Being and Doing
As born-again Christians, we must seek to fulfill our divine vocation by resting in the Saving Life of Christ and allowing Him to express Himself through us.
Major W. Ian Thomas emphasizes the divine vocation believers have been redeemed into, created for good works ordained by God. He highlights the necessity of relying on the power of the indwelling Spirit to fulfill this calling, just as Jesus depended on the Father. Without Christ, we can do nothing, and all human efforts apart from Him are futile. Thomas urges believers to present themselves as living sacrifices, allowing Christ to work through them completely, so that every aspect of their lives reflects the Son of God.
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This is divine vocation into which you have been redeemed, as "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that you should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10) can only be fulfilled in the energy and power of the One who indwells you now by His Spirit, as He walked once only in the energy and power of the Father who indwelt Him through the Spirit. Of Himself He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing" (John 5:19), and of you He says, in John 15:5, "Without me you can do nothing."
How much can you do without Him? Nothing!
It is amazing how busy you can be doing nothing! Did you ever find that out? "The flesh everything that you do apart from Him "profiteth nothing" (John 6:63), and there is always the awful possibility, if you do not discover this principle, that you may spend a lifetime in the service of Jesus Christ doing nothing! You would not be the first, and you would not be the last but that, above everything else, we must seek to avoid!
So you discover that the life which you possess as a born-again Christian is of Him, and it is to Him, and every moment that you are here on earth it must be through Him of Him, through Him, to Him all things! "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1).
The Lord Jesus Christ claims the use of your body, your whole being, your complete personality so that as you give yourself to Him through the eternal Spirit, He may give Himself to you through the eternal Spirit, that all your activity as a human being on earth may be His activity in and through you; that every step you take, every word you speak, everything you do, everything you are, may be an expression of the Son of God, in you as man.
If it is of Him and through Him and to Him, where do you come in? You do not! That is just where you go out! That is what Paul meant when he said, "For me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). The only Person whom God credits with the right to live in you is Jesus Christ; so reckon yourself to be dead to all that you are apart from what He is, and alive unto God only in all that you are because of what He is (Romans 6:1 1).
It is for you to BE it is for Him to DO! Rest fully available to the Saving Life of Christ.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Divine Vocation
- A. Redeemed to fulfill good works
- B. Fulfilled in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit
- II. The Limitations of Human Effort
- A. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing
- B. The flesh profits nothing
- III. The Life of Christ in Us
- A. A living sacrifice to the Lord Jesus Christ
- B. All activity is His activity in and through us
- IV. The Importance of Being
- A. It is for us to BE, for Him to DO
- B. Resting fully available to the Saving Life of Christ
Key Quotes
“Without me you can do nothing.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“The flesh everything that you do apart from Him 'profiteth nothing'.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“For me to live is Christ.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
Application Points
- We must recognize our limitations and inability to do anything apart from Christ.
- We must present our bodies and complete personalities to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a living sacrifice.
- We must rest fully available to the Saving Life of Christ, allowing Him to express Himself through us.