Christ is my Life and Strength

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon as the fourth in his 'Ballast for the Soul' series, using the analogy of a ship needing ballast to remain seaworthy. He reviews the previous…

The analogy of a ship needing sufficient ballast to be seaworthy is used to represent biblical truths that provide stability to a believer's soul amidst life's storms.

Our communion meditation tonight will be comprised of the fourth message in a very brief series, which I began to preach on December 31st in the year 2000. We were snowed out, I believe, on that morning, and when we gathered for that New Year's Eve service, we began to consider what I have entitled, Ballast for the Soul, using the analogy of a ship that must have sufficient ballast in its hull if it is to be a seaworthy vessel. We've been looking at those particular biblical truths which act as ballast in the soul of a child of God, enabling him, by the grace of God, not to capsize or to be da...

0:04 - 1:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Union with Christ is really the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation, not only in its application, but also in its once-for-all accomplishment in the finished work of Christ.

A quotation from Professor Murray's 'Redemption Accomplished and Applied' is used to underscore the centrality and foundational importance of the doctrine of union with Christ in salvation.

that the enthroned Christ, the very Christ, who is administering all things, in his kingdom, towards a glorious consummation, that that Christ is not only my advocate and intercessor at the right hand of the Father, but he is also at one and the same time my indwelling life and strength. And the biblical framework for this blessed reality is the massive New Testament doctrine, the New Testament doctrine of union with Christ. The phrases, in Christ, in whom, in him, are found approximately a hundred and fifty times in the epistles of the New Testament. So that it is no exaggeration to say that ...

4:55 - 6:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents several key biblical texts that explicitly state Christ dwells in His people. He expounds Romans 8 (Spirit of God/Christ/Christ in you), Galatians 2:20 ('Christ…

The analogy of the branch and the vine from John 15 is used to illustrate the organic, living union between Christ and His people, where the same life flows from the vine into the branches.

Marvelous statement. Of Christ's own indwelling. And it's in that context, you remember, that He gives us the analogy of the branch and the vine. John 15, verses 1-8.

22:09 - 22:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to the implications of Christ's indwelling, first by stating what it is not: a ground for passivity or an unbiblical mysticism. Martin shares a personal…

Martin shares a personal story of trying to adopt a passive, reserved preaching style, believing it was 'letting Christ live His life' through him, only to find himself 'backsliding' into his natural passionate delivery. This illustrates the error of interpreting Christ's indwelling as a call to passivity.

And I just sort of get adjusted, and I let Christ live His life. I was under that kind of teaching in a context that made it very, very attractive. And I desperately tried to get the funnel shaped right. And all the people that taught me this were very temperamentally reserved.

27:11 - 27:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section elaborates on the third implication, focusing on strength in weakness as the 'genius of God's way.' Martin draws heavily from 2 Corinthians, citing Paul's afflictions…

The contrast between the 'super apostles' who strutted their strength and Paul's acknowledged weaknesses (contemptible speech, unimpressive physical presence, thorn in the flesh) is used to introduce the theme of strength in weakness from 2 Corinthians.

Look at us. And Paul picks up on that and says, I want to show you that strength in the midst of weakness is the genius of God's way with his people. Look at chapter 1 of 2 Corinthians. Verse 8.

38:46 - 39:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin brings the application home, challenging listeners to consider if their lives manifest Christ's life in their mortal flesh. He uses the powerful example of his wife's…

The painful experience of a child walking away from faith is used as an example of a 'grave' God uses to bring believers to a place where only resurrection life can explain their endurance.

I think of some sitting here never knew what that was till the darling of your heart, that son or daughter, walked away from everything you've prayed and labored to see them become and it was like a grave to you. Yes. A grave in which God wants to put you. That out of it, He'll bring that which has no explanation but resurrection life.

46:18 - 46:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin brings the application home, challenging listeners to consider if their lives manifest Christ's life in their mortal flesh. He uses the powerful example of his wife's…

Martin shares a personal story of his wife's quiet endurance through 11 chemotherapy treatments, including the indignity of hair loss and lack of complaint, as a concrete example of Christ living in her and manifesting His life in her mortal flesh.

My dear wife is not here tonight. She's out in Michigan with her grandson and her daughter, my son-in-law. I can rarely say anything about her publicly because I have to go home and live with her. And that sweet, quiet, old lady,

46:55 - 47:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Settle it: God will use 'tailor-made executioners' (trials) to hand you over to death so that the life of Jesus is manifested in your mortal flesh.

Martin uses the metaphor of becoming 'more comfortable' with weaknesses to describe his own spiritual growth, aspiring to Paul's level of taking pleasure in them for Christ's sake.

And I'm not quite where Paul was. I can't yet say I take pleasure in the weaknesses. I think, I can say, I'm beginning to feel a little more comfortable with them.

51:29 - 51:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for deeper surrender, asking Christ to do whatever must be done so that His life is the only explanation for who you are, especially as you take communion.

The metaphor of feeling 'as clumsy as someone trying to thread a needle with boxing gloves on' is used to express the speaker's sense of inadequacy when trying to articulate the profound mysteries of the faith.

Our Father, we confess that when we seek to speak of these high and marvelous mysteries of the faith, we feel as clumsy as someone trying to thread a needle with boxing gloves on. Lord, you know my sense of frustration, my own felt ignorance of the depth and richness of these realities. Oh God, have mercy upon us all. Expand our hearts. Take us where we've never been before. And while our flesh would cry to be spared, what we are as new men and women in Christ cries out, Lord Jesus, do whatever must be done that you will be more evidently manifested in us. We ask you now to seal your word, to ...

54:18 - 55:23 Read in full sermon