I Travail in Birth Again Until Christ Be Formed in You
The sermon emphasizes the importance of Christ being formed in us, transforming us into His glory, and living the Christ life.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the profound transformation that occurs when we are born again, highlighting the importance of Christ being formed within us. He reflects on the significance of becoming incarnations of the living Christ, which embodies the essence of Christianity. Simpson draws from Paul's prayer for the Galatians, expressing his deep desire for believers to experience this spiritual birth and transformation. He envisions a future where believers will be fully transfigured into Christ's glory, living not for themselves but for Christ. Ultimately, he calls for Christians to manifest the life of Christ in their daily existence, shining His light in the world.
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It is a blessed moment when we are born again and a new heart is created in us after the image of God. It is a more blessed moment when, in this new heart, Christ Himself is born and Christmas time is reproduced in us as we, in some real sense, become incarnations of the living Christ. This is the deepest and holiest meaning of Christianity. It is expressed in Paul's prayer for the Galatians. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
There will yet be a more glorious era when we, like Him, shall be transformed and transfigured into His glory, and in the resurrection shall be, in spirit, soul and body, even as He.
Let us be, under the power of the inspiring thought, incarnations of Christ, not living our life, but the Christ life, and showing forth the excellencies, not of ourselves, but of Him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. As a result our lives shall be to all the reliving of the Christ life, as He would have lived it had He been here.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Blessed Moment of Spiritual Birth
- A. The creation of a new heart in us after the image of God
- B. The reproduction of Christmas time in us as we become incarnations of the living Christ
- II. The Deeper Meaning of Christianity
- A. The birth of Christ in our hearts
- B. The transformation and transfiguration into His glory
- III. Living the Christ Life
- A. Being under the power of the inspiring thought
- B. Showing forth the excellencies of Christ
- C. Reliving the Christ life as He would have lived it
Key Quotes
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” — A.B. Simpson
“Let us be, under the power of the inspiring thought, incarnations of Christ, not living our life, but the Christ life, and showing forth the excellencies, not of ourselves, but of Him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” — A.B. Simpson
“As a result our lives shall be to all the reliving of the Christ life, as He would have lived it had He been here.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We should strive to become incarnations of Christ, living the Christ life and showing forth His excellencies.
- Through the power of the inspiring thought, we can be transformed and transfigured into His glory.
- Our lives should be a reliving of the Christ life, as He would have lived it had He been here.