Sermon Tone Analysis

Part 2

26 June

Continuing with the theme Christ + nothing = everything through the eyes of Paul in his letter to the Galatians, we came to focus on .

has been liken to the gateway into chapters 3 and 4.

Thus the closing verses of chap. 2 are transitional, leading into the major theological center of the book in chaps.

3 and 4.

For most Christians, GOD calls us to a life of progressive sanctification.There are those not called to such a life.

These are those saved on their death bed, like the thief on the cross who had no opportunity to grow through sanctification.

Most of us will have this opportunity to experience progressive sanctification and that is why Paul said;

​ KJV 1900For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

And this is where we get stuck and need to be reminded of the benefits of been crucified with Christ.Christ died on the cross and we died with Him.I am crucified with Christ.

​ KJV 1900Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh.

If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

So, there are many practical implications that arises out of being crucified with Christ.

This is the same as calling us to a life of repentance.Q76, draws out attention to “the apprehension of GOD’s mercy in Christ”.

And coming out of this mercy of GOD, we can grieve and hate sins, turn away from things that oppose GOD to be in the presence of GOD.The mercies of GOD enables us to endeavour constantly to walk with Him (GOD) in all the ways of obedience.What doers this mean?It must be this;We do not live in sin.We are grieves when we sin.We can hate sin.

Application:When we look at life it is not about;our happiness.our

health.our

wealth.our

family.our

business.our

job.our

pleasures.what

man will think of us.what people will say to us.what questions will they asked us.

These are not foremost in ur thoughts and actions.What is foremost must be “Am I holy and GOD is holy”?This thing, is ti sin?The way I am doing it, is it according to Biblical method?The way I behave, it is just who I am and I cannot change.Do we tell people to take it or leave it.Should it not be ‘this is what I am, is it pleasing to GOD?”Am I a proud person that is easily irritated?When people do not agree with me, they are not my friends.

The image of the cross for us is that we died and we did not die alone.We died in Christ.

We died to sin and especially self and selfishness.When we died in Christ, it is not how I feel, what I want and what I like.When I look at the world and the things around me, I do not see them through my personal feelings and preferences.

I see them through the eyes of GOD and I bend my will to His.Indeed, Christ must increase and I decreased.

I am crucified with Christ.All that He died for became mine.His gift or justification, a new life, a new heart and a spirit of GOD that will obey Him.

Christ + nothing = everything.I bring nothing to my life in Christ.BUT in Christ, I have everything I need to live for Him.While I have breadth I can;trust Him.worship Him.serve Him.love others.forgive

people who hurt me.love my enemies.overcome the trauma of living with cancer,losing a job.being

betrayed by friend and family.aging,

old age and death.There is nothing in this life that GOD has not equipped me to life fruitfully for Him.In Christ I can do all things.

Paul want us to have......a death to self and especially to the sins that is still in our flesh.

​ KJV 1900And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

There are many things about our affections that is lustful.The older we are as a Christian, the more alert we must be to our affections because our hearts are deceitful.We must check our hearts because from it are the issues of life, .What are the issues of life?Are they not problems at work?Are they not problems at home with your spouse and children?Are they not having problems with people in church and the ministries?Do we handle these problems by justifying your actions and behaviour as godly and that we meant well?Maybe the question should be, are we really doing it in obedience to GOD or we are driven by your affections and desires?We could be basically doing what you want and we want things our way.

And we have no place in your heart for people’s feedback and objections?It is my wayUse the x-ray questions here.What is it that upsets you?

The thing that upset you is not the external factors, rather it have touch something dear to you and do not like it.It touches your affections.It concerns the things that are important and dear to you/So, when people agrees with you…you are ok with them.When people do not agree with you, you do not like it, maybe you ignore them, marked them, say bad things about them.You may start to avoid them, and put up a facade whenever they are around.

, and .

To look at our lives, GOD used Paul to start with death., and . .

​ KJV 1900And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

To crucified is to....

I am crucified with Christ meant I died with Christ.

This is what Paul had in mind when he wrote “I am crucified with Christ”.He does not love his life on this earth - He has died to the world.Such a lifestyle is fruitful and GOD the Father will honour him/her.Servanthood and discipleship (follow me) is one and the same.

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​ KJV 1900And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

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​ KJV 1900But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

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​ KJV 1900Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Must lead to point 2 - ~Nevertheless I live.

2. Nevertheless I live;

3. Yet not I, BUT Christ liveth in me:

4.

And the life which I now live in the flesh

5.

I live by faith of the Son of GOD,

6. who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Shorter Catechism

17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?.

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.1

To the woman he said,“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”And to Adam he said,“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;and you shall eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

in their paths are ruin and misery,

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (ESV)