Is Christ Born in Us?
The sermon emphasizes the importance of Christ being born in our hearts, rather than just his birth in Bethlehem, for us to experience true salvation.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the transformative power of Christ living within us, emphasizing the importance of Christ being born in our hearts for true fulfillment and hope of glory. The essence of the Gospel is not just knowing what Christ has done for us externally, but allowing Christ to be formed inwardly in our hearts, leading us from the temporal to the eternal. Tileston encourages nurturing the desire for God in our souls as a divine calling that will guide us to the birth of Jesus within our own beings, bringing light to our inner darkness.
Text
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me
GALATIANS 2:20
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
COLOSSIANS 1:27
THOUGH Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born,
If He's not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn.
JOHANN SCHEMES
THE great mystery of the Gospel does not lie in Christ without us only (though we must know also what He has done for us); but the very pith and kernel of it consists in Christ inwardly formed in our hearts.
RALPH CUDWORTH
When therefore the first spark of a desire after God arises in thy soul, cherish it with all thy care, give all thy heart into it; it is nothing less than a touch of the divine loadstone, that is to draw thee out of the vanity of time, into the riches of eternity. Get up therefore, and follow it as gladly as the wise men of the east followed the star from heaven that appeared to them. It will do for thee as the star did for them, it will lead thee to the birth of Jesus, not in a stable at Bethlehem in Judea, but to the birth of Jesus in the dark centre of thine own soul.
WILLIAM LAW
Sermon Outline
- The Mystery of Christ's Birth
- The Importance of Christ's Inward Birth
- Following the Spark of Desire
- When we feel a desire for God, we must cherish it
- This desire is a touch of the divine loadstone that draws us to God
Key Quotes
“Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, If He's not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“When therefore the first spark of a desire after God arises in thy soul, cherish it with all thy care, give all thy heart into it;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“It will do for thee as the star did for them, it will lead thee to the birth of Jesus, not in a stable at Bethlehem in Judea, but to the birth of Jesus in the dark centre of thine own soul.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We must cherish and follow our desire for God with all our heart.
- Christ's birth in our hearts is the key to our salvation.
- We must not focus solely on Christ's birth in Bethlehem, but also on his birth in our hearts.