Fellow Workers With God
We must understand that Christ lives His life through us and surrender to His will, lest we mistake our work for God's work.
In this sermon on the Greek term 'pseudomai' meaning to communicate falsehood with the intent to deceive, the preacher emphasizes the importance of truthfulness and the dangers of lying, drawing from various Bible verses that highlight the consequences of lying and the call to speak truth. The sermon delves into the significance of putting off the old self with its evil practices, urging believers to live in accordance with their new life in Christ, characterized by honesty and integrity. The preacher underscores the need for believers to practice mutual edification and truthfulness in their interactions, reflecting the transformation brought about by salvation.
Text
If this working, yet not working, doing God's work, yet not doing it, should seem to be confusing, remember there is a parallel for it in the well-known testimony of Paul in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." From all this I think we may draw the following conclusion: We can no more do the work of God than we can live the life of God. In the believing and surrendered soul, Christ lives His life again and continues to live it, and in the obedient, believing man, God will continue to work, reaching out and through the human instrument to accomplish His wonders among men.
It is critically important that we grasp this truth.
Much religious work is being done these days that is not owned by our Lord and will not be accepted or rewarded in that great day. Superior human gifts are being mistaken for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and neither they who exercise these gifts nor the Christian public before whom they are exercised are aware of the deception. Never has there been more activity in religious circles and, I confidently believe, never has there been so little of God and so much of the flesh. Such work is a snare because it keeps us busy and at the same time prevents us from discovering that it is our work and not God's.
Sermon Outline
- The Parallel of Paul's Testimony
- Paul's testimony in Galatians 2:20
- Application to our work for God
Key Quotes
“We can no more do the work of God than we can live the life of God.” — A.W. Tozer
“Christ lives His life through us and continues to live it, and in the obedient, believing man, God will continue to work,” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must surrender to God's will and allow Christ to live His life through us.
- We must be aware of the danger of mistaking human gifts for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- We must ensure our work is owned by God and accepted by Him.