I Can'T Christ Can — E.A. Johnston

The Inconsistency of Self-Directed Christian Living

I believe the Christian life, for many, can be best illustrated by an elevator. One week, or one day, you are up in the penthouse suite, enjoying the presence of God, and then strangely, quite suddenly, the next day or week, you are down in the basement of despair, in the agony of defeat.

Your walk with God is an up-and-down existence of, mainly, inconsistency and discouragement. Listen, friend, if you try to live the Christian life by the flesh, you will soon find out it can't be done.

If you try to live for God by your own righteousness, you will fail, as well, because my best righteousness is but filthy rags in His sight. This up-and-down existence is what I term elevator Christianity, or, for many, the status quo.

Abiding in Christ Rather Than Self-Effort

But it doesn't have to be this way. If you long for victory, if you truly desire a consistent walk with God, then stay with me during this message, friend, and take notes, for this may end up being a very liberating message for you today.

Christ's desire for each of us is an ongoing, intimate walk with Him, a love relationship that deepens with every day, where we are leaning upon Him, looking unto Him, and continually abiding in Him, like the illustration of the branch in the vine.

But the first step of this journey must begin with the confession and admittance on our part that it is impossible to live for God in our own strength. It can't be done. Once I admit that I can't and accept that Christ can, then we are on our way to a victorious life of Christ, where your highest highs have yet to be experienced.

The Abundant Life Promised by Jesus

The Christian life is the greatest adventure in the world, friend, and Jesus wants us to live the abundant life of Christ. He said so in John 10, 10, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The title of my message today, friends, is I Can't, Christ Can. And today we will study how to have a life of victory in Christ Jesus. Our text today is found in Paul's epistle to the Philippians. Turn there in your Bibles now, friends.

Paul's Struggle With Sin and the Victory of Romans 8

Well here now is the Word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His Holy Word. Let me preface our text today with the following introduction. The Apostle Paul was a very religious man who had learned the hard way the ups and downs of the Christian life.

Earlier in his walk, he had to admit the agony of defeat in the struggle with sin, as seen in Romans 7, 15, where he exclaims in desperation, For that which I do, I allow not, for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that I do.

Here the Apostle Paul, as a believer, was admitting defeat in his walk with God because of sin. Romans chapter 7 is the picture of a man failing in his attempts to live the victorious Christian life. But the next chapter of Romans chapter 8 is a thrilling swan song of victory of one who has learned how to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

It's the Christ life for the self life. But how, we may ask, does one get there? You say, I've tried time and time again to live in the Spirit and for a time all is well, but then I stumble and slip and fall into my sin trap once again.

There I am in my mud puddle of sin and regret. It's elevator Christianity of an up and down walk with God. Listen to me friend, there's hope for you yet, for there's hope in our verse today. Hope in Philippians 4 .13.

The Strength of Christ in Philippians 4:13

Listen to Philippians 4 .13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But what things can I do? All things it says. How can I do them? By Christ's power it says. He strengthens me with his enabling grace.

How? By his Spirit. I can't. Christ can. He can do all things through me. I can do all things through him. But how do I get there? That's what you're asking. Here's how. Write down the following aspects of this vital truth of the abundant Christian life.

Absolute Surrender to the Lordship of Christ

The first aspect is we must come to the place of absolute surrender to King Jesus. We must surrender all we are and all we have to the Lordship of Christ. Our life is not our own. Our time is not our own.

Our money is not our own. Our body is not our own. He must be a complete master. It's our own personal Jabbok, so to speak, where we have an experience of absolute surrender to God. Where we throw up our arms and give him our absolute surrender.

Where we finally admit we can't live the Christian life on our own, in our own strength. It's impossible. And we come to the place of utter surrender, where we give him implicit rule and reign in our life.

Daily Yielding to God's Will

Where self is dethroned and Christ is enthroned. So we have this absolute surrender. Next, we have a daily yielding. Yielding to God's will for us in all we do for him. The man of Psalm 1 doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

Nor does he hang out and stand with sinners. He avoids sitting down with the scorners. He avoids evil associations and evil ways at every turn and every step. He's on the lookout for traps of the devil, the enemy of our soul.

He has power from above to do all this. For he has learned that he can't, but Christ can. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He gives me the grace to live for him. In my own strength is nothing but utter failure.

Moment-by-Moment Abiding in Christ

Lastly, we live the victorious Christian life. Not only from an absolute surrender and a daily yielding. But by a moment, by moment abiding in Christ by his spirit. A full dependence upon God for the grace to be given to live the abundant life.

I can't, Christ can. It is Christ's power coursing through me like a mountain stream. Flowing freely with no obstruction. I live each day in utter dependence upon him. I live each day in utter dependence for God's enabling grace and for Christ's power.

This surrender, yielding and abiding are the aspects for this life of victory in Christ Jesus. Well, I hope our little lesson today, friends, has been helpful to you as it has been for me. One day, I finally woke up and realized that all I was doing in my own righteousness for God was always just going to end in complete failure and disappointment.

That I can't do it on my own. I can't, but Christ can. And from that point, my life has never been the same. Every day, I repeat this verse all throughout my day. I lean on him continually. I abide in him by his spirit.

And I remind myself that I can't, but Christ can. That I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And so can you.