Power To Live For Him

Introduction:

Good morning Message of Peace!

We all had a wet week but I hope it was a good week for everyone.
Another great youth service last Wednesday, almost finishing the book of Numbers and for those who are in a small group, congratulations. I hope one day everyone will be a part of a SG.

We have been talking about Power to Witness during the month of February:

• First Sunday, our guest spoke on the Power to Witness.
• Last week I spoke about the Power over the Enemy
• Next week,  Power over Sickness
• Friend’s Day on the first Sunday of March.
• Today, Power to Live for Him

Power to Live For Him

• We all have a conscious and we all pretty much know what it is right and what is wrong.
• There are few instances that we may be ignorant and not know right from wrong and because of that we may do something wrong not knowing it is wrong.
• But, in most cases, we have a clear understanding of what is right and what it is wrong.
• Freud called this our “super ego”, the Bible calls this the “law of the spirit”. It is the law written in our hearts by God through His Holy Spirit.
• In a classic passage Paul says this: Romans 7: 14 – 24

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

• We see in this passage that there is this conflict: The law of the Spirit (the Super Ego so to speak) and on the other hand, the law of sin (the flesh, or what Freud call the id). In the middle is our soul, our volition, our will, our ego wanting to do right but doing wrong.
• How many can identify with the words of Paul?

How Can We As Christians, have power to Live For Him?

1. By being delivered by the Power of Jesus Christ – The final verse of the passage presents the answer?
   1. Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? V.24
   2. Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! V.25
   3. Jesus said in John 8:

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1. By receiving the power of the Holy Spirit
   1. Acts 1:8 – 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…
   2. Romans 8: 1 – 2 –  1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.
      1. It is through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit.
   3. The baptism of the Holy Spirit as we saw is a baptism of fire
   4. Fire is a symbol of purification.
   5. When we receive the Holy Spirit, he sanctifies us to live for God. We cannot do it on our own. We need His power.
   6. In Romans 8: 26, Paul says that it is “the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”

1. By living in the Spirit – Galatians 5

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

• Explain what it is to walk in the flesh and to walk in the Spirit

Application and Conclusion

We have seen that it is hard and difficult to do what is right even though we know we should.

We have also seen that by ourselves it may be impossible because of what Paul calls the “law of sin”

But it is possible to live for Him with:

1. By being delivered by Jesus Christ
2. By having the power of the Spirit
3. By choosing to live in the Spirit