The Christian Life: A Sheer Impossib Ility!
The Christian life is a sheer impossibility without Christ, but with Him, it is possible and can be demonstrated through a life that baffles others and is beyond human explanation.
Major Ian Thomas emphasizes that living the Christian life is impossible without Christ, as true Christian living cannot be explained by human attributes or efforts. He argues that if one's life can be explained by personal qualities rather than the transformative power of Jesus, then it lacks the remarkable essence that should attract others to Christ. The Christian life should be so distinct that it leaves others baffled, showcasing the divine nature of God working within us. Ultimately, it is essential for others to see that the life we live is a direct reflection of Christ's presence in us.
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"It is not difficult for man to live the Christian life," somebody once said, it is a sheer impossibility!"
A sheer impossibility, that is, without CHRIST but for all that He says, you have all that He is, and that is all that it takes!
The Christian life can only be explained in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!
If the way you live your life as a Christian can be explained in terms of you, what have you to offer to the man who lives next door? The way he lives his life can be explained in terms of him, and so far as he is concerned, you happen to be "religious" but he is not! "Christianity" may be your hobby, but it is not his, and there is nothing about the way you practice it which strikes him as at all remarkable! There is nothing about you which leaves him guessing, and nothing commendable of which he docs not feel himself equally capable without the inconvenience of becoming a Christian!
It is only when your quality of life baffles the neighbors that you are likely to impress them! It has got to become patently obvious to others that the kind of life you are living is not only commendable, but that it is beyond all human explanation! That it is beyond the consequences of man's capacity to imitate, and however little they may understand this, clearly the consequence only of God's capacity to reproduce Himself in you!
In a nutshell, this means that your fellow-men must become convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ of whom you speak, is essentially Himself the ingredient of the Life you live!
From: The Mystery of Godliness
Sermon Outline
- I. The Christian Life: A Sheer Impossibility
- A. Without Christ, the Christian life is impossible
- B. With Christ, the Christian life is possible
- II. The Christian Life Explained
- A. In terms of Jesus Christ
- B. Not in terms of human effort or ability
- III. The Christian Life Demonstrated
- A. Baffles the neighbors
- B. Leaves them guessing
- C. Is beyond human explanation
Key Quotes
“It is not difficult for man to live the Christian life, it is a sheer impossibility!” — Major Ian Thomas
“A sheer impossibility, that is, without CHRIST but for all that He says, you have all that He is, and that is all that it takes!” — Major Ian Thomas
“It has got to become patently obvious to others that the kind of life you are living is not only commendable, but that it is beyond all human explanation!” — Major Ian Thomas
Application Points
- You must let Jesus Christ be the ingredient of the life you live.
- Your quality of life must baffles others and be beyond human explanation.
- You must live a life that leaves others guessing and is clearly the result of God's work in you.