Introduction:
- As we continue in this season of glorious transformation , God wants to see glorious change in every area of our lives including our thoughts, the way of life, actions, perceptions and belief system.
- The revelation that God is bringing to us from our focal text is to understand the demand of God upon as children of God who has turned a new life in Christ (2 Cor.5:17) and have embraced the message of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18, Jn. 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:15a)
- Christ died & rose to give us salvation as well as enablement to live for Him all days of our lives.
- To live for Christ is to die to selfishness in order to selflessly live for Christ.
- 1 Peter 4:2- so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
We shall be examining the divine instruction for believers in this passage as follows:
- Live not for yourself
- Learning to live for Christ
- Approach to living for Christ
Live not for yourself
- Living for self is characterised with selfishness, self-centeredness.
- Living to either sinful self, or righteous self (Luke 18:10-12; Gal.1:10)
- Living unto oneself also include: living to lusts and worldliness. (Titus 3:3; 1 Jn. 2:15-16)
- Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world-I John 2:15-16 NKJV
Seeking your own ease and satisfaction (Matt. 6:19-21)
Promoting your own interest (Phil.2:3-4,21; 2 Tim. 3:4)
- Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus-Philippians 2:3-4, 21
Seeking pleasure and worldly gain, ( Isa. 5:11-13; Prov.21:17; Luke 8:14)
- Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them! The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor consider the operation of His hands-Isaiah 5:11-12
Having reputation as the controlling principle of their lives- Prov. 30:12, 20:6; Matt.5:20,6:5; Mark 11:25;
God is saying the time to put off such life is now, it is not compatible with new way of living. Such practices must henceforth stop
- B. Living for Christ- Rom.6: 9-11
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord-Romans 6:10-11; Galatians 2:20-I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me
To live for Christ is the opposite of living unto ourselves.
This form of life seek to honor the Lord firstly and always (Matt.6:33,10:38-39; Exo. 20:3)
Honour God with everything you own; give him the first and the best(MSG)
To love God absolutely ( Matt. 22:37-38);
- Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment-Matthew 22:37-38 To acknowledge and accept that we belong to Him; that all our time and talents; all our strength of intellect and body; all the avails of our skill and toil, all belong to him, and should be employed in his service for impacting the world (Col.3:17).
- And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him-Coloss. 3:17
Philippians 1:21: For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
C. Approach to living for Christ
- Possessing the mind of Christ
Philippians 2:5 says _”Let this mind be with you which was also in Christ Jesus”_
When we carry the mind of Christ, we reason the way of Jesus. And it reflects in our everyday life and in every where
we found ourselves: in the market, neighborhood, Church, homes, workplace, shopping malls, on the road, in the street, on the wheel etc. Christ must reflect in our lives. We must live for Jesus and through that impact our world daily.
Submitting and obeying the master
Such believer is bound to go where his master chooses; to execute the task which He assigns; to deny himself at his master’s will; and to come and lay the avails of all his toil and skill at his master’s feet.(Eph. 6:5 Prov.19:21).
- Seeking to bring glory to His name: Psalm 29:2
As children of God, in all you do, you reverence God as the owner and the giver of all grace and gifts. The glory of God alone is reveal in all opportunity you have to shine.
For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?-1 Cor.4:7
- Conclusion
Let’s conclude with this hymn:
I Live for Jesus I live for Jesus, day after day
- I live for Jesus, O Come what may The Holy Spirit, I will obey I live for Jesus, day after day