Free to Live the Impossible

The Impossibility of the Christian Life

Are God's word because really that's where it's at. That's where the power is in what God has to say to us and may he give us ears to hear this morning. And I'll start with this question. Is it possible to do the impossible?

There are many examples of people who have pushed the limits of things that once seemed impossible. This past summer, the Olympic Games took place in Paris, Paris, and the last time the games took place in Paris was 100 years before in 1924.

Now if you tell people, if you were to tell people who attended the games in 1924, the records that would be broken in 2024, they would have said that's just impossible, no way. But history is full of stories of people who succeed in doing things that were once thought impossible.

When people do such things, the laud and the honored is deserved. Nevertheless, there will always be things that escape the limits of human possibility and thus remain impossible. Today I would like to speak about one of those impossible things and it just might surprise you what we're going to talk about today because the thing to which I am referring that is impossible is this.

Are you ready? The Christian life, impossible. You see, living for God is a wonderful aspiration, but who is truly capable of always pleasing God at every moment? Any hands to be raised? That's mission impossible.

Before responding, let me read two verses penned by the Apostle Paul because there is hope even in the midst of what seems impossible. For through the law, this is in Galatians chapter two, verses 19 and 20.

For through the law, I die to the law. This is Paul speaking or writing, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here is a summary of these two key verses. With all my messages, whether it be a long passage or just a few verses, I usually summarize it with one sentence and here's my one sentence to summarize it and I use that sentence to outline the message and so this is really useful to me.

I hope it's useful to you, but here it is, the summary of those two verses. Living for God is impossible unless Jesus lives his life in us. I'll repeat that. Living for God is impossible unless Jesus lives his life in us and before we move forward, let's pray together.

Thank you for life, Lord, for life today, for life eternal, for those who have trusted the Lord Jesus. Thank you for your word that strengthens our faith and I pray it would do so today. May you speak to us and may your spirit work in our hearts and our minds to apply this word so that you would be glorified and good will come out of it to us and those around us.

We pray it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, amen.

Amen.

Freedom Through the Cross

First point, it's not impossible to live for God when you have been freed. It's not impossible to live for God when you have been freed. To do so, I could add. The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion of the Allied forces took place this past June, June of 2024.

On June 6th, 1944, the price paid for freedom was costly. And each year I try to watch a movie called The Longest Day. Maybe some of you have watched it. If any of you watched The Longest Day, it's a black and white film that depicts the Normandy invasion over that 24-hour period and it's powerful.

Tens of thousands of soldiers from many nations took part to bring liberty to the European continent. The tribute of lives was heavy, but the sacrifice allowed Europe to be freed. Freedom is never free.

Freedom always comes at a price. The freedom to live for God is the same. It was costly and it came at great price. See, true freedom is impossible without the sacrifice of the cross. To please God, you must obey the law perfectly.

Why were there no hands when I asked you about pleasing God all the time? Because obeying the law perfectly is impossible. That's mission impossible for fallen, sinful people, the fallen, sinful people that we are.

But for Jesus, it's mission accomplished.

Mission accomplished.

Because of God's intervention through Jesus at the cross, the consequences of disobedience, namely death, have been undone forever. Because the believer can no longer be condemned, that's the promise that we read in the scriptures, it is possible to truly live for and with God.

That's good news. The very prince of life, Jesus himself, gave his life so that he could offer freedom, the freedom that we seek, and it comes to us by faith in him. Paul makes this important truth and the importance of this truth very clear, and he uses, as he cites the word freedom on a few other occasions in the book of Galatians, and I wanna share three key verses that speak of that freedom as Paul addresses the Galatians, and that relate, I believe, to what we're learning in this verse.

When he sees the tendency towards legalism of false brothers, he warns believers against those who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us into slavery.

That is always a danger, to slip back to a works salvation. Paul is very clear in two more verses when he talks about freedom. He said, for freedom, Christ has set us free. He also goes on to say in the same chapter, verse 13 of chapter five, for you were called to freedom, brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another.

Paul strives to defend the gospel by warning against the belief that we can be saved by the law. That would be only possible through perfect obedience, which is impossible. Because of sin, we will always fail and find ourselves enslaved.

That's bad news, but there's good news that's coming because there's one way to freedom. It's the only way. The freedom that comes through to us comes through the work of Jesus and it is truly, truly wonderful.

I wanna return to a scene from that movie, The Longest Day, and I forgot to mention something about that scene. When that takes place in the early part of the movie, there's a French man, he's in his house and he's out looking over the sea as the bombardment begins.

And he's just filled with emotion as he knows that freedom is coming with the bombardment and the continent is going to be freed and the bombs are exploding all around and his wife is cowering in a corner and he's out there screaming out loud, enjoy, c 'est merveilleux, c 'est merveilleux.

It's wonderful, it's wonderful. Paul, that is the work of what God has done through Christ. It's a wonderful work that saves us and Paul strives to help the Galatians understand the wonder of that work.

In fact, I think I've lost my place a little bit but we're good, we're good. But the reason I bring that particular scene of that movie because you have that violence of the invasion to bring freedom.

And you know, the violence of the cross was even more terrible. The work of the cross is both fearful and wonderful. Fearful because God's great wrath is poured out against the sin which has corrupted the world.

Wonderful because of the total victory and true freedom that has secured it forevermore. You know, when you come to terms with the nature of the deliverance, you can only be moved and be amazed, c 'est merveilleux.

It's truly amazing what God has done. Jesus' promise is so very clear. He says this, if the Son sets you free, then you will be free indeed. And I wanna ask you a question this morning. Are you in a state of freedom?

To experience this freedom, you need to be ready to identify yourself with the cross where Jesus procured that liberty. True freedom only begins when we are ready to associate ourselves with the cross by saying this, and this is what he says in this verse, I have been crucified with Christ.

Only 10 days separate a cherished holiday for both France and America. Be it the 4th of July or the 14th of July, the 14th of July, as we say in French, each ends explosively with a brilliant firework display to celebrate what?

Freedom, liberty. In France, the national slogan is liberté, égalité, fraternité, liberty, equality, brotherhood. And it's no coincidence that freedom is the first of the three. History shows us that wherever freedom is sought, a struggle ensues, and it's no different spiritually.

Faith in the Son of God

Second point, it's not possible to live for God or excuse me, it's not impossible to live for God if you're ready for a struggle. Are you ready for a struggle? What would you say is the greatest struggle for human beings?

How many of you like to admit that you're wrong? Any hands? Okay, we have a few honest people. One of the greatest struggles is to admit that you're wrong. You know, I've never been wrong, never, except one time.

I thought I was wrong, but I was right. But more seriously, recognizing your need of God's work in Christ means admitting that you're wrong. It means admitting that you're sinful, that you fall short of God's perfect law.

And when there's a struggle against sin and you have that struggle and you know that struggle, there's hope for freedom, for living free. And verse 20 gives the essential information needed to live in that way.

You see, to live free, you need to live by faith, and it's right there in the verse. Now everyone, believer or not, lives by faith in some way. This morning it was really cold in the 20s, but I didn't even think about turning the key of the car.

I knew it was gonna start up, and it did. I believe I can pass the test that I have if I'm a student, and so what do I do?

I study.

I believe I can run a marathon or climb the Mont Blanc, which is the highest peak in Western Europe, which we can see on a clear day from Lyon. And so what do I do? I do the training. Everyone, believer or not, lives by faith in some way, shape, or form.

What I believe possible encourages me to act to fulfill the goal. And the principle is just as important for the believer because it involves the belief that it is possible to live for God. And Paul insists and makes that clear that it is possible when he says this, the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God.

What is faith? What is faith? Faith is simply this. It's a believing response to the Word of God. That's what faith is, a believing response to the Word of God, a word on which you can absolutely depend.

Your life can stand on that word. Always, everywhere, all the time. Living free means believing God to the point of acting in accordance with His Word,.

To what He has said.

Oh, how often do we hear God's Word and we don't heed. Maybe today some of you are in that place. Faith is simply believing what God has said and acting accordingly. And what is the object of faith? Faith is not something vague.

It's not faith in faith. You get a lot of that in the world in which we live. Disney is faith in faith. The object of our faith is so real and so important. Today's verse gives us the most reliable object of faith, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself.

Paul says, I live by faith in what? In the Son of God. There's no greater object, no more dependable person than the Son of God Himself incarnate. He is the Word of God on which we can count all the time, everywhere, no matter what.

And how do we strengthen the faith that helps us to live for God? This is important and this is application. You see, faith is strengthened through the church and in the church. Fellowship with other believers.

I've been strengthened just being here this morning with you. Worship together strengthens faith. Hearing God's Word preached strengthens faith. The ordinances, what we've celebrated in the Lord's Supper and through baptism, when we celebrate that, strengthen faith.

Faith is also strengthened individually. When we read God's Word each day, our faith is strengthened. How many of you read God's Word each day with a desire to really understand what God has to say to you today?

I'm amazed at how many people I meet that are solid believers who tell me that I'm not always in the Word every day. Faith is strengthened as well when we pray regularly. In fact, the command is to pray ceaselessly.

How many of you pray ceaselessly? I'm challenged by that. Each moment we live to glorify God will make it stronger, will strengthen our faith. It's like a muscle and if you don't lose it, use it, you lose it.

I'm not talking about losing your salvation though. Faith is also strengthened by trials. Trials are like the fire, trials are like fire that is used to purify precious metal. It's hot, yes, it burns, yes, but it's very effective.

And this year marks the ninth year since a period of an extremely difficult trial that lasted for about four to five years. And I mean, it was difficult. It was really hard. And I remember in the heart of that suffering and that difficult time, friends and fellow believers sent me books that I would read.

And I remember reading the testimonies of those who had gone through hard, hard trials. And I was taken aback at the time by one testimony after the other that affirmed that though the trial was hard, they would never want to lose the benefits that came through God's work in them as they trusted them to move through it.

I didn't understand that then, but I do understand it today. And what did it take? Trusting God that he's always good, that he's always loving, that he's always present, that no matter the trial, no matter the circumstance, you can depend on him.

Listen to a key passage that speaks to perseverance and trial and its results. It comes from 2 Corinthians chapter four, and there's a number of verses that I'm gonna read. And this is what Paul says to the Corinthians.

He says, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus.

He's starting the link with Galatians. So that the life of Jesus may also be manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Do you see the connection with Galatians chapter two verse 20? Our old weight of life dies, it's buried, and Jesus' life in us is revealed, it's manifested, and we are renewed, and that's why these verses go on to say exactly that.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

To live free, you have to live by faith. That's the only way to do it. Faith in the right object. To live free, you also need the support of others who are in the struggle. You see, our struggle is connected to those in the faith who have preceded us.

Hebrews 11 reminds us about the victory of faith. It is by faith that Abel offered a better sacrifice. It's by faith that Noah built the ark. It's by faith that Abraham departed his homeland for the land of promise.

It's by faith that Sarah received the ability to conceive. By faith, Isaac. By faith, Jacob. By faith, Joseph. By faith, Rahab. By faith, Moses. Moses, sorry. By faith, Gideon. By faith, Samson. By faith, Samuel.

By faith, David. All of them lived by faith, and it made all the difference. Our struggle is connected to those in the faith who have preceded us, but it's also connected by those who are living by faith today.

You know, I can go on to say, in the same way that it says in Hebrews 11, by faith, Abel, I can go on to say, by faith, Jeff, Pastor Jeff. By faith, Pastor Tim. By faith, Gary. By faith, Terry. These are the people I know.

I could say for every member of this church who is trusting the Lord Jesus for salvation, for the righteousness that they could never attain by obeying the law, which he has obtained through his perfect righteousness.

Our struggle is helped by those who live by faith today, and they're right here. They're sitting in this room, and we need each other. Nothing is more important when we struggle than having those who are for us and who are faithful.

God conceived the church so that we would never be alone in the struggles. In the end, we are never alone in the struggle because when we believe the gospel, Jesus himself lives in us, and that's what makes it possible to do the impossible, and that's our third point.

Imitating Christ by Love, Mind, and Works

It's not impossible to live for God when you can do a good imitation. That may sound a little cheap, but you'll understand it in just a minute. What is the highest form of flattery? You may have heard that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and that is a quote from Oscar Wilde.

The Bible is clear about the importance of doing a good imitation with this command, and it's a command. Therefore, Paul says to the Ephesians, be imitators of God. It's possible. As beloved children, we'll talk about love in just a minute, there was a Dutch monk named Thomas Akempis who wrote one of the best-known devotional books called what?

The Imitation of Christ, because if there's anyone to imitate, it's Jesus. Galatians 2 .20 invites us to imitate Christ in a special way. We are invited to allow Jesus to live his life in us. You know, I have a memory when I was newly converted to the faith while I was at university.

It was in northern New Jersey, at a school called Montclair State College. There was another student. I had come to the Lord through a student that shared the gospel with me, and that changed my life and changed the course of my life.

And there was another student, he's not the one who shared the gospel with me, and he noticed the difference in my way and in my speech in the first months after giving my life to Jesus. And on more than one occasion, he would say to me, he would say, you know, you're starting to look more like Jesus.

And especially when I started to grow a beard. His tone was a bit ironic, and it had a bit of an edge. Nevertheless, he still gave the impression of having understood that my life had changed because of Jesus.

And you know what? He was absolutely right. Everything changed because of what Jesus had done. And because God gave me the grace to have faith and put my faith in that great object, the Lord Jesus himself and his work.

When we let the life of Jesus live in us, people will notice. Let me mention three things that will become apparent when we imitate Jesus. That is, when we let Jesus live his life in and through us. First is, we will be motivated by one thing, the thing that motivated Christ himself, love.

Our love is connected to God's love because he first loved us. Love is at the heart of Jesus' work, and it is his love according to the scriptures that controls us. And I'm gonna say another word about that in just a moment in the conclusion.

We must be motivated by his love. Second, we will be captivated by his thinking. This is amazing. When Christ lives in us, his thinking is written on our hearts as the author of our salvation. It only makes sense.

And Paul tells us plainly that we have the mind of Christ. Now get your mind around that one. Wake up in the morning and tell yourself that and see if it changes the way you start your day. I, who am believing in the work of what Jesus has done, have the mind of Christ himself.

That will change the way you see your day. And lastly, our works will be like his. Jesus even said that we would do greater works than he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whether whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do.

That's quite a promise. When we live by faith in Christ, letting him live in us, we can live the impossible. In this first week of 2025, you may be working hard to keep a resolution. I've had many resolutions over the years, and I have a few this year as well, and I'm trying to stick to them.

Resolutions can be good things, and I'm hoping for success for myself, and I hope for success for you as well. But when it comes to resolutions that count, my reference point is not my resolutions for me.

My reference point is the one that Christ made on our behalf when he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem. That's what Luke quotes in his gospel. He resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem to face the cross that would purchase my freedom, that would purchase your freedom, that would purchase our freedom.

That's the most important resolution ever made, and the one to keep in mind as you live the Christian life day by day. Because you may feel today that you haven't been living that Christian life very well.

Maybe there's some of you in this room where you're saying, it's not going very well with me when it comes to my life in Christ. If you feel like you're not living that life well, the best resolution that you can make is to remember the one that Jesus has already made and kept for you.

That's the best way to control your life because it is grounded in the greatest motivating force that exists. What's that force? That is God's love. For the love of Christ, Paul would go on to say that the Corinthians controls us because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all.

Those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. See, living for God is impossible unless Jesus lives his life in you. Believe that and you are bound to change because with God, all things are possible.

Let's pray. Lord, I thank you for your word. You're so kind to us, gracious to reveal to us the things which are necessary and clear and essential to live for you, and you have made it possible through the work of your son, the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to die in our place, who was buried and was raised to new life.

We thank you that all who put their faith in him are changed forever and forevermore, and we give you thanks and praise, and we pray that you would allow us to proclaim this news to those around us, that they might understand the love of God shown in Christ.

We pray in his name.

Amen.

Mike said something that just resonated with me,.

And not many things, but he said,.

God conceived the church so that we would never be alone in the struggle. As we go out, encourage someone, if you feel like you're alone in the struggle, it's possibly because no one knows about it, so if you feel that way, share that with someone, and let a brother or sister come along beside of you and share that so you don't have to bear.

That struggle alone, amen?

Let's go out with a song of rejoicing and praising, and let's take out this song and share the world what we believe, amen?