(Clip) Dependence on And Obedience to God
Major Ian Thomas teaches that true Christian life is rooted in a threefold moral relationship of love, dependence, and obedience to God, modeled perfectly by Jesus Christ.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of a threefold moral relationship with God - love for Him, dependence on Him, and obedience to Him. Just as Jesus demonstrated this relationship with the Father during His time on earth, believers are called to mirror this relationship to allow God to be fully present and active in their lives.
Full Transcript
Even that a boy, girl, man, or woman knows how they were created to be inhabited by their Maker and are willing, out of a threefold moral relationship to God, to let God be God. The threefold moral relationship is my love for God, and because I love him I want to please him, but he was created to be functional only by virtue of his presence, exercising his divine sovereignty within my humanity, so out of my love for him I live in utter dependence upon him, but the only evidence that I can give of my dependence upon him is my unquestioning obedience to him. And that's the threefold moral relationship that allows God, as God, to be God in action in a man.
Love for him, dependence on him, obedience to him. And this, of course, was the threefold moral relationship which the Lord Jesus for thirty-three years, though God playing the role of man, though the Creator playing the role of creature, expressed towards his Father. His love for the Father that demanded absolute, unquestioning dependence upon the Father and total obedience to the Father.
So the Lord Jesus said, without my Father, utter dependence, I can do nothing. And I do only those things that please him, total obedience to the Father, demonstrating his dependence on the Father because of his unsullied, undiluted love for the Father. The Lord Jesus, you see, tells us for thirty-three years how he as God created you and me, and what that relationship must be between us and him if we're to be functional, that existed between him and the Father.
Of course, he was always functional. That's why the Father God in heaven could look at his Son and say, God, very good, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. At last I've got a man who's prepared to let me be God in the man.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to the threefold moral relationship
- Love as the foundation of relationship with God
- Dependence as essential for spiritual function
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II
- Obedience as the evidence of dependence
- Jesus’ example of love, dependence, and obedience
- The Father’s approval of Jesus’ relationship
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III
- The necessity of letting God be God in us
- Living a functional Christian life through this relationship
- Practical implications for believers today
Key Quotes
“Love for him, dependence on him, obedience to him.” — Major Ian Thomas
“Without my Father, utter dependence, I can do nothing.” — Major Ian Thomas
“At last I've got a man who's prepared to let me be God in the man.” — Major Ian Thomas
Application Points
- Cultivate a deep love for God that motivates your actions.
- Practice daily dependence on God's guidance and strength.
- Demonstrate your love and dependence through unquestioning obedience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the threefold moral relationship Major Ian Thomas describes?
It consists of love for God, dependence on God, and obedience to God as the foundation for a functional Christian life.
Why is obedience important according to the sermon?
Obedience is the only visible evidence of our dependence on God and love for Him.
How did Jesus demonstrate this threefold relationship?
Jesus perfectly expressed love, utter dependence, and total obedience to the Father throughout His life.
What does it mean to let God be God in us?
It means allowing God's divine sovereignty to operate within our humanity through love, dependence, and obedience.
How can believers apply this teaching today?
By cultivating love for God, living in daily dependence on Him, and obeying His commands without question.