Get Ready to Die
David Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of dying to self and embracing the new covenant to achieve victory over sin through the power of the Holy Spirit.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the transformative power of the new covenant, which binds believers closely to God and assures them of His commitment to break the dominion of sin through the Holy Spirit. He explains that true faith comes from God, requiring the death of fleshly striving and self-reliance. The sermon encourages believers who struggle with sin to embrace the cross and surrender their efforts, as only through this surrender can they experience the freedom and victory promised in the new covenant. Wilkerson highlights that the journey from the old covenant to the new requires a willingness to let go of human power and embrace divine strength.
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In forming the new covenant, God obligated Himself by an oath to supply all the enabling power and strength to fulfill every condition and demand of the covenant. So, when God says by oath, "I will do it," faith in us responds, "Let it be so."
Let me show you a wonderful truth from the new covenant. It suggests that the Lord can never get near enough to His people, and that He can never get them as close to Him as He desires. Therefore, He unites and binds and fashions us close to Himself, and Him to us, by this binding contract. The new covenant is all about our Lord's commitment to keep His children from falling, and to console, comfort and assure us that the power and dominion of sin can and will be broken by the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
This truth is the only hope for those believers who have lost heart in their struggle against a besetting sin. Only by having the new covenant unveiled to us can we learn the secret to having total victory over sin.
Death is the only way out of the old covenant and into the new. Flesh faith has to die--no more striving to believe. If I am to have faith--true faith, the faith of Christ--He must give it to me. We have been given a measure of faith, yet if it is true that I can do nothing of myself, then this includes having His faith. That is why Scripture calls it "the faith of Christ."
Are you sin-sick? Are you truly yearning to live a holy life, free from the habituating lusts of the flesh? Then get ready to die. Get ready to embrace the cross. The old covenant will bring you to your wits' end--to nothingness. When you have given up all hope of overcoming sin by your own human power and will, then you are ready to enter the glorious realm of freedom through the new covenant.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Understanding the New Covenant
- God's Oath and Our Response
- The Role of the Holy Spirit
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II
- The Struggle Against Sin
- Hope for the Weary Believer
- Total Victory Through the New Covenant
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III
- The Necessity of Death to Self
- Embracing the Cross
- Moving from Old to New Covenant
Key Quotes
“Death is the only way out of the old covenant and into the new.” — David Wilkerson
“When you have given up all hope of overcoming sin by your own human power and will, then you are ready to enter the glorious realm of freedom through the new covenant.” — David Wilkerson
“If I am to have faith--true faith, the faith of Christ--He must give it to me.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Recognize your limitations and the need for divine assistance in overcoming sin.
- Embrace the concept of dying to self as a pathway to true faith and freedom.
- Seek a deeper understanding of the new covenant to strengthen your relationship with God.