It's 35 years ago that Christ stepped into my life and began His transforming work. He continues to powerfully and positively effect my life. Over the years I have found God to be absolutely faithful to His Word. God's Word sure works for me.
The New Life in Christ starts the moment we're "Born Again". Experiencing this New Life is the direct result of receiving God's Holy Spirit empowered Word.
1P. 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. (NLT)
God's Word is much more than black ink on white paper. When empowered by the Holy Spirit it becomes life, life we need in order to grow and mature, becoming all God envisions.
Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, ... (NLT)
As a young fella I was a terror on my bike. I loved to go as fast as I could and then slam the rear brake on trying to make the biggest "sideway s slide". To say the least it was hard on the tire and tube. I got very good at putting patches on that tube.
New Covenant Christianity is not based on the "patched tube concept". God is not in the business of patching up the old Adamic sin nature. He's in the business of giving us a whole new life.
As water is to the plant so is God's Word to us. We need to be drinking it in on a very regular basis. I want Online Sermon to be a well where you can come and be refreshed.
Unless otherwise stated Scripture quotes are from the ESV
The cars pictured above are known as "Sprint Cars". With one of the highest power to weight ratios they're anything but a toy. Weighing as little as 1200 lbs and packing a walloping 800 horse power they can circle a 3/10 of a mile track in under 11 seconds. Again this doesn't just happen. A lot of purposed intent, focus and direction goes into it. We too need to apply ourselves with the intent of winning.
With all the unique styles and differences in the world of race cars they have one commonality. They're all built to win. No serious racer builds for second place. No! The object is to win.
The Christian life from start to finish is a race. Attitude is so important. How we approach it will determine the outcome. Success isn't "by chance". 1 Cor. 9:24 - Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (NLT) It's good for us to be reminded from time to time that words like these have divine origin. They are God breathed and thy are for us today.
To win our race we're going to need to apply ourselves. It's not going to "just happen". It doesn't work that way in any physical race and it certainly doesn't work that way spiritually.
....................Driver confidence is also a vital factor in winning races. You've gotta believe it can be done! It's sure that way in the Christian race. There's a definite place for believing. Even here though, our believing needs to be properly directed. What and how are we believing about the power source of our new life in Christ?
Being "Born Again" is really all about receiving a whole new power plant. A power source that originates in God. Our understanding of this will determine our confidence level.
There's a great variety of auto racing today. From Stock Cars to Formula One there's a vast range of sophistication, technology and investment.
There's a few
key factors that
seriously play into
being a Sprint Car
winner. None is
more important
than the engine.
Horse power and
its stamina is essential. So it is
in the Christian race.
2 Cor. 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Eph. 3:20- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
1Jn 4:4- You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Notice the Apostle Paul's confidence in Ph. 4:13 and exactly where his confidence rested. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." We're reminded of Jesus' words in Act 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." New Covenant Christianity is all about living in newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is not expecting us, in human power, to live for God. If it was possible to for humanity to live a God honoring life they would have been able to do it under Old Covenant Law. The Law proves human need. The proves that even the best human intent is totally inadequate to live pleasing to God. Being Born Again is all about changing engines. It's all about receiving from God a whole new power source. One capable of glorifying the Lord.
These Sprint Car engines produce as much as 800 horse power. They don't do this on your regular "gas pump" fuel. They run on a special fuel mixture so does the Born Again Believer.
Cylinder combustion requires more than fuel. Producing maximum horse power requires the right fuel to air ratio. The two most important agents used in generating spiritual power in the Believer's life is the Spirit and the Word.
For a moment lets go back to creation. It's there that we're able to witness God's creative principle at work. Just like our life before Born Again the world was void and empty and covered in darkness. Then something began happening. The Spirit of God began hovering over the face of the waters.(Gen.1:2) Into that Spirit presence God spoke His creative word. The result? Light! When the Spirit and the Word come together creation occurs. That's how our journey in Christ started. The Spirit moved upon our sin sick heart and then God spoke the Gospel, His word to us and creation happened. We were Born Again. That same principle is used over and over during our spiritual growth process.
In order to win you've gotta finish.
That requires attention and deliberate purpose.
Success demands
that we plan our finish.
Running to win is what we're encouraged to do and in order for that to happen we're looking at longevity. We've looking at a planned finish. We're definitely in a race that is not over until it's over. We take nothing for granted. We don't sleep nor do we take our eyes off the track (the course set before us) We stay focused. We stay alert. We give ourselves to prayer and the reading of God's Word. We're continually looking to the lord for refilling and refueling. We're wanting to be running "flat out" for Christ should He appear today! We're wanting to cross that finish line a winner and by the grace and power of God in can and will happen. Stay focused!!! God bless.
