[0:00] so dear brothers and sisters please open your bibles if you will and let us read together from the gospel of john chapter 15 verses 4 to 8 in these verses our lord jesus is speaking to his disciples and telling them the following john 15 4 to 8 abide in me and i in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me i am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and i in him he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing if anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers and the branches are gathered thrown into the fire and burn if you abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples let's pray together dear heavenly father we praise you for your grace for your goodness thank you for your word which is lamp to our feet on light to our path holy spirit i ask that you use your word today for the edification of your people to conform us into christ prepare our hearts to receive your word with reverence and all our attention to it help us to practice it and to live by this truth let it be explained with clarity and power this morning i ask you all this in the name of jesus christ and for your glory alone amen amen so these verses john 15 4 to 8 are part of the teachings and instructions that christ gave to his disciples in what is known as the fair word discourse and in this fair word discourse happened right after jesus was arrested it happened the day that he and his disciples were celebrating the the last supper in jerusalem the night before jesus crucifixion and in this fair word discourse jesus gave final instructions commandments and uh teachings to eleven of his disciples as all of us know judas was not there he he went to betray jesus so this message was for eleven of his disciples and later that same night judas came he betrayed jesus with a kiss and our lord jesus was arrested beaten and tortured that night the next day jesus was mercilessly murdered he was sacrificed in a cross
[4:00] at a place called golgotha or calvary and that day god the son jesus christ died for all of us for you for you for me for our sins for our disobedience to the father and he did it in order to save us there is no salvation in anyone else only in christ jesus and when we read these verses here in john 15 something that i want us to start noticing is the great difference between christ and humans one great affirmation in the text strike us i would say hit us hard humble us i would say and it's that the portion that says apart from me you can do nothing apart from me you can do nothing and i want us to start reflecting in our minds about this truth this truth taught by christ this reality told by jesus to his disciples a reality that not only applies to the disciples at that time but also applies to all of us here all times all ages it applies to here today it applies to everyone who is here in online online at their homes apart from me you can do nothing and what a great contrast christ can do everything because he's omnipotent he is god there's nothing he cannot do but we we can do nothing and christ told his disciples that reality that apart from christ you can do nothing the sermon of today's the title is abiding in christ abiding in christ and i think also that apart from not being able to doing nothing when not when somebody does not have christ he's not only he he's actually nothing too i mean christ in us make us able to do and also to be when christ is not in a person that person is completely hopeless that person is completely hopeless and look at what galatians 6 3 says galatians 6 3 for if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing he deceives himself and the prophet isaiah in chapter 40 give us a clear picture of the nothingness of man and the greatness of god the greatness of god in verse 17 of isaiah 40 we read all the nations are as nothing before him they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness to whom then will you liken god or what likeness compare with him in verse 28 have you not known have you not heard the lord is the everlasting god the creator of ends of the earth he does not faint or grow weary his understanding is unsearchable
[8:07] he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength in verse 31 but they who wait for the lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint and in psalm 103 14 for he knows our frame talking about god he knows our frame he remembers that we are dust he remembers that we are dust brothers and sisters this is us dust we are hopeless apart from christ without christ we can't do nothing without christ we are actually nothing and jesus knew that and in the context of the farewell discourse we see several instructions and commandments given by jesus to his disciples and all these verses that we read today from john 15 4 to 8 is like jesus telling them telling their disciples i want you to do these things but you will not be able to do it unless you abide in me i want you to do these things but you will not be able to do it unless you abide in me and why is that is because christ knew their falling nature christ knew they were sinners christ knew they were just dust they were weak they were nothing without him and he knows this also of us like this is also true of all of us here we are fallen human beings sinners we're weak if we do not abide in christ we are hopeless we are completely hopeless the word abide is repeated 10 times in john chapter 15 10 times god really wants to god wants us to pay attention when he inspired this word god really wants us to pay attention to this word contained not only in this chapter in the bible but also in many other books throughout the scriptures and what does abiding means the word translated to english as abide in the original grid also means to stay to continue to dwell to remain to endure to be present to live all of that so when the text talks about abiding in christ it also implies staying in christ dwelling in christ dwelling in christ remaining in christ and most importantly living living walking in christ and when we look at the context of chapter 15 in which christ uses the word abide 10 times in the immediate present preceding text in the last verses of christ christcaster lines in christ Heheek書 christ promised the disciples the coming of the holy Holy Spirit before god told them to abide in him he had already promised the coming of the Holy Spirit and why is that christ promised the Holy Spirit because Christ knew that the disciples will need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in order to be able to abide in him.
[12:09] John 14, 16. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper. Here we see the Trinity. God, the Son, asking God the Father to send God the Holy Spirit, right? Another helper with the same attributes of Jesus, God the Holy Spirit. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.
[12:45] You know him for he dwells in you and will be in you, Christ Christ told them. And in John 14, 26.
[12:57] But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
[13:12] So the Holy Spirit will empower Christ's disciples to live according to the teachings and instructions and commandments given to them by Jesus.
[13:26] The Holy Spirit will empower them. It is the Holy Spirit who will make the disciples able to abide in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who will make the disciples able to abide in Christ.
[13:40] It is the Holy Spirit who will make the disciples able for them to bear fruits. It is the Holy Spirit who will make the disciples able to abide in Christ in prayer.
[13:53] It is the Holy Spirit who will make the disciples able to obey God's commandments for God's glory. He makes them able to obey for the glory of God.
[14:08] And it is also the Holy Spirit who help us who dwells in us and help us with all the same things that it helps the disciples of Jesus.
[14:20] If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in one's life abiding in Christ would not be possible at all. And consequently none of these things will happen in the life of such a person.
[14:34] If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a person's life it is impossible to abide in Christ. God gave the instructions abiding me but before he tells that to the disciples he promised them the Holy Spirit that will empower them to be able to abide in Christ.
[14:55] So let's explore more what abiding in Christ looks like as we go in these verses. First spirit dependent that is key spirit dependent abiding in Christ produces fruit of obedience.
[15:13] Spirit dependent abiding in Christ produces fruit of obedience. Verse 4 again of John 15 Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me.
[15:34] I am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he is that bears much fruit for apart from me sorry you can do nothing.
[15:48] So Jesus told his disciples that in order for them to bear fruits they have to abide in Christ and Christ abide in them.
[16:01] And we have seen how the Holy Spirit is indispensable for abiding in Christ. Christ told the disciples the Holy Spirit will dwell in you and will be with you.
[16:15] So when the Holy Spirit dwells in us when Christ abides in us and we abide in Christ then we bear fruits and joyfully and delightfully obey God's commandments.
[16:30] Then we bear fruits and joyfully and delightfully obey God's commandments. Not as a burden to do so in a legalistic chest checklist way I have to do this I have to do that no not in that way.
[16:45] Instead we obey God as loving children of our Father in Heaven who eagerly desire and pursue to please the Father in obedience.
[16:58] This is actually living in Christ. Those that abide in Christ live and walk like Christ did. Those that abide in Christ are conformed more and more to Christ's likeness.
[17:14] We can see this clearly in the first epistle of John. First John chapter 2 verses 4 to 6 Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.
[17:35] Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. One of the things that Jesus is is is what?
[17:46] Truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. But whoever keeps his word in him truly the love of God is perfected by this we may know that we are in him.
[18:05] Whoever says he abides, again the same word, now in first epistle of John, whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
[18:19] Please notice the imperative word here, ought to. God expects us to imitate Jesus. God expects us to walk in the way Jesus did.
[18:31] God actually expects us to live in the way Christ did. Whoever abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
[18:45] So without doubt, there is an inseparable relationship between abiding in Christ and bearing fruit of obedience to the Father commandments.
[18:58] In John 15 10, Jesus said, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father commandments and abide in his love.
[19:12] And in John 15 16, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.
[19:27] So, brothers and sisters, basically, this salvific faith given by God to those he has chosen by his grace is always accompanied by fruit and obedience according to this text we're reading.
[19:48] And in Ephesians 2 8-9, a text known very well by all of us, for by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
[20:06] And verse 10, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand God, that we should walk in them, that we should walk in them.
[20:22] So we are chosen, saved by grace, we are being encouraged also by Christ to abide in him, to bear fruits of obedience, to walk and to live our lives in a way that reflects Jesus, imitating Jesus, Christ, in all the things we do in this life.
[20:48] Does that mean that we are perfect, sinless in this world? Of course not. Nobody is. But there is a progressive increase in sanctification, obedience, and mortification of sin in those that abide in Christ.
[21:05] If that is not happening in our life, then that means that we are not abiding in Christ. Christ. Now let's read to verse 6 of John 15, where we see the consequence of not abiding in Christ.
[21:19] What is actually the result? What happens when there is no abiding in Christ? And verse 6 says, If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
[21:40] Thrown into the fire, and burned. And what a dreadful warning. Thrown into the fire, and burned. May God forbid that something like this never happened to any of us.
[21:58] Brothers and sisters, if you are God's chosen children, it is a sure thing that you will abide in Christ.
[22:11] it is sure, it is guaranteed. If you are God's chosen children, it is a sure thing that you will abide in Christ. And what that also implies, it is a sure thing that you are bear fruit.
[22:28] It is a sure thing that you are going to grow in obedience to God's commandments and Christ's teachings. God's chosen and you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so.
[22:40] It is not because of your power. Apart from me, you can do nothing. We are going to abide in Christ. We are going to bear fruits. We are going to be able to grow in obedience to Christ's commandments.
[22:54] All of that because of the Holy Spirit empowering us to do so as the Holy Spirit dwells in us and as the Holy Spirit is in us.
[23:06] And John 15, 2, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does not bear fruit, he prunes. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
[23:24] So what we see here, a characteristic of a Christian, genuine son of God, is that he or she has some fruit, but then God continues to prune them, to clean them, so that they bear more and more fruit and they grow in that obedience to Christ.
[23:48] So let's continue exploring what abiding in Christ looks like. Spirit dependent abiding in Christ only happens through his word and prayer and Holy Spirit.
[24:00] Spirit dependent, abiding in Christ through his word and prayer. John 15, 7, if you abide in me, let's continue with our text, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
[24:24] for Christ's disciples to abide in him, the word of Christ needs to abide in them.
[24:37] I'm going to repeat this. For Christ's disciples to abide in Christ, the word of Christ needs to abide in them.
[24:49] this is very important. How can we abide in Christ if we do not know, read, study, and obey his commandments in scripture?
[25:03] We could not. How can we abide in Christ if we do not know the will of God for his children as stated in scripture? If we abide in Christ, the word of God needs to abide in us.
[25:22] And in order for that to happen, we need to intentionally and actively search scripture. No Christian should love any other book more than the Bible.
[25:36] No Christian should love and read any other book more than the Bible. Read your Bible daily and study and meditate in scripture daily.
[25:49] Learn from scripture the way God wants us to walk in him daily and pray for God to help you to live in obedience to his commandments.
[26:02] Because that's what Christ says, and my word, my word abide in you. The Holy Spirit uses scripture to help you and me grow in being like Christ.
[26:17] Remember John 14 26, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
[26:35] Christ also in the Great Commission encouraged the disciples to teach one another, all that he has commanded. And in verse 7 of John 15, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, we repeat that, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
[26:56] Ask whatever you will and it will be done for you. Prayer. Ask whatever you will and it will be done for you.
[27:12] Abiding in Christ implies his word abiding in us so that we are able to pray according to the will of God in our life.
[27:24] So when the word of Christ abides in his disciples, they are able to pray to the Father, the will of the Father, contained in the word of God.
[27:39] Look at that connection there. So what's going to happen if we pray the will of the Father for our life to the Father?
[27:50] He's going to answer that prayer. If we pray in that manner, whatever you ask is going to be answered, right? Because that's the will of God for you and for me.
[28:03] So brothers and sisters, what is the will of God for you and me? And I can tell you for sure that the will of God for us when we pray is not that we ask for worldly things.
[28:20] He doesn't want that, right? When you pray and we start asking for worldly things, it's like when our sons and daughters ask you for candies and things that will not help them, right?
[28:34] we put a face like of displeasure and discomfort. Why are you asking me like that? We don't want them to ask you those things. And I can imagine God the father when his children ask him for worldly things, he put in maybe the same faith we put when our children ask us that, right?
[28:54] James 4.3, you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
[29:10] So when Christ told the disciples ask whatever you wish and it will be done to you, there is a condition for that promise. It's a promise, right?
[29:22] Ask whatever you will and it will be done to you. But there is a condition and the condition is, the condition for that promise was, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you are going to pray according to my will and according to the will of the Father as stated in the word and then whatever you ask is going to be given to you because there is a connection, there is a synchrony between the will we're going to have and the will of the Father.
[29:59] We are going to want for our life the same things that God wants for us. Amen? So, the will of God is that we be conformed more and more to the image of Christ.
[30:13] That's the ultimate will of God. as Romans 8 29 says, whatever happened in your life is with that purpose.
[30:27] And it's because of that sometimes we do not understand the bad things that happen to us. If it's a sickness that's going to bring you to be like Christ, this is the will of God.
[30:40] If it's poor, if it's not having money, if it's whatever it is, it doesn't matter what it takes.
[30:51] God wants us to be conformed to him. Sometimes the way for that to happen might not be comfortable for us, but it doesn't matter what it takes.
[31:01] The will of God for our life is that we be conformed to the image of Christ. Romans 8 29 says that, the more brothers and sisters, the more we are like Christ, the more we glorify God.
[31:18] I'm going to say that again. The more we are like Christ, the more we're going to glorify God in our life. The New City Catechism summarized that very well in one of their questions.
[31:32] We glorify God by enjoying him, by loving him, by trusting him, by obeying his will, commands, and law.
[31:43] So, when praying for your spiritual life, when praying for yourself, when praying for your brothers and sisters, right, as all of us do, we need to think about the will of God for us in the world.
[32:04] And we need to think about the will of God for our brothers and sisters, as it is stated in the word of God. And in this farewell discourse, the things that God instructed the disciples to do correspond to the will of God for them, and also corresponds with the will of God for us.
[32:35] And when I read all of these things that God tells them in that farewell discourse, from John chapter 13 all the way to John chapter 17, there are seven things that I identify that is the will of God for the disciples, is the will of God for us, and is also the things that we need to be praying for us, and the things that we need to be praying for one another.
[33:01] We should pray for grow in love to one another. That's the will of God. We should pray for growing love to one another. John 13, 34-35, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.
[33:18] Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. And look at what verse 35 says, but these old people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
[33:34] By these people, when see from outside, when they see at the church, they will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
[33:47] So that's the will of God for the disciples, and that's the will of God for the church. That's the will of God for us. That's the things we need to pray for. We also need to be praying for God to help us to keep his commandments, for God to help us to obey him.
[34:04] John 15-40, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
[34:15] And John 15-21, whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
[34:32] the will of God for his disciples, the will of God for us, is that we keep his commandments. So we need to pray for God to help us to obey his commandments.
[34:43] And look at this, how do I start? How the sermon started? Without me, you can do nothing. None of us can obey God. We are incapable of doing that because of our nature.
[34:56] But that's why he gave us the Holy Spirit. And before he told us to do that, he gave us the Holy Spirit in order to empower us to be able to do his will.
[35:07] To grow in love, we pray for that. To grow in obedience to his commandments, we pray for that. For our life and also for the life of our brothers and sisters in our church.
[35:18] The will of God is also that we pray for God to help us in abiding in Christ's love. John 15 10, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have, kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love.
[35:35] It is also God's will that we pray for God to give you, to give me, and when we pray for our fellow believers, his peace and other fruits of the Spirit.
[35:47] God wants us to pray for the fruits of the Spirit. And we see that so many often in Scripture, from Matthew to, from the Synoptic Gospels, to the Gospel of John, to all the Epistles, God wants us to pray for that, for the fruit of the Spirit.
[36:08] Right? John 15, 11, these things I have spoken to you, sorry, John 14, 27, peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, not as the word gives do I give you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
[36:26] This is the fruit of the Spirit, peace, right? the will of God is that we pray for God to give us His joy, that is also a fruit of the Spirit.
[36:37] John 15, 11, these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
[36:49] And this joy is not a joy that depends on circumstances, right? the Apostle Paul tells us that clearly, I have learned to live in contentment whatever it be my circumstance.
[37:02] The joy that is the fruit of the Spirit of God doesn't matter that you are sick or you're healthy, that you have nothing in the bank account or that you have a million dollars in your bank account.
[37:17] And that's why we see people that have billions of dollars in their bank accounts and they're miserable. Right? Lack of peace. And we see people that they are begging for money in the street and you see the joy in their faith even though they have nothing.
[37:34] It is not dependent on anything in this world. That's why we do not pray for worldly things. The spiritual blessings are not dependent on the circumstances that we have in this world.
[37:47] God wants the will of God is that we pray for those things for the fruit of the Spirit. God also wants us to pray for God to increase the unity in the church.
[38:00] Again, these are the things mentioned in John. Christ telling their disciples what is the will of Christ. Right? And if this is the will of Christ, this is a pretty important thing for us to pray.
[38:13] Right? God wants unity in the church and he actually prayed for that in the priestly prayer in John 17. John 17 21, God the Son is telling God the Father that they may all be one just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
[38:41] Right? So, so far two things for the world to believe. the disciples of Christ grow in love so the world know that we are disciples of Christ and the disciples of Christ also grow in unity that the world know that we are disciples of Christ.
[38:59] If there is not love, if there is not unity, there's no way we can be disciples of Christ. The last thing that is the will of God is that we, God wants us to pray for God to help us to grow in sanctification and obedience.
[39:19] The will of God that we need to pray for us or for one another according to what Jesus instructed the disciples is to grow in sanctification and obedience.
[39:32] One of the things that Jesus said in John 17 17 sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. Sanctify them in your truth.
[39:43] your word is truth. So this is just some examples on how we abide in Christ. Right? This is just some examples on how we abide in Christ and the word abides in us and how we have to pray with that mentality of the will of Christ and God for us and for the people we pray for.
[40:11] So brothers and sisters when Christ word advised in us the Holy Spirit guides us to pray better and we pray the will of God for our lives and the lives of fellow believers as instructed in scripture.
[40:24] Last point. Spirit dependent abiding in Christ give God's glory. Spirit dependent abiding in Christ for God's glory.
[40:37] Verse 8 of John 15. By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so you prove to be my disciples.
[40:47] Again this same word prove right? Proof. By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so you prove to be my disciples.
[41:00] And I have a question for you. Do we have to prove God that we are his disciples? we don't. Christ has already chosen us.
[41:15] Christ knows the numbers of the saved. But the fruits of being disciples of Christ are noted by other people.
[41:31] Other people can see. And when other people see the fruits of God in your heart in your life then God is glorified because of that.
[41:45] By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. God created us for his glory. We all know that.
[41:56] We are created for the glory of God. And one of the way God is glorified is when his children when his disciples reflects Christ in their life.
[42:07] One of the way we glorify God is when Christ is reflected in our life. And this is done as I said in spirit dependent obedience.
[42:20] Spirit dependent. Spirit dependent obedience. In spirit dependent bearing of fruits. In spirit dependent abiding in Christ. 2nd Peter 1 3 says his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.
[42:39] Wow. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. He has done it already. The spirit of God is in us and this is what empowers us to live a godly life.
[42:55] Without him we can do anything. But abiding in Christ by submitting ourselves to Christ by faith believing that the Holy Spirit is in us and even though it's difficult to obey we struggle even though it's difficult to pray sometimes even though it's difficult to read the Bible every day even though it's difficult to fight sin and win over things and sometimes we fight and lose and we try again we keep believing that the Holy Spirit is in us and as this verse says in 2 Peter 1 3 his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness his divine power has been given to us for us to be able to bear fruits and to glorify
[43:55] God in loving him enjoying him obedience to him all of that it is true on our falling nature and weakness on our falling nature and weakness it is impossible to live a godly life by our own means but because the Holy Spirit is in us through the power of the Spirit we are able to bear fruits and live a godly life for the glory of God 2 Timothy 1 7 says for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control so in conclusions on application just few more words in conclusion we have seen that apart from Christ we can do nothing sometimes we Christians can have a mentality of self sufficiency not only this is like
[45:00] American mentality self sufficiency independency I provide everything for me I am responsible for me that mentality can come to us as Christians right self sufficiency but the reality is self sufficiency is not a mark of strength but rather can be a sign of pride and lack of humility our communion with the true triune God and with one another help us grow into Christ likeness and sanctification we need God more and foremost to grow in sanctification but we also need one another we need each other to grow in sanctification and in order for us to grow we need to have more fellowship with one another we have to grow in our relationship with one another and it is such a blessing that we are a diverse church and it has been a blessing right sometimes it's even a challenge to try to relate with somebody that maybe speak
[46:24] English like me with a little bit of accent and not that it's great right and or look different or anything but we are one in Christ in God's eyes we are united by the same God we abide in the same Christ and in order for us to grow we cannot think that we should be self sufficient if we isolate ourselves we're not going to grow we need to talk to each other we need to tell each other our imperfections even right sometimes it's hard to tell our sins to others but God wants us to confess our sins to one another so then other knows how to pray for you and how to ask God to help you grow in that at the same time right our total dependence is with God but our communion with the
[47:24] God and with one another help us grow into Christ likeness and sanctification so let us more with one another we also have seen that spirit dependent abiding in Christ produces fruit of the spirit and obedience to Christ commandments spirit dependent abiding in Christ produces fruit of the spirit and obedience to Christ commandments brothers and sisters let us diligently pursue obedience to Christ if there is a sin we are nurturing or struggling with do not surrender to sin instead let's fight it let's fight sin by faithfully trusting in the power of our helper the holy spirit is in us who will give us victory and deliverance over sin don't surrender to sin fight abiding Christ do not surrender to sin fight trusting in
[48:27] Christ trusting in that abiding with Christ our confession of faith in chapter 21 states the liberty Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel is found in their freedom from their guilt of sin and the condemnation wrath of God we are sinners but we are free of the guilt of sin because of Christ we are free of the condemnation of the wrath of God because of Christ that the Christian liberty is talking about at the same time those who uses Christian liberty as an excuse to practice any sin or nurture any sinful desire pervert the main objective of the grace of the gospel to their own destructions and they completely destroy the purpose of Christian liberty this purpose is that we may serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives we also have sinned to abide in
[49:28] Christ through a spirit dependent faithfulness to God's word and prayers that should be according to his will so I encourage you all to read study and meditate in the word of God daily as I said daily scripture is our daily food I encourage you to pray the will of God as revealed in the Bible make the habit to pray the scriptures make the habit to pray the scriptures one more time make the habit to pray the scriptures as they contain the way we ought to walk and live in Christ and lastly remember that through a spirit dependent abiding in Christ we glorify God through a spirit dependent abiding in Christ we glorify God by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples let's pray together dear heavenly father we need you we need you without you we can do nothing you are our sustainer we need you every second we need you every minute every hour every day please help us to abide in
[51:09] Christ please help us to abide in Christ help us to walk like Christ that your word abide in us so we can grow in being conformed to the image of Jesus help us to pray according to your will help us to enjoy you to love you more to serve you better every day for your glory and through the power of your Holy Spirit in the precious name of Jesus we pray amen we'll close with him 348 imagine we were just like so many dead branches and grafted into the very author of life what a blessing him 348
[52:13] Jesus with thy church abide will keep our faith they rise we vese speed We beseech thee hear us.
[52:47] Keep her life and doctrine pure. Grant her patience to endure. Trusting in thy promise sure.
[53:03] We beseech thee hear us. May she on in doctrine be.
[53:14] One in truth and charity. May me all to faith in thee. We beseech thee hear us.
[53:30] May she guide the poor and blind. Seek the lost until she cried. And the brokenhearted kind.
[53:45] We beseech thee hear us. Save her love from growing old.
[53:56] Make her watchmen strong and bold. And serve thou thy peaceful hope. We beseech thee hear us.
[54:11] May her lamp of truth be bright. May her bear above its light.
[54:22] Through the grounds of Eden night. We beseech thee hear us.
[54:32] Arm her soldiers with the cross. Brave to suffer for the loss.
[54:43] How deep earth we gain but trust. We beseech thee hear us.
[54:53] May she holy triumphed in. Overthrow the host of sin.
[55:04] Gather all the nations in. We beseech thee hear us.
[55:15] Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus. The great shepherd of the sheep. By the blood of the eternal covenant.
[55:27] Equip you with everything good that you may do his will. Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight. Through Jesus Christ. To whom be glory forever and ever.
[55:39] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.