A Church becoming like Christ through faith
Gal. 2:20
The church is a body of scripturally baptized believers, who have covenant together to carry out the commands of Christ.
The great commission is God’s great assignment to every New Testament Church.
The assignment is evangelism, “Go ye therefore and make disciples” . This assignment is challenging to say the least, considering, we have been commanded to show people Christ, that they might be saved.
Well, to show people Christ we must be like Christ, in our words and actions.
God is great and gracious, and He gives us what we need to become like Christ. For by grace, you are saved through faith.
Faith is amazing, whereas by faith God saves us and through faith God changes us into the likeness of Christ.
God says in Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Well, faith is what God uses to make us like Jesus.
God gives us faith to believe it! Grace to see it! And courage to do it!
Our theme verse for our 119th church anniversary contains the path to becoming like Christ in this life.
A church becoming like Christ through faith!
A church empowered by faith in Christ to become like Christ in this life.
For the church to fulfill God’s lofty goal of becoming like Christ is this, it requires our buy in and exercising faith to make it happen
Our vision: a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard, the pathway is in this verse
A church becoming like Christ by faith starts with dying to self and sin!
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
God loves me like no one else could or would!
God gave me what no one else could have given me: HE GAVE ME HIMSELF
For that reason, I choose to live by faith in the Son of God!
The great commission is God’s great assignment to every New Testament Church.
The assignment is evangelism, “Go ye therefore and make disciples” . This assignment is challenging to say the least, considering, we have been commanded to show people Christ, that they might be saved.
Well, to show people Christ we must be like Christ, in our words and actions.
God is great and gracious, and He gives us what we need to become like Christ. For by grace, you are saved through faith.
Faith is amazing, whereas by faith God saves us and through faith God changes us into the likeness of Christ.
God says in Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
- This verse says it is God’s will for those who are saved to become like Christ in this life.
Well, faith is what God uses to make us like Jesus.
God gives us faith to believe it! Grace to see it! And courage to do it!
Our theme verse for our 119th church anniversary contains the path to becoming like Christ in this life.
A church becoming like Christ through faith!
- The path of dying to sin and self- vs. 20a
- The path of allowing Christ to live in you- vs. 20b
- The path of living by faith in a fleshly body- vs. 20c
- The path of embracing the cost of salvation- vs. 20d
A church empowered by faith in Christ to become like Christ in this life.
For the church to fulfill God’s lofty goal of becoming like Christ is this, it requires our buy in and exercising faith to make it happen
Our vision: a spiritually healthy church where Christ is seen and heard, the pathway is in this verse
- The path of dying to sin and self- vs. 20a
I am crucified is in the perfect indicative passive voice which means the subject is receiving benefits.“I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live: yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
- Jesus dying benefitting me living.
- Jesus dies so I could live.
- I am crucified with Christ is a statement of faith.
- Although I was not physically hanging on the cross with Jesus but by faith the old man is dead.
- Crucified is the Greek word, “sustauroo” mortifying our worldly and fleshly lusts.
- It is impossible to become like Christ, without dying to self, sin.
- I know we are not dead physically, crucified by faith is to render the flesh inoperative. It is still there but not operating.
A church becoming like Christ by faith starts with dying to self and sin!
- The path of allowing Christ to live in you – vs. 20b
“Nevertheless, I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me”
- Nevertheless, suggest although I died something better has happen.
- My old life has ended, and a new life has begun.
- It takes Christ living in us to make us like Christ.
- Allowing Christ to live in us is to allow Jesus to be truly Lord of your life.
- Allowing Him to lead, guide and direct your every decision in life.
- Follow Him and Him only
- Christ living in me is power through faith to become like Jesus.
- Christ living in me is the inside help for outside change.
- The path of living by faith in a fleshly body- vs. 20c
“And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God.”
- A change in how I live in the same body that once was controlled by sin and self.
- Only God can take an unclean thing and make it clean.
- I am living in the same body, but I am not living the same way.
- I once lived according to the lust of the flesh, but everything has changed now.
- Living by faith in the Son of God makes me become like Christ.
- Living in the faith of the Son of God is trusting in Him for everything, physically and spiritually.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
- Living like this makes us like Christ
- The path of embracing the cost of salvation- vs. 20d
“Who love me and gave himself for me”
- When one thoroughly comprehends what Jesus paid to save me from a burning hell,
- God gave up His Son for me and for you.
- Jesus gave up the splendor of heaven for the filth of earth.
God loves me like no one else could or would!
God gave me what no one else could have given me: HE GAVE ME HIMSELF
For that reason, I choose to live by faith in the Son of God!
