Christ Is Our Life

Q: What does the Bible say about our complete redemption in Christ?

The Bible teaches that all of our redemption and righteousness is fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone, making us complete in Him. In Colossians 2:10, Paul affirms that we are complete in Christ, who is the head of all principality and power. This completeness means that everything necessary for our redemption, righteousness, and sanctification has been fulfilled in Christ's atoning work. We do not need to add any works or observances to earn favor with God, as He has already fully accepted us in the Beloved. In Jesus, all the demands of the law and the requirements for salvation are satisfied, freeing us from the burden of trying to achieve righteousness through our own efforts.

Q: How do we know that Christ is our life?

We know Christ is our life because He is the source, sustenance, and security of our spiritual existence. Colossians 3:4 states, 'When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' This verse emphasizes that our spiritual life is not based on our actions or commitments but rather on our union with Christ. He is the source of our life, having given us eternal life through His sacrifice. This life is sustained by continually feeding on Him, as He is likened to our bread and water. Our security lies in the fact that our life is hid with Christ in God, meaning that our identity and eternal standing are firmly anchored in Him and cannot be shaken by the trials of this world.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to rest in Christ?

Resting in Christ is crucial for Christians because it signifies complete trust in His finished work for salvation and freedom from works-based righteousness. Resting in Christ means ceasing from our own labors to achieve righteousness and believing in the sufficiency of His work. In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul warns against being judged by religious observances and traditions, indicating that they are mere shadows of what is fulfilled in Christ. This rest allows believers to walk in the freedom of the Gospel, unburdened by the constant demands of law and duty. It encourages a relationship with God based on love rather than obligation, leading to true obedience that springs from gratitude rather than fear of condemnation. Ultimately, resting in Christ assures us of our standing before God and affirms that our righteousness is fully supplied by the righteousness of Christ alone.

I want you to open your Bibles
with me now to the book of Colossians. I'm going to speak for a little
while tonight from Colossians chapter 3, the first four verses. But in order to make these verses
more meaningful, let's go back and read some of chapter 2. Colossians the second chapter, beginning with verse six. And Paul said, as you have therefore
received Christ the Lord, how did you receive him? You received
him as Lord and Savior. You received him as all your
righteousness, all of your sanctification, all of your redemption, all of
your acceptance with the Father, that's how you received him,
as your life and all things in him. So walk in him as you receive
Christ, continue in Christ. If he's my righteousness here,
he's my righteousness all the way. If he's my redemption and
sanctification, here I don't begin in the Spirit and am made
perfect in the flesh. I'm perfected and accepted in
the Beloved. And three things, he says in
verse 7, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith. The man who built his house on
the rock digged it. and found the rock, and that's
where he laid the foundation, rooted and built up in Christ
and established in the faith. As you have been taught, abounding
therein in Christ with thanksgiving, praise to him, gratitude to him. Now beware, lest any man spoil
you through philosophy and vain deceit. after the traditions
of men, after the elements of the world and not after Christ.
In other words, beware of these people who come in now that you
love Christ and know Christ. You rest in Christ. You cease
from your labor and enter into Christ. And now they come in
with certain days, Sabbath days for you to observe. And they
come in with certain tithes and offerings that you are to present,
and they come in with certain Old Testament dietary laws, such
as don't eat pork and certain kinds of meat, red meat and other
things, and then they come in with certain days to be observed
and so forth and so on. These are the rudiments of the
world. These are the elements of the
world. These are the Old Testament ceremonies. and Old Testament
days and Sabbaths and ordinances and all these things. And even
added to that, you can talk about different positions of prophecy
and sprinkling of infants and observance of Easter and Lent
and this sort of thing. All of these things that are
the traditions of men that are not found in the word of God,
and they draw you away from Christ. They take your mind and your
attention. The church, the church is a glorious
truth, and our Lord established the church. This is where we
preach and fellowship, but you can make a become taken up with
the church, belonging to the right church, observing the ordinances
in the right way, disciplining members the right way, tracing
your heritage and your ancestry back to certain people, the church
established on certain constitutional grounds and bylaws. You just
get taken up with these things. And it does nothing in the world
but take you away from Christ, away from resting in him, living
upon him and feeding upon him. He says in him, not in days,
not in holy days, not in duties, in him, not in the organization,
in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. It's all
in Christ, all of God's mercy, grace, love, truth, all of its fullness dwelleth
in Christ bodily. And you who believe, you who
are loved in him, chosen in him, redeemed by him, brought by the
Spirit to trust him, you're complete. You know, when a man, I was talking
to my son Paul tonight, I said, have you completed your house
yet? No. Well, I tell you, it's It's
almost complete, but it's not complete. Some of the cabinets
are not in, different things, it's not complete. Now, one of
these days, he's going back off and saying, it's complete, there's
nothing else to do. And that's what we are in Christ.
I don't need to add anything to the righteousness of Christ,
to the redemption of Christ, I am complete in Christ. There's
nothing that I do or give or say, preaching, baptism, giving,
forgiving, teaching, studying, praying, devotions, witnessing,
none of these things complete the work of redemption, I'm complete
in Christ. Everything that God requires,
everything the law demands, everything that God Almighty requires of
a sinner is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I believe the thief on
the cross who looked to Christ and believed on Christ and rested
in Christ is as saved, is as righteous, is as holy, is as
loved is as glorified as the Apostle Paul. I don't believe
anything Paul did in his earthly ministry or devotion or love
for Christ or even in his death for the glory of God added one
iota to the redemption of his soul. See, God's holy. God's
holy. And the other day Milt and I
were driving from the church where we were preaching We were
going over towards Sacramento, and we were coming down Highway
50, and there was a four-lane 80 going this way, and the sign
says 80 to Sacramento that way, so we made a turn. Just as he
turned, I saw the road. Just about ten feet in front
of that one was the one that led to the ramp up the freeway. He missed it by ten feet. We'd
come miles, and he missed it ten feet. I said, you're never
going to get to Sacramento. You're just never going to do
it. He said, why? I said, you're on the wrong road. And we drove,
turned around and drove back. He said, well, I almost made
it. Didn't miss it but just by 10, 12 feet. But it was a plum
miss. And in Christ dwelleth all that
God requires, all that God demands, all that God provides. And I'm
complete in Him. He's the head of all principalities
and powers. In Christ also you are circumcised
with the circumcision made without him. I am. I have the token,
the sign, the evidence of the covenant. I have it in Christ.
Spiritual circumcision. Putting off the body of sins
of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. I'm buried with Christ.
Baptism being a picture. Wherein also I'm risen with Christ. When Christ died, I died. When
Christ was buried, I was buried. When Christ arose, we arose.
When Christ ascended, we ascended. When Christ was seated, accepted,
glorified in Him, we are already glorified. That's true. Buried with Him in baptism wherein
also you're risen with Christ through the faith of the operation
of God. That faith that is the gift of
God and the work of God. It's God that worketh in you.
to will and to do of his good pleasure, who hath raised him
from the dead, and God raised me from the dead. The same power
wherewith Jesus Christ was quickened and raised from the grave is
the power that raised us from spiritual death, that made us
alive in Christ. Same power, the power of God.
And you, and me. You and I being dead in our sins
and the uncircumcision of our flesh, what did Paul say in Ephesians? Without help, without hope, without
Christ, without God in this world. That's dead. And you being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened the
pestilence together with Christ? Having already forgiven you of
all trespasses, there's nothing else to be done. Complete. Absolutely complete. Now don't
bring me something to do to be redeemed. I know there are a
lot of things that I need to be doing and I'm trying to do
them. And you are too. There are duties
that we love. There are works of faith and
labors of love that we enjoy, but not to be accepted, not to
be righteous, not to be redeemed, not to win the favor of God.
He is my Father. I cry, Abba, Father. He's my Father on the mountain. He's my Father in the valley.
He's my Father when I'm doing and when I'm not doing. He's
my Father in Christ. I'm accepted. He's forgiven you,
he's quickened you together with Christ, given you life everlasting
and forgiven you of all your trespasses. And what's this?
He's blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us. What were those ordinances? Go back through the Old Testament.
Somebody said there were, I mean, 600 and some odd laws. There were so many things to
do. It was that Sabbath to be so meticulously kept, not even
pick up sticks, not walk so far on the Saturday all from Friday
night at 6 p.m. to Saturday night at 6 p.m.,
all these things to be observed. There were certain offerings
to be brought. That's what those fellows were
selling in the temple when Christ came in and cleaned the temple
out. They were selling doves and sheep and goats and things
for the people to come and buy and offer to God. There were
so many offerings to be made. There were three or four feasts
to attend every year. You had to be there. There were
certain morning prayers and noon prayers and evening prayers.
And there was the strict tie, not only of cash, but even of
your wheat and oats and even the spices
in a woman's kitchen, ten percent. Everything had to be done so
particularly and all these handwritings of ordinances were against us
and contrary to us, couldn't do it. Couldn't keep the moral
law, couldn't keep the Levitical law, couldn't keep the ceremonial
law, couldn't even know what they all were without those priests
constantly reminding us. This is what you have to do now.
And our Lord Jesus Christ brought them out. Don't resurrect them.
Don't bring them back. He took it out of the way. He
nailed it to his cross, along with everything else. See
what he's saying there? Don't bring in these things for
believers to do in order to find favor with God or to add to their
sanctification or to make themselves more righteous. Let a man read
the Word because he loves it. Let a man pray because he's burdened
to pray. Let a man give as he purposes
in his heart, as God has blessed him. Let a man worship God as
he loves God. These things are motivated, Paul
said, the love of Christ constrains me, not duties and rules and
laws and And our Lord, he just nailed
all that to the cross, and having small even principalities and
powers, he made a show of them openly, tromping over them in
it. What's that talking about? When
our Lord Jesus Christ came down here to this earth as our representative,
as our Redeemer, required of us particular holiness,
obedience, love, purity, who shall stand in his presence,
clean hands, pure heart, who has never lifted his soul to
vanity, heaven's requirements, tabernacle requirements, written
tables of stone requirements, the elements, the ceremonies,
the ordinances, the sacrifices, the Sabbath day, the tithes,
the feast, all these things. Plus Satan sitting over here
against me. Principalities, powers, rulers
in the darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places. My enemies were
from heaven, earth, and hell arrayed against every one of
his elect, his church. And our Lord Jesus Christ came
down here, and in his perfect submission, love, and obedience
totally pleased the Father as our representative. Born in a
Jewish home, circumcised at eight days of age, eight days old,
went to the temple, did all of these ceremonies as his custom
was, kept the Passover, did everything. Even in his baptism, he said,
John, so I need to be baptized. He said, suffered to be so to
fulfill all righteousness. And then Satan, the Father tried
him, the Lord tried him, little, bitter, cold, and mild. Then
Satan came to him on the mount of temptation and arrayed all
of his forces of evil, subtlety, with which he had already conquered
man. And our Lord Jesus Christ, as a man in the flesh, met those
principalities and met those powers and whipped him. He found nothing in me. He found
nothing of which to accuse me. And then he made a show of them
all openly. In other words, back when the
old Roman emperors and generals went out to fight, oh, they had
a powerful army, the greatest army in the world. They'd go
out and conquer a city or conquer a settlement And they'd take
all the kings and the leaders and the rulers, take all of the
riches in the treasury, and they'd pile all those riches on these
carts behind them. And then they'd take all the
captains and princes and kings and queens and all these rulers
and chain them, strip them down to the waist and chain them and
make them barefoot and tie them to the back of the chariots.
And here came this Roman general. He'd gone down there and whipped
that whole country, city or whatever. And here he came back to Rome,
triumphantly, the people on both sides of the road. And here he
came. He conquered them. He went after
them and he got them. And he made a show of them openly.
He brought them back. And my Lord Jesus Christ, captain
of my salvation, came down here in this world. and rescued me, delivered the
captive, and he takes me back to glory with him." He led captivity
captive. And right behind him, conquered,
whipped, defeated, fulfilled is everything God set his hand
to do. That's what he's saying right
here. He spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it, in himself. in himself. There. Don't go down
there and conduct no clean-up operations now, because he's
already taken charge. That's right. You don't need
to, you don't need to fear these enemies that he's conquered and
put in chains either. Let no man therefore, take verse
16, judge you in meat and in drink, in respect of holy new
moons, new months, the beginning of months, or Sabbath days. Just
don't you let them come in and say, now you can be a Christian,
but you can be a better Christian if you do these certain things
that we prescribe. Don't you let them do that. Don't
you let them spy up your liberty in Christ Jesus. Don't let them
bring you back under that economy, under that bondage, under that
servitude, under that slavery, which was against us. Because
these things, verse 17, were shadows of things to come. Don't
come back unto these things. The body, the victory, the glory,
the church is Christ. Do you see that? There are not a whole lot of
folks who see that. I tell you, the most impossible
thing for a natural man is to come to rest. holding completely in Christ
Jesus. It's impossible. It's impossible
with me, it's impossible with God. It's impossible for a natural
man. Give him something, give him
a day to keep, give him a tide to play, give him something to
do, give him a trip to make, give him a holy day expedition,
a holy land expedition, something to do to make him, let him visit
the shrines, let him count beads, let him bow, let him hold hands,
let him burn candles, let him do something to make him feel
religious, or feel like God's with him. But just to look to
Christ, rest in Christ, believe in Christ, and take from him
as a free gift everything I need, everything God requires, and
leave me to do what I do, not for any reward
or merit or wage, but just because I love him. That's impossible
with a natural man. And I'll tell you this, it's
even hard for a believer. Even hard for a believer. These things are shadows. He
takes it away the first and establishes the second. Let no man beguile
you of your reward, what is your reward? Christ, you know, he
said to Abraham, I'm your exceeding great reward, I'm your reward. Christ is my reward, oh, to win
Christ and be found in him, to know him, in a voluntary humility. I don't know, it just kind of
appeals to folks to let them show some kind of, some kind
of outward form or worshipping of angels, this man
intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed
up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head, Christ
is the head, from which all the body by joints and bands have
nourishment ministered. Everything that I need is from
Christ. The whole body of the Church
is nourished from him. We receive all we need from him
and knit together in him, increase it with the increase of God.
Wherefore, if you be dead with Christ from these elements, from
these ceremonies, from these Sabbaths, from these traditions,
from these requests, if you are dead from the rudiments, elements
of the world, why? as though still in subjection
to them, are you subject to ordinances. Living in this world, are you
subject to these? Here they are, touch not, taste
not, handle not. All of these are to perish with
the using after the commandments and doctrines of men. All these
things indeed have a show of wisdom and will worship and humility. It looks good, it looks pious,
it looks to men, you know, like a commendable thing. Neglecting
of the body, punishing the body. Martin Luther said he used to
fast till they had to come and get him and put him in bed. He'd
lie naked on a cold stone floor. He took thistles and thorns and
beat his body to keep him from thinking evil thoughts. And these women wear their habits,
you know, the Catholics, and they walk around, you know, with
their hands folded in the long flowing black robes. These things
have a show. And you see the Pope with all
of his splendor, you know, and he takes the water, blesses the
people, scatters the smoke, you know, and all these things. It has a show of wisdom and will. It shows, looks good. It looks
like they're humble. It looks like they're neglecting
the body, sacrificing. But now look at chapter 3, let's
look at this thing. But now if you, if you don't be deceived by these
things, if you then be risen with Christ, what does that mean? Well, then seek those things
which are above. Not the things of this earth,
not even the religious things. You know a lot of times when
we say, Not to seek the things of this earth, people think we
mean by that, seek a bigger car and a bigger house and a better
job and a more... No, don't seek even these worldly
religious recognition and acclaim. If you're risen with Christ,
if you're seated with Christ, then seek those things which
are above. What are we to do? Seek the heavenly
country. Abraham looked for a city. Whose
builder and maker was God? Seek the heavenly blessings.
God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Seek justification. Seek sanctification. Seek righteousness. Seek acceptance. Seek the Lord. Seek those things which are above.
Seek the fellowship of God. Things that come from above,
things that are of above, if you're risen with Christ. Seek
those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right
hand of God. The fact that he's there is assurance
that you can have these things. I wish I could make that plain
right there. This is the gospel message. Remember the old preacher, Brother
Herman Moore, that preaches man and glory here years and years
and years ago? People remember that sermon vividly,
some people do. That's the reason that these heavenly blessings
are available to folks like me is because there is a man in
glory. That's the reason. This is the gospel message, the
very fact that that man, that first man, Adam, he ruined us. The second man restored us. That
first man, Adam, damned us. That second man delivered us.
That first man, Adam, was kicked out. That second man was received. That first man, Adam, was dethroned. The second man is enthroned,
and I'm in him. So I'm risen with Christ, and
because I'm risen with Christ and he's at the right hand of
God, then I can seek things which are above and expect to receive
them. heavenly blessing. Heavenly blessing. Look at the next verse. I believe
I know what this is saying. So set your affection on things
above, not on things of the earth. What is this word affection?
Steve read it mad. Notice that word is not plural.
That's not affections. When I think of affections, I
think of emotions. affections, how we talk, maybe
talk to our children, how we, you know, love our grandchildren,
affections. And a lot of people, these young
people fall in love and fall out of love about as quick as
affections, emotions, feelings, carnal joys. That's not what
this is. You see, that's what, that's
so much of religion today, feelings, emotions, hullabaloo. carnal joys. Take the songs we
sing. Tell Mother I'll be there. I
want to be standing at Mother's tomb when Jesus comes in his
power. I dreamed I searched heaven for
you. Have you heard songs like that? See, our songs and our
poems and our sermons regarding families and reunions, will the
circle be unbroken? And deaths and the future This
is feelings, this is emotion, this is carnal joys, this is
trying to make one of one this natural flesh and heaven. And
that's not what this word is. If you are risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ is at the right
hand of God, and set your mind, set your heart, your thoughts
on things above. In other words, be taken up with
these things, approve of these things, be concerned about these
things, and above all things, desire these things. Justification
is not a doctrine. Justification is a grace and
a gift and a blessing. Sanctification is not a doctrine.
It's a state Righteousness is not a doctrine to be argued about. It's not a doctrine to be argued
about. It's to be accepted of God Almighty. It's to be approved of. It's
to be actually considered to be holy in Christ. So set your
mind and your thoughts and your desires on these things, not
on the things of the earth. I realize that family and friends
and food and necessities of life, these things are to be sought
after, they are to be cared about, they are to be provided for,
but not with such care as those heavenly mercies, and certainly
not with such care that those heavenly mercies are neglected. Our Lord said, if you seek first
the kingdom of God, these things will be added to you. I know people must live, they
must work, they must eat, they must educate their children,
they must have transportation, houses and provisions for each
day, they must pay taxes, they must live in this world. All
these things are temporary, oh so temporary. The fashion of
this world fadeth away. Don't allow these things to command
your mind and your heart, your affection. so that you neglect
those heavenly things. Religious, socially, politically,
families, all these things will cease one day. Watch this next
verse, for you're already dead. What you read, see, you died. You're dead. Somebody comes along and says,
now, brother man, in order to please God, you've got to keep
the Sabbath day. I died to that a long time ago.
I'm dead. All of those rudiments and elements,
circumcision, I'm dead. You know, I'm dead. Dead to what?
Watch this now. Four things. You're dead to the
law with all its ceremonies, types, ordinances and days. I'm
dead to those things. totally dead, Christ fulfilled
them. I'm dead to the world. The world can add nothing to
me, I'm complete in Christ. I have an inheritance reserved
in heaven that fadeth not away. The world can add nothing to
me nor take anything from me. Neither the world's approval
nor the world's rejection matter to me at all. I'm dead. Just
dead. I'm dead to earthly ties and
relationships, not to fulfilling certain responsibilities. But
I have a new family. I'm dead. I'm dead to personal
control and will, whether I live, I live unto the Lord, whether
I die, I die unto the Lord. My times are in his hands. My
God, I want them there. When they came to Job, People
argue about whether or not Job was saved at this particular
time. Well, he talks like a saved man. They came to him and told
him all this was gone. He said, well, the Lord gave
it and the Lord take it away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
You're dead. Now, watch this. I think I know what this means. And your life is hidden with
Christ in God. What life is that? That's that
new life, that divine life, that eternal life, that life which
came in regeneration, that life which came in conversion. It's
hid. That life is hid. It can't be
seen with the natural eye. People ask you about a certain
person. Is your sister a believer? I hope so, but I can't see it. Not with the natural eye. Is
your brother a believer? He says he is, but I can't see
that line. It's hid with Christ in God.
It can't be understood by the natural mind. It can't be explained
to the natural man. Don't expect the worldly man,
religious or otherwise, to admire you. He doesn't see anything
in you to admire. Don't expect him to encourage
you or to understand you. Your life, this life, is healing. It's hid, hid from him. You know it's there, but he doesn't.
And watch this, it's hid with Christ in God. What does that
mean? Well, the spirituality of it,
the secret self. Can you explain the union of
the Father and the Son? I and my Father are one. Neither can you explain the oneness
of believers with Christ. Listen, turn to John 17. Let
me show you this, John 17. In John 17, verse 20, listen
to this. Your life is here with Christ
in God. In John 17, verse 20, "'Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be
one as we are one, I in them, And thou in me, that life, the
life of God, the life of Christ, in me is hid with Christ in God. Not only is that the secrecy
of it and the spirituality of it, but the security of it. I
live as long as Christ lives. If some enemy can defeat Christ,
then he can defeat me. But until that dagger can reach
the heart of Christ, he'll never touch me. My life is hid with
Christ in God. He said, my father gave them
me, and no man's able to pluck them out of my hand or my father's
hand. And then there's the value of
it. I want you to turn to Ephesians chapter 1 a moment. Ephesians
chapter 1, the value of it. Ephesians 1, look at verse 7. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will
according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, hid with Christ in God,
both which are in heaven, which are in earth, even in him, in
whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will." You're dead. Dead to the law, as a curse,
as a covenant. I'm dead to the world. The world
can't add anything to me or take anything away from me. I fear,
do not fear its rejection or its, nor covet its approval.
I'm dead. I'm dead to relationships on
this earth. I have a new family. And my life
is hid. The world doesn't understand
it. The world doesn't approve of it. The world can't see it. But this new life, I died, my
new life is here with Christ in God Almighty, just like the
Father and the Son are one. We're one with Christ. Forever secure. And that's the
life that someday he's going to reveal in glory. It's not
these professions of faith, it's not indoctrination. It's not going from Arminianism
to Calvinism or Catholicism to Protestantism. That's got nothing
to do, this is life. That's right. He says in verse
4, now watch this, For when Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall you appear, then shall you be manifested. Then shall
you be revealed. Then shall you be shown off as
a trophy of his grace. Then that life is going to be
seen by the whole universe. That life is going to be seen. And going to be the only life
for the others of second death. When Christ, look at this, between
the commas, who is our life, or when Christ, our life, shall
appear." Well, you mean Christ our life. I believe Jesus Christ
died on the cross. Who doesn't? I believe Jesus
Christ was buried and rose again. Who doesn't? I believe the Bible
is the Word of God. Most people do. I've come to a knowledge of the
doctrines of grace. A lot of people have. It's getting
popular. But this is something else here. This is Christ is
my life. Life. That life that's here with
Christ in God. That divine life. He's my life. First of all, He's the source
of it. He says, I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life.
I'm come that they might have life. We were dead, but Christ,
our life, was formed in us. I prevail to Christ be formed
in you. Christ is my life, He's the source
of it. Secondly, He's the substance
of it. Here's a man in the hospital. See, the physicians can't control
life, the scientists can't create life, and the philosophers can't
explain life. They stand and watch, and the
man's sick, and after a while, he's dead. Where's life? Where's life? It was right there
a minute ago. And that's gone. You don't understand
that. You don't understand. What is
life? They hold a mirror down in front of the fellow's nostrils
and they see a mist. They say, well, he's still alive.
And then the mist goes away. He's dead. What'd you do? I didn't
do anything. What'd he do? He didn't do anything.
It's gone. What is life? I don't know what
physical life is. I can't explain it. It's here
and it's gone. But I can explain spiritual life.
Christ is my life. Say that right there. Christ
is my life. I know who my life is. My life is Christ. Paul said,
I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but the life
which I now live in this body. I live by the faithfulness and
obedience and blood and death of the Son of God. who gave himself
for me. He's my life. I'm dead. Nevertheless, I live. And someday I'll lie down. You
say, he's gone. No, he ain't either. Because
the same Christ gave me life, came and took me home. He is
where I am, there ye may be also. If I go away, I'll come again
and get you where I am, there you may be. I'm one with Him.
I can't die because He can't die. He's the sustenance of my life
in this natural life. I've got to eat to live. My life,
my physical life depends on food, water, and sleep. That's the
three things. I've got to have food, water,
and sleep. In spiritual life, my life depends on three things.
Christ is my bread, Christ is my water, Christ is my rest.
I feed on Him. He says, if you eat my flesh
and drink my blood, you'll never die. I feed on Christ Jesus. I don't feed on your Sabbath
days and your tithe and your ordinances and your meditations
and your morning prayers and all that. I don't feed on bowing
to Mecca and going to the Holy Land and standing in front of
a bunch of silly shrines. I feed on Christ. I can feed
on Him on the street, feed on Him sitting there, feed on Him
over at the house, feed on Him in the garden, feed on Him wherever
I am. I live by the faith of the Son of God. That's right. He's my sustenance, He's my strength,
He's my nourishment. He shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of living water that bringeth forth His fruit
in His season. And those trees over yonder away
from the river, spray water all over them. You can even go a
certain day and spray water on them. You can spray 10% of the
whole reservoir on them, and they're dead, and my roots are
in cash. And around me it may be as arid
as a desert, but this is not where I get my... I've heard
people say, well, I went to church, but the atmosphere wasn't there.
Thank God I'm not resting in the atmosphere. The atmosphere
is pretty rotten around me most of the time. You too, where you
work. The atmosphere leaves a lot to
be desired. But I ain't plugged into the
atmosphere. And my roots in that water, that
river of life. And my tree will bloom whenever
other trees around me is dead as a hammer. Because they're
plugged in the atmosphere. That's what these preachers are
doing to folks now. They're keeping them whooped
up in these special silly charismatic meetings and movements so that
they They got all that feeling, but they got no root. And when
that stuff's gone, gone, when they're out there in that atmosphere,
when they haven't got that promoter and that cheerleader with them,
so far down in the dumps they have to look up and see a snake's
belly. That's right. He's my sustenance. He's my strength. He's my security. We must believe
and we must continue in faith. But He's my assurance. He's my security. It's not in
my love for Him, it's in His love for me. It's not in my faithfulness
to Him, it's in His faithfulness to me. He made a covenant with
me, and that's all my salvation and all my desire. He's my life.
He's the example of my life. You know how the school teacher
hands the little children a big A, capital A, and a small a,
capital B, small B, capital C, small C, has at the top of the
paper, and she hands him that paper and gives him a pencil.
And they look up at that A, they pick their tongues out. And they
get all positioned, you know. I see them now. And they keep
their eye on that A, because they're trying to make one like
it. Take your eyes off me. and take
your eyes off anybody else and turn your eyes on Christ and
make that A. He's my example. And I make a
mighty poor A, but I'm going to work on it. And my B's don't
look like that one she handed me. She didn't do that one either.
She got that from some machine. But my B's don't look like his
B's. But that ain't going to discourage
me because I'm just a kid. And I'm going to learn to love
from Him. I'm going to learn to give from Him. I'm going to
learn to forgive from Him. I'm going to learn to obey from
Him. I'm going to learn to pray from Him. I'm going to learn
to submit to the Father because, look, verse 4, when Christ, who
is my life, all of my life, all the life I need, eternal life,
spiritual life, when He appears, thank God He will, He appeared
for me before the foundation of the world. And then he appeared
here on this earth, and then he appeared in heaven, and he's
going to appear down here one of these days. Then shall you
also appear with him. How? In glory. In glory. Oh, what a gospel. What a treasure. What a hope. Do you see what the apostles
are doing there, weaning us? And oh, what a temptation. Oh,
what a temptation. It's a temptation in so many
different ways to try to sound religious or dress religious
or look religious or be religious or find some favor with God. I heard a preacher say just this
last week, he said, well, I believe in rewards. He said, you might
not want one, but you're going to get one anyway. Well, I don't
know, you know. he is my life he is my life alright mike come
lead us in a

Christ Is Our Life

What does the Bible say about our complete redemption in Christ?

How do we know that Christ is our life?

Why is it important for Christians to rest in Christ?

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Christ Is Our Life

What does the Bible say about our complete redemption in Christ?

How do we know that Christ is our life?

Why is it important for Christians to rest in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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