The Hand of Life
In order to know life, we must learn death, and this is made possible through God's redemption and our complete dependence on Him.
Miles J. Stanford preaches on the transformative power of knowing Christ and being conformed to His death, emphasizing that true life emerges from death, administered by God's loving hand. He explains how God delivers our old nature to death through Jesus, gradually mortifying it through daily life circumstances until its power over us is broken. Stanford highlights the necessity of learning to die to sin and selfishness in order to truly experience life and redemption, even when faced with trials and challenges that refine and purify us.
Text
"That I may know Him . . being made conformable unto His death " (Philippians 3:10).
The life that emerges from death is administered by a loving, nail-pierced hand.
"As with the seed that is buried once for all, but then disintegrated through a gradual process that sets free the new life, even so does our Father deal with our old nature by delivering it to death with the Lord Jesus once for all, and then bringing about its mortifying in detail through the circumstances of daily life, until the power of the old man has lost its hold on us. " -L.T.
"We are going to have to learn death in order to know life. Redemption must be known first, and the ultimate effect will be death to sin, to selfishness; and all this is very trying. One might be tempted to say, All this trial comes upon me because I have not been redeemed. Not so; it is just because you are redeemed. We may seek to avoid the bitter waters of Marah, but our Father will bring us to them. He intends to break down what is of the old man, and then, in His own good time, He will pour in that which sweetens all.
"But because God has brought me to Himself, He is putting His finger on everything that hinders complete dependence upon Him, or my soul's full enjoyment of Himself. So count it not strange, though it be a fiery trial which is to try you; for the Father will have you drink of the very thing (death) that redeemed you."
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).
Sermon Outline
- I. The Necessity of Death
- A. Death is a means to know life
- B. Redemption must be known first
- C. Death to sin and selfishness is a result of redemption
- II. The Process of Mortifying the Old Nature
- A. God brings us to trials and difficulties
- B. These trials are meant to break down the old man
- C. God's ultimate goal is to pour in His sweetness and bring us full enjoyment of Himself
- III. The Purpose of Trials
- A. Trials are meant to bring us complete dependence on God
- B. Trials are a means of breaking down what hinders our dependence on God
- C. Trials are a result of God's love and redemption
- IV. The Mind of Christ
- A. We are called to have the same mind as Christ Jesus
- B. This mind is one of humility and dependence on God
Key Quotes
“We are going to have to learn death in order to know life.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Redemption must be known first, and the ultimate effect will be death to sin, to selfishness;” — Miles J. Stanford
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must be willing to go through trials and difficulties in order to experience the fullness of God's redemption.
- Our dependence on God is often hindered by our old nature, and God brings us to trials to break down this old man.
- We are called to have the same mind as Christ Jesus, one of humility and dependence on God.