We are called to a spiritual battle, striving to be more like God and root out sin that keeps us from Him.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the continuous battle to strive to be more like Jesus, emphasizing the importance of self-sacrifice, purity, truth, and tenderness in the Christian journey. She encourages believers not to despair when measuring themselves against the New Testament standard but to keep fighting with all their might, rooting out sin and drawing nearer to God. Tileston calls on the congregation to have hearts that never cease striving to be more like Jesus until they reach the grave.
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Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.
PSALMS 60:12
Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me.
PSALMS 51:10
IF any man compares his own soul with the picture drawn in the New Testament of what a Christian ought to be; if any man fixes his eye on the pattern of self-sacrifice, of purity, of truth, of tenderness, and measures his own distance from that standard, he might be ready to despair. But fear not, because you are far from being like the pattern set before you; fear not because your faults are painful to think of: continue the battle and fear not. If, indeed, you are content with yourself, and are making no endeavor to rise above the poor level at which you now stand, then there is reason to fear. But if you are fighting with all your might, fear not, however often you may have fallen, however deeply, however ungratefully, however inexcusably. This one thing we can give, and this is what He asks, hearts that shall never cease from this day forward, till we reach the grave, to strive to be more like Him; to come nearer to Him; to root out from within us the sin that keeps us from Him. To such a battle, brethren, I call you in His name.
FREDERICK TEMPLE
Sermon Outline
- The Power of God in Our Lives
- The Pattern of a Christian
- The Call to Spiritual Battle
- Continue the battle with all our might
- Strive to be more like God
- Root out sin that keeps us from God
Key Quotes
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“If any man compares his own soul with the picture drawn in the New Testament of what a Christian ought to be;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“To such a battle, brethren, I call you in His name.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Continue the battle with all your might, striving to be more like God.
- Root out sin that keeps you from God, and strive for spiritual growth.
- Measure your spiritual progress by comparing yourself to the pattern of a Christian set forth in the New Testament.
