And Judas Iscariot: Together with other evangelistic addressesChapman, J. Wilbur (John Wilbur)
Religion
And Judas Iscariot: Together with other evangelistic addresses
Chapman, J. Wilbur (John Wilbur)
Evangelistic sermons; Presbyterian Church -- Sermons; Sermons, American
(2) Paul also requests that they may know the riches of the glory of
his inheritance in the saints. That is very wonderful. He does not
say the riches of the saints in him--that could be easily understood;
but what an inspiration it is to know that he has glory in us, and that
the mere possession of poor, frail creatures like ourselves is to him a
perfect delight! We sometimes say that we could not get along without
Christ, but how inspiring it is to know that he could not and he would
not get along without us!
(3) The Apostle also prays that the church at Ephesus might know what
is the exceeding greatness of Christ's power towards us. It is not
simply a great power that is described but an exceedingly great power.
There is absolutely no limit to what he can accomplish in and through
us if we but yield ourselves unreservedly to him.
Second: Another question, may naturally come to us. Why have we not
this power of his? The answer is simply because the eyes of our
understanding have not been enlightened. We have been too much
self-centered and too closely wedded to the world. We need a stronger
vision. There are stars in the heavens to-day that have never yet been
seen, not because they do not exist but because there has been no glass
invented strong enough to take them in. Each new day brings a vision
of new heavenly bodies. We also need stronger faith, for if we have
become persuaded of the fact that he can do all things the victory is
won when we take this position.
V
_Prayer for Perseverance_. Philippians 1:9-11, "And this I pray, that
your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all
judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be
sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with
the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory
and praise of God." Paul has a tender affection for this Philippian
Church. Naturally he would wish for them only the best things, and the
burden of this prayer of his is,
First: That they might be able to persevere to the end, or rather to
the day of Christ. Let it not be forgotten that he who said, "Nothing
can separate us from the love of God," at the same time prays that
those who are the object of this love may be faithful in their
perseverance until time shall be no more. It is God's privilege to
preserve us, it is our privilege to persevere; and if we study the
words "preserve" and "persevere" we shall find that they are composed
of almost the same letters with only a slightly different arrangement.
We must be exceedingly careful in our walk and we must rely perfectly
upon Christ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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