Living with Weakness

Pastor P. W. Gustine, M. Div.
NRBFC Conference, October 2-3, 1997
Theme: "Grace for Confident Living"

Message: "Living with Weakness"

Introduction: The Bad Example of Esau

Genesis 25:29-34
Genesis 26:34-35
Genesis 27:41
Genesis 28:6-9
Genesis 33:1-11
Genesis 36:6-8
Hebrews 12:12-17

Our Greatest Weakness: "Sin" or the "Flesh," an inherited, internal, evil propensity that distorts the human personality; Ps. 19:13; 119:133; Rom. 6:12; 7:17,18, 20, 23

God's Prescription: The Filling of the Spirit

I. The Command, Ephesians 5:18
A. Its Implication: All Christians are not filled.
B. Its Imperative Force: All Christians should be filled.
C. Its Passive Action: All Christians can be filled (because God does it).
D. Its Durative Action: All Christians may be filled again and again. "Filling"=
"control" by the Holy Spirit when Scriptural conditions are met.

Prayer to begin each day from the late Dr. Russell R. Camp:

GENERAL PURPOSE

(Resolution) Titus 1:2; Rom. 15:13; Eph. 5:18; Prov. 11:30; John 10:10; Gal. 5:22, 23;

I John 5:14, 15; I Thess. 4:15; John 17:24

Formula: I shall endeavor, with God's help, and for His glory, to manifest and encourage, by teaching, and by example, "truth which is after godliness," and "through the power of the Holy Spirit," and under His constant control, to utilize, with full ability, every opportunity to bear the abiding "fruit of the righteous," and "of the spirit," and, from the center of God's will, to pray "according to His will" both for self, and for others, until momently, my Lord comes again for me in life, or I behold His glory in death.

II. The Conduct, Eph. 5:19-21
A. Spiritual Communion with the Brethren and the Lord
B. Thankful Hearts
C. Gracious Human Relationships
See Rom. 12:3-5; Eph. 4:1-3, 32; 5:1-2

III. The Conditions
A. Positively Considered
1. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit, Gal. 5:16
A Spirit-controlled lifestyle, Romans 12:1, 2

2. Dynamic Application of the Word of God, Col. 3:12-23, especially, v. 16
Note: The manifestation of "the word of Christ" is the same as that of being "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:19-21).

"'The word of Christ' is the word spoken by Christ. This expression is not limited to His utterances while on earth in His humiliation, but refers to the entire body of truth as given through the N.T. writers. 'Dwell in' is enoikeo. The word oikos means 'a home." Oikeo means 'to live in a home.' The exhortation is to the effect that the Christian is to so yield himself to the Word that there is a certain at-homeness of the Word in his being. The Word should be able to feel at home in his heart. The saint should give it unrestricted liberty in his life. 'Richly' is plousios, 'abundantly.' Not only must the saint be yielded to the Word, but he must have a good knowledge of it. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God that we know as He talks to us and guides our lives. He can efficiently talk to us to the extent to which we know the Word. That is the language He uses."

[Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest's Word Studies From the Greek New Testament. Volume I: Ephesians and Colossians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975, pp. 226-27.]

Prayer to begin each day from the late Dr. Russell R. Camp:

CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT

(Relationship) Romans 12:1, 2; II Corinthians 3:18; Luke 9:23; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 11:36; II Corinthians 2:14; Romans 6:6, 11, 13

Formula: Holy Spirit, I come to you in the new nature to experience your continued control. By the food of the Word of God, and by the force of your power, let my personality become a garment through which You move among men to manifest the Lord Jesus Christ, and to accomplish His mission with His methods. Use my body to pray the prayers, live the life, think the thoughts, work the works, and travel the trails of the Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.

B. Negatively Considered
1. Danger of Grieving the Holy Spirit; Issue: Sin (context: Eph. 4:25-32)

2. Danger of Quenching the Holy Spirit; Issue: The Will of God (context:
I Thess. 5:16-19)

IV. The Climate
A. Confession of Sins, I John 1:9
B. Daily Yielding Oneself to God (Submission), Rom. 6:11-13; 12:1, 2.
C. Daily Dependence upon God (Commitment), Gal. 5:16; 2:20
D. Diet: Personal and Family Bible Reading; Church and Sunday School Attendance.
E. Exercise: Prayer, Private and Public; Service; Witness; a Ministry in your Local
Church.

Conclusion

"Christ's people were never meant to live at the world's sea-level. We are meant to have the mountain view, the long view, the wide view, the really understanding view. We are meant to see the happenings of our time in the light of inspired prophecy, through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, from the high view-point of the divine purpose, and with our gaze on the ultimate victory of Christ. . .

But how shall we keep that high altitude of vision in our daily life? We must live near to the Scriptures. We must love the place of prayer. We must guard against easy-going toleration of things in our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit, and rob us of His inward witness. Many of us have been taught to distrust new-year resolves; but they can mean great blessing if they are made in dependence on the Holy Spirit. It could mean untold blessing to go into this new year having made the following covenant with our Lord: I WILL GIVE NOT LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES EACH DAY TO PRAYER. I WILL COMMEND MY SAVIOUR IN EARNEST CONVERSATION TO AT LEAST ONE PERSON EACH WEEK. I WILL READ CONSECUTIVELY EACH DAY FROM BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. I WILL ALLOW NOTHING IN MY LIFE WHICH MIGHT IN ANY WAY COMPROMISE THE NAME OF JESUS. If we were thus to live through this incoming year, it could only prove a year of peaceful hope."

[J. Sidlow Baxter, Awake, My Heart. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1964, p. 13.]