Exchanged Life
The sermon emphasizes the importance of resting on Jesus and fixing our eyes on Him to strengthen our faith and overcome trials.
Charles Simeon preaches on the significance of anamnesis, which involves awakening the mind to guilt before God and realizing the hindrance sin creates in our communion with Him. The Old Covenant focused on remembering sins through sacrifices, while the New Covenant emphasizes remembering our Savior's sacrifice. The Levitical system highlighted the need for constant sacrifices, but the Gospel offers complete remission of sins through Christ. Believers are encouraged to reflect on their sins, deepen their repentance, and increase their vigilance against sin, all while growing in love and gratitude towards their Savior.
Text
"When my agony of soul was at its height a sentence in a letter was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before . . . 'But how do you get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.' As I read I saw it all! 'If we believe not, He abideth faithful.' I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how the joy flowed!) that He had said, 'I will never leave you.' 'Ah, there is rest!' I thought. I'll strive in vain to rest in Him. I'll strive no more. For has He not promised to abide with me--never to leave me, never to fail me? And, He never will!"
How do we get this strength? We get it by fixing our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-3 Amplified Bible reads:
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony of the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance--unnecessary weight--and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher, [bringing it] to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1]. Just think on Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself--reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials--so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.
Sermon Outline
-
The Source of Strength
- Faith in the Faithful One
- Resting on Jesus
-
The Means of Strengthening Faith
- Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
- Looking Away from Distractions
-
The Example of Jesus
- Enduring Opposition and Hostility
- Considering His Example in Our Trials
-
The Result of Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
- Patient Endurance and Steady Persistence
- Running the Appointed Course of the Race
Key Quotes
“'But how do you get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.'” — Hudson Taylor
“'If we believe not, He abideth faithful.'” — Hudson Taylor
“'I will never leave you.'” — Hudson Taylor
Application Points
- We should strive to rest on Jesus and not try to strengthen our faith through our own efforts.
- Fixing our eyes on Jesus and considering His example in our trials can help us develop patient endurance and steady persistence.
- Looking away from distractions and focusing on Jesus is essential for running the appointed course of the race and overcoming opposition and hostility.