me forever. However, because of your sin, you deserve to die, because the penalty of sin is death. Therefore I will come and die the death you deserve. Also, I cannot take sinners to heaven to live with me, so I will come to earth and live the righteous sinless life you are unable to live. So here receive the forgiveness I offer you. In one John, one nine, receive it. If we confess our sins, he's faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And he says, and take my righteousness which I'd live for you and be covered with my righteousness. He talks about in Jeremiah 23 26 and Romans chapter nine, verse 30 to 32. I also know that you must live on earth until Jesus returns and that you are unable to live a righteous life even though you want to. He says that in Romans, chapter three, verse ten, and Isaiah 64 six, therefore I will come and live in you and actually live out my righteous obedience in and through you that I lived when I became one of you in the person of Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's in Galatians 220 and Colossians 127. You see, this is what Paul meant when he wrote this in Galatians 220, he says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. Paul was still in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. SPEAKER C Beautiful text. Another one of my favorites. SPEAKER E What a wonderful promise that Jesus says, I love you and want to live with you forever. So he pays the penalty and then says, I know you can't live an obedient life, but I did live it through my son Jesus, and then I'm going to let Jesus live out his life in and through you. So Paul could live a life of faithful obedience to God. Why? Because Christ was living in him. That's how you can live a righteous life only by Christ living out his righteous life in and through you. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E It's not you, it's not I, Paul says, but Christ that lives in me. Paul's faithful obedience was the result of faith or faithfulness of the Son of God who was living in him. Paul had learned how to let Christ live out his faithfulness to God in and through him, the same faithful life he lived when he walked this earth. Remember in revelations, chapter 14, verse six to twelve? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E What does it say right at the end? In the last verse? SPEAKER C It says, here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER E And have the faith of Jesus. Well, how do you have the faith of Jesus? Only one way. SPEAKER D Yeah? SPEAKER E If Jesus is living in you, you have his faith living in you. They have Christ living in them fully, completely. This in part is why Christ had to become a man. In Romans, chapter eight, verse three to four, it says Christ had to become a man. Mankind needs a human righteousness. God knew man could not live a righteous life due to his sinful nature. So God himself came and lived a faithful, righteous human life in the person of Jesus Christ. And if we let him, Jesus will live out his faithfulness to God in and through us. This is true righteousness by faith. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E For there is no other righteous in this earth except for the righteousness of Christ that lived 2000 years ago and will continue to live out in the life of those who believe in Him and have faith in him. That's why Ellen White said this in desire of ages. Page 324. SPEAKER C The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in his righteousness. SPEAKER E There's righteous by faith right there. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self love, self indulgence and temptation to sin. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER E The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in his righteousness. And remember, in Romans it says the love of God is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. SPEAKER D Who's? SPEAKER E The love of God. SPEAKER D Jesus. Yes. SPEAKER E So I just pray that we will experience the fullness of Christ by allowing him to live out his faithfulness, his righteous life in and through us. And I pray that we will allow him to manifest himself in every aspect of our lives. And once we discover this amazing truth, our lives will never be the same. And your life will be filled with joy and peace. You'll see victories before thought, impossible to attain. Jesus will be everything to you. You will know from experience what Paul meant when he wrote, Christ in you, the hope of glory. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C And on that note, Colin, we'll take a break and we'll come back right after this short message. Stay tuned. I'm looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 213. SPEAKER F Jesus often called himself the Son of man to describe his divinity. Especially is this so when he spoke of his Second Coming. When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before. Him. Then the King will say to them on his right, come, you who are blessed by My Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Matthew 25 31 to 34 think about who this Son of man is. All the nations will be gathered before Him at his coming. He fulfills a divine role at his coming. SPEAKER C Welcome back to you shall receive power. Just before the break we were talking about Christ in you, the hope of glory, and how through the righteousness of Christ and his merits alone we can obtain the victory. But there's two aspects of it obviously about Christ being in us. But there's another aspect, Colin, I don't know if you would like to unpack that a little bit about us being in Christ. SPEAKER E Yeah, so it talks about abiding in Christ abiding in us, and us abiding in Christ. In John chapter 15, verses four to. SPEAKER C Five, okay, and it says abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in Him the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing. SPEAKER E Can't do nothing. And Jesus, even in John 14, verse twelve, says he who has Christ will do the same works as Jesus. The only way you can do the same works as Jesus as he goes on in chapter 14 is if Christ is dwelling in you that you do the same works. He says, you'll do the same works as me and even greater works in John 1412. It's amazing. Promise, it's incredible. SPEAKER C But even in John chapter six, just earlier on, jesus of Himself says that I of myself can do nothing. So he relied on the Father because he was in the flesh, he was a human being. He relied on the Father fully to give Him the victory and to do the things that he well, the things that we saw and hear about in the Bible that he could do. John chapter five, verse 30 says I of myself can do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father has sent me. SPEAKER E So fill in that and just say, what Jesus did with the Father, we do with Jesus. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E You could just say that out and just put Jesus in there and put yourself in there. I myself can do nothing. SPEAKER C That's right. So Jesus says, I myself can do nothing. And then he tells us here in John, chapter 15, that without Him we can do nothing. SPEAKER E That's right. So it's the same thing, principle, same thing. The Father in Jesus, the Jesus in. SPEAKER C Us, which shows us that Jesus is actually our example as well as he surrendered to the Father in all things. So we are to surrender to Jesus in all things as well? SPEAKER E That's right. So how does this happen? Well, Christ lives and abides in us as we daily receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And that abiding is very real. Our connection with Christ is just as real and living as is the connection between the vine and the branch. Yes, that's the illustration that Jesus is giving here. In order the Branch to bring forth fruit, what must it do? It must be continually living connection with the vine, so also with the Christian. If we're to bring forth fruit of obedience, we must maintain a living connection with Christ through the Holy Spirit, the SAP. We've got to continually have a living connection with Christ through the Holy Spirit. And using the illustration Christ gave in nature, the Branch receives its life from where? From the vine. It receives its nutrients, the SAP, the very life it needs from the vine. Once the branch is attached to the vine, whether naturally or even grafted in, all right, it will bring forth fruit as a result of the living connection with the vine. Now, the Branch does not work at bringing forth fruit. Yeah, doesn't work. I got to produce the fruit. I got to produce the fruit. No, it simply stays in connection and the fruit comes forth. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E If the branch becomes disconnected from the vine right, disconnected. It ceases to bring forth fruit, and it will what? SPEAKER C It will die. SPEAKER E That is why Christ said, without me, you can do nothing. It's by faith, not works. And the example of the vine in the Branch nicely illustrates the futility of us Christians or believers trying to bring forth fruit of obedience. As we privily described, the usual Christian experience follows the pattern of the individual. So, first of all, we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, and then we try to obey Christ's commands by asking God to help him in our efforts to obey. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E All such efforts will fall short of the obedience the sincere believer wants. And I love what Andrew Murray in his book said, abiding in Christ. He's got a beautiful book called Abiding in Christ. He says this in Abiding in Christ. SPEAKER C Page 24 says, the idea they that's many Christians have of grace is this, that their conversion and pardon are God's work. But now, in gratitude to God, it is their work to live as Christians and follow Jesus. There is always the thought of a work that has to be done. And even though they pray for help, still the work is theirs. They fail continually and become hopeless, and the despondency only increases the helplessness. SPEAKER E And that's what happens. You have this either legalistic approach, trying to do it by your own efforts, and yeah, sure, god, please help me, or you give up. You give up. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And so this is what happens, because naturally, if you can't do it. You got to say, okay, maybe it's impossible to do and I've just got to rest in Christ justifying righteousness and that's it. And you just give up on the sanctification because we don't know how. SPEAKER C And unfortunately, I hear this too often, this kind of approach to it, it's simply our response. And that while there is a response, there's no merit in what we do. It is all Christ working in and through us, and it's all by faith. SPEAKER E The response is surrender. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E That is to surrender daily our wills and us, because we have a will, but we don't have any power. And so we surrender God our will and we ask for his power. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And so many of us, and even us Adventists who know many things the Lord wants us to do, will ask, well, what then are we supposed to do? Doesn't obedience require effort on our part? Don't we need to work hard at following Christ in obedience? And my answer to those questions is consider Christ's illustration of the vine in the branch. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E That illustration itself should indicate to us that there is nothing or there is something wrong with the concept that we must work hard to obey Christ. No, our part is to stay in living connection with Jesus and to choose to obey. And choose to obey. Then ask Christ to manifest his obedience in and through us. In other words, his SAP in and through us believing he will do just that. And Andrew Murray described this in the. SPEAKER C Following way and if the question be asked, but surely there is something for us to do, the answer is our doing and working are but the fruit of Christ working in us. It is when the soul becomes utterly passive looking and resting on what Christ is to do, that its energies are stirred to their highest activity that we work most effectually, because we know that he works in us. SPEAKER E All these great preachers, they worked out the secret, all of them worked out this secret of Christ in us. The hope of glory. Yes, it's been there the whole time. The truth of the matter is, if we work at attaining the righteous behavior the Lord wants us to experience in our life, we're actually practicing a form of legalism. We are looking to self in our own efforts, do what only Christ can do for us. And I think many Christians understand legalism when it comes to justification aspect of receiving Christ righteous by faith. They understand the legalism of that part of it, but they do not understand legalism in the matter of sanctification. Christ's righteousness being lived out in our life, righteousness in the Christian's life, in both justification and sanctification are both received by faith, not by works. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E Read Ephesians, chapter two, verse eight to ten. SPEAKER C Listen, it says for by grace you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Verse ten, and quite often verse ten is left out in the quote for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. SPEAKER E Now just read that part slowly. Let's unpack that last part about sanctification. SPEAKER D Okay? SPEAKER C Verse ten says, for we are his workmanship. SPEAKER E So whose work? SPEAKER C God's workmanship. SPEAKER E His workmanship. SPEAKER C And that we've been created in Christ Jesus for good works. SPEAKER E So we've been created in Christ for good works. SPEAKER C So the power of the gospel is actually recreation. That's what we're saying. Created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand. SPEAKER E So God's prepared these works? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C That we should walk in them. SPEAKER E So we should what? Walk in them. Their sanctification. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And so many of us do not understand legalism in the matter of sanctification. Christ's righteous being lived out in our life, righteous in Christian's life, in both justification and sanctification, are both received by faith, not by works. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E So when we understand this aspect of righteous by faith, the abiding in Christ aspect of sanctification and obedience, jesus will become even more precious to us. His victory in the flesh becomes our victory over temptation when we ask by faith and ask Him to live out his victory in us. So when we're tempted, we must learn to immediately turn to Christ like that broomstick. We need to look up, not look to ourselves. I love that when we're trying to balance the broom on our palms, we need to look to Christ. We must be tempted. We must learn to immediately turn to Jesus and let Him manifest his obedience in and through us over whatever temptation we are facing. Eddie and our victory has already been obtained 2000 years ago. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E That is why he became a man. Jesus became a man and lived a perfectly obedient life, overcoming all temptation. It says in Hebrews, chapter four, verse. SPEAKER C 15, it says, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. SPEAKER E Wow. And I think also Peter mentions it in one. Peter, chapter two, verse 21 and 22. SPEAKER C Yes. It says, for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mind. SPEAKER E I want you to read that again and just let's just unpack that. SPEAKER C Okay? So it says there from verse 21 for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. SPEAKER E So Christ left us an example to follow in his steps. So Christ is our example. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E To follow in his steps. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And then it says, who committed no. SPEAKER E Sin and we're following his steps, who committed no sin. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E How did he do that? SPEAKER C Nor was the seat found in his mouth. SPEAKER E Deceit was not found in his mouth. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C And then it says verse 23, who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. SPEAKER E So where to do the same? Submit ourselves to him. SPEAKER D That's right. Commit ourselves to him. SPEAKER E Yeah. That's unreal. By faith in Christ, we have his justifying righteousness covering us, don't we? SPEAKER D We do. SPEAKER E And by faith in Christ we have his sanctified, righteous obedience lived out in and through us. These are the two precious aspects of righteousness by faith. Both, and I want to make this perfectly clear both are Christ's righteousness. Not mine, not yours. They're both Christ's righteousness. His justifying righteousness is imputed to us. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E His sanctifying righteousness is imparted to us. And we receive both of them by faith. And when we understand these two aspects of righteous by faith, we'll see that it is Jesus from the beginning to the end in our Christian experience. SPEAKER D Amen. And amen. SPEAKER E Then all man's boasting will be laid in the dust. And that's why Paul could write these beautiful words in One Corinthians, chapter one, verse 29 to 31. SPEAKER C It says that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let Him glory in the Lord. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER E You see everything. We are to receive everything from Christ, just as the branch receives everything it needs from the vine. Christ is to be our wisdom. Christ is to be our righteousness. Christ is our sanctification. And Jesus is our redemption or glorification if we stay continually connected to Him through the baptism, holy Spirit daily feeding on His Word and moment by moment in prayer. That's why prayer is an integral part of this amen. That's our communion with God. Through prayer and through His Word, we will receive the blessings from Him not by working to receive them, but by believing we have them by faith. And I love what John says. He really just puts one verse in one. John, chapter five, verse four, that really encapsulates this. SPEAKER C Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. SPEAKER E So how do we overcome the world? SPEAKER C Through faith. SPEAKER E How do we overcome sin? SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C By faith. SPEAKER E The faith in Christ's righteousness and Him to give us the victory. You see, Jesus paid it all and Jesus did it all. And our part is simply to believe, to surrender. And when we experience the righteousness comes by faith, then all glory goes to Christ and none to ourselves. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E That is why in God's kingdom when we get there, it says all our crowns will be cast at Jesus'feet. Yes, it's a wonderful promise. But there is a faith struggle. And there's a faith struggle in order us to experience continual, unbroken abiding in Christ and also Christ abiding in us, there must be a continual 100% surrender to God's will. Now, God may lead you into an experience where this is not easy and the challenge may seem very difficult. And as such times, it's important to remember that you are in a situation by God's leading. And wherever Jesus leads you, he will take you through it. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And for example, it says that Christ is our mean. Christ's experience in the garden of Gethsemane, after sharing the Passover with his disciples and instituting the communion service was such an occasion, wasn't it? SPEAKER D It was. SPEAKER E Throughout his life, Christ had obeyed his heavenly Father implicitly by allowing how? By allowing the father to manifest himself through him. And Jesus wrote of this in John, chapter one, verse 14 says, and the. SPEAKER C Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. SPEAKER E So Jesus allowed the Father to manifest his glory throughout his life. He had never turned away from following the truth of God's Word or the way the Father led Him. Now in the garden, he faced the most difficult challenge of following His Father's will. I mean, three times edin, he prayed that this cup of suffering may be taken away from Him. And each time he yielded to the will of the Father. Take this cup away from Him. But he says, not My will, but. SPEAKER C What Thy will be done. SPEAKER E Yeah. And the Father, he understood the struggle Jesus was going through, but he couldn't remove it. It was all in his divine will for the events to transpire. And Jesus knew he was being led by his father. And the will of his father was clear to him. Therefore, he willing submitted, even though the submission was very difficult at that moment. I mean, three times he said, lord, please take this cup away from Me if it's possible, but not My will. Your will, father. And in prayer. It was in prayer that Christ gained the victory over the crisis of the Cross. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E It was in prayer he was facing. Once the victory was gained in prayer, his obedience unto death was assured. And that's the same with us. When we face such times of cris under God's leading, it's essential we follow Christ's example. In prayer, we will find the strength and courage to move forward in faith as we continue to abide in Christ, knowing that he will see us through and will manifest Himself in us and through us all the way to victory. So when we come to those moments, we go to prayer and we say, lord, take this cup away from me. Take this away from me. Not my will, but your will. Father. It's in prayer. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C And look, there would even be times where we even question why are some things happening to us at that time? SPEAKER E I mean, I can tell you throughout my life there's been times why is this happening? There's circumstances that I could not control. I have no control of certain circumstances. But there will be experiences we'll be led through in this life that we may not understand why God is allowing this to happen to us. I mean, look at Job, go through the whole Bible, look at Jesus, look at everybody, even the disciples, Peter in the jail. Why is this happening to me? And at such times it's vital to realize that Christ still resides in us and will manifest Himself in and through us during any crisis. We must rest in the fact if we're desired to maintain this peace. You know, Paul was called to go through many trials and tribulations, wasn't he? SPEAKER D He was definitely. SPEAKER E And he lists a few of them when he shares his thorn in the flesh experience. Remember in two Corinthians, chapter twelve, verse seven to ten? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And he asked God to remove them. But God said no to his request. And the reason was that through these difficulties, god's power and character would rest on Paul and shine out through them. And some of the thorns that Paul encountered were according to his own words, infirmities reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distress, for Christ's sake. And these experiences made Paul feel weak, helpless and vulnerable. And he realized the value in all this when he stated when I am weak, then I'm strong. Meaning that God's strength will be manifest in and through him when he realized his utter weakness. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER E That's what God wanted to teach him. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER E And at first these difficulties challenged him and were confusing to Paul. He didn't understand them. That's why he prayed three times for God to remove them. Then when we came to see the reason God left them in his life, he could say most gladly, therefore, I'd rather glory in my infirmities than the power of Christ may rest upon me. That's why he wanted it so the power of Christ will rest upon him. He could actually thank God for these thorns. See, Paul eventually came to realize that these thorns were opportunities for God by his power to more fully manifest his character of Christ in and through him. And these thorning experience and trials are not circumstances we would choose for ourselves. Let's be honest, that's true. No one chooses thorns. However, God and his great wisdom chooses them for us. Why? They are his ways of means, of discipline. And in Hebrews we read about God's discipline in Hebrews, chapter twelve, verse six, seven and eleven, when he says for whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son who he receives. If we endure chastening, God deals with us as sons. For what son is whom the Father does not chasten or discipline I mean, I have son and I disciplined him because I loved him. Now, no chastening or discipline for the present seems to be joyous, does it? SPEAKER C Well, that's dead right? SPEAKER E But grievous nevertheless. Afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which exercise thereby. So these difficult situations, at times they try our faith and we're tempted to distrust God to question his leading and loving care for us. In this context, we're told in Hebrews, chapter twelve, verse three and four. Do you want to read that for us? SPEAKER C Verse three says for consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself. Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls you have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER E So this striving mentioned here is the faith challenge we face at such times of trial, isn't it? And the trial of the cross was not easy for Christ to go through. Remember, he prayed three times for it to be removed. His faith was challenged, yet he remained faithful to his Father. And during our times of trial, we will face such challenge to trust God and rest in the fact that he will fulfill his words to work all things good for our goods in Romans, chapter eight, verse 28. And if we remain faithful to Him through the difficulty, it will bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our life. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E These are testing times to remain faithful. And I love the experience of Elijah's greatest victory on Mount Carmel. He had just had the greatest victory over Mount Carmel. The test on Mount Carmel and then he flees from Jezebel's threats also illustrates a crisis of faith. We can read that in First Kings in chapter 19. Chapter 19? SPEAKER D Yes. Right. SPEAKER E In this story you find it's important lesson concerning the necessity of continuing our close communion with God. Now, Satan took advantage of Elijah's physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion, didn't he? SPEAKER D He did. SPEAKER E He could not stand before hundreds of he could stand before hundreds of pagan priests call fire down from God in a challenge of who was true to God. But the threats of enraged Jezebel undid him and he fled from his life. In the process of becoming like Christ. We too may go through times where everything seems to come in on us and we feel overwhelmed. You might be experiencing it now in your life. And when this happens, it's important we remember what is happening. Feelings of being overwhelmed are caused by us losing hold on God and looking to ourselves or the situation. And every time we take our sights off Christ we will begin to sink in failure. Just as Peter began sinking the sea when he looked to the waves and not Christ. And even though Peter was walking on water at Christ's command the threatening storm and waves put fear in his heart. We too will experience fear when under Christ's leading. We will find ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm in our lives and we take our lives off him. And so another lesson from Elijah's experience relates to the importance of following God's laws of health. Right at Seven day Venice, we've been aware of God's counsel on health for over a hundred years. The reason following there is important is that our neglect can lead us to weaken our hold on Christ. For example, if you constantly don't get enough rest, you become overly tired, mentally fatigued and spiritually, emotionally and physically weakened. This will affect your faith relationship with Christ, which could lead to a crisis of faith. And we look at job. His experience illustrates the faith struggle when the Lord allows a cris to come in our life. Job didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what transpired between God and Satan. He didn't even know what was going on. And crisis after cris came upon him. Loss of material possessions, loss of family, loss of health. He received no understanding or encouragement from his wife or his friends. And even in bitterness, his wife told him to curse God and die. His friends kept telling Job that these events were essentially judgments from God because of sin in his life. This is what his friends were telling him. SPEAKER C Yeah, and the opposite was actually true. Jesus said, I mean, God said to Lucifer, have you seen my servant Joban there's no one like him. Just does the right thing, shuns evil, fears God. SPEAKER E Yeah, but through it all, Job kept his faith and declared his trust in God with the words though they slay me, yet will I trust in him. So the Christian life is not without challenges, difficulties and disappointments and tragic experiences. However, if we learn to rest in Jesus, we can have the abiding peace. A peace that passes all understanding. In Philippians chapter four, verse six to seven, it tells us that and this is the experience the Lord wants us to lead us all into. SPEAKER D Great. SPEAKER C Well, let's just take a break there so we can share our contact details. Dear listener, if you are going through trials and difficulties, please know that you don't have to go through it by yourself. Christ is there with you. He's got his holy angels and all we need to do is ask in prayer. Not only that, we also offer here at Three ABN the opportunity to pray for you. And you can contact us as we share these contact details with you now we'll be back right after this. Thank you for joining us on You Shall Receive Power. If you would like more information about today's program or if you have any questions, please contact 3ABN Australia Radio by Phoning 024-973-3456. Or you can send an email to [email protected]. You can also contact us on our 3ABN Australia radio Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you SPEAKER C Welcome back to you shall receive power. Just as we are wrapping it up, we'll hand it over to Colin. But please take advantage of those contact details and get in touch with us if you'd like us to pray for you. SPEAKER E So we're talking about job's experience and we're going to talk about this is job's experience is going to be God's last day, people's experience. And this is the experience that Lord wants to lead us into us for. This kind of faith and resting in Christ will be necessary. For all who enter in the great tribulation or the time of trouble, all earthly support will be removed. Many friends and family members will turn against them. However, if they have learned the truth of abiding in Christ, all fear will be gone and the faith and faithfulness of Jesus will be manifest in their life. Then the trials they experience through the difficult times will only serve to further prepare them for the Christ's glorious return. You know, God understands I just love an important lesson to learn from Elijah's story is that God understands the faith cris he was experiencing. God gave him time to rest and miraculously fed him, didn't he? SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER E He allowed Elijah time to be free from the responsibility and Elijah walked for miles, giving him opportunity to exercise in open air. I love it sometimes when stuff's coming all around me, I got to go and just walk out on the beach on my own and I get things back in perspective. And God gave Elijah time to recover physically, emotionally and spiritually. Then at the right time, God revealed to Elijah that he was sovereign. God reigning over even the elements of nature earthquakes, wind and fire. Thence God spoke to Elijah, calling him back to ministry. After Elijah's recovery, he served his Lord faithfully until the day of being taken into heaven without seeing death. So every faith struggle in the Bible has lessons to teach us amen from God's word as a well in our life's experience, we find that faith struggles happen for numerous reasons. They all God is taking us on a journey to teach us to learn to trust in Him. SPEAKER A Well. SPEAKER C Dear listener, we pray that you were blessed by today's study. Whether you are walking and enjoying the noonday sun of the presence and glory of God in your life, or whether you're walking a path that's taking you through some stormy, difficult trials at the moment. Just remember that Jesus says, lo, I'm with you always unto the end of the earth. I will never leave you, nor forsake you. We pray that God will continue to bless you as you walk your path of faith and experience the victory and salvation that we can receive only by the merits of a crucified and risen Lord. Until next time. SPEAKER C You've been listening to a production of. SPEAKER E Three ABN Australia radio.