Let the Lord Jesus Christ Be in Control (Rom 15:14)
Perhaps one of my favorite songs comes from the pen of Eliza Hewitt who wrote:
"More about Jesus would I know. More of His grace to others show. More of His saving fulness see. More of His love who died for me.
More about Jesus let me learn. More of His holy will discern. Spirit of God, my teacher be. Showing the things of Christ to me.
More about Jesus in His Word. Holding communion with my Lord. Hearing His voice in every line. Making each faithful saying mine."
Only when we are so filled with the Lord Jesus Christ’s power, perspective and presence are we able to overcome the lusts of the flesh that corrupt, destroy and disqualify so many from usefulness. Recently, Terrill Owens, of the Philadelphia Eagles was disqualified from service. He could not control his own egocentric desires, anger and selfish interests for the good of his team and was suspended for the entire season. Too many believers are being put out of the game of life because they are unable to conquer their own desires by allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to control their mind, will and emotions. The following nine aspects of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ has saved me from many self-destructive tendencies and I hope they will help you:
Paul wrote the words, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the flesh to fulfill its lusts." (Rom 15:14)In the new living translation is comes across with greater clarity. "But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you and do not think of ways to indulge your evil desires." (Rom 15:14)
Paul uses several key descriptions of the authority, function and perspective that exude out of the Lord Jesus Christ that enable us to overcome our fleshly tendencies to sin.
1. Lord - DIRECTOR - Jesus is our Master who alone has the right to determine the course of our decisions. We are told in Prov. 3:5-7 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." A director is someone who controls and governs the movements of a person to do a certain thing. A director has the right to give orders to everyone under His control. He has the right to send us where He wants us to go, to determine what is the best role for us to play and to describe the words we are to speak. A director even gives indications how we should deliver our message to others. A director has the master plan of instruction for our lives enabling Him to supervise our actions, attitudes and interactions. We must constantly look to the director for directions or we will receive the signals to chart our course aright. The director has the capacity to manage our affairs in a way that maximizes our outcome. Apart from the director we will find ourselves failing to play the part that we are assigned and be written out of the script of life.
2. Jesus - DELIVERER - Jesus is the one who not only saves us from our past sins, but also our present sins and our future temptations to stray from His will. Jesus is the one who delivers us from the evil that is in the world, the flesh and the devil. He taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." We need Jesus to deliver us from discouragement, sorrow and critical attitudes that often drag us in to a cycle of sadness.
3. Christ - DOMINION - Christ is our Messiah and King. He alone has the sovereign control over all the affairs of everything. Paul wrote, "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things." (Rom 11:33-36)Let us give Him His right to do whatever He desires with our mind, our bodies and our emotions. He is the omnipotent one who is able to do exceedingly abundant beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works mightily within us. (Eph. 3:20) He is able to keep that which we commit to Him against the day of our heavenly calling home. (2 Tim 1:12) Nothing is too difficult for Him as His is the kingdom (King’s domain) He controls all things, owns all things and He is the judge of everyone. Apart from Him we can do nothing. The one who has dominion is the controller of all people, territory and powers. He wants us to fight the good fight of faith by being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. He is the governor of all life, liberty and events so we do not have to fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea. As He is our refuge and strength a very present help in the time of trouble. (Psa 46:1-3)His power, dominion and sovereign abilities are greater than all our problems, predicaments or pressures.
4. DELIGHT - David wrote, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Trust also in Him and He will bring things to pass." (Psa 37:3-5) Let us delight in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, friend and fulfiller of all our wholesome desires. He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with what is good.
5. DEPOSITOR OF BLESSINGS - Paul wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Eph. 1:3) Let us praise God for the abundant blessings we have in Christ and thank Him for each one. Count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. When we forget to praise and thank God for HIs blessings, we are often tending to try to fill our desires with the lusts of the flesh. But when we are so satisfied with the Lord Jesus Christ and His blessings, benefits and bounty, everything else in life seems pale in comparison.
6. DESIGNS - Let the Lord Jesus Christ give you the outline of what He wants you to become in your thinking, attitude and actions. He knows the best design for your perspective, performance and productivity. Let Him deterine what is successful instead of looking to your peers for what is popular or appealing at the time. His designs are always fashionable as they give one a beauty that is unfading and is also pleasing to the Father.
7. DEMONSTRATOR - Paul wrote, "For God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8) The Lord Jesus Christ gave us a perfect demonstration of how He wants us to live a life of sacrificial love for others. When we are giving to others in service we find happiness, contentment and fulfillment in life that lifts us above the selfish emptiness of the majority of humanity. John wrote, "The one who says He abides in Him ought to walk in a manner in which He Himself once walked." (I John 2:6) The best way you can know the will of God for your life is to be, think and act like the Lord Jesus Christ. His example is perfect.
"May the mind of Christ my Savior. Live in me from day to day. By His love and power controlling all I do and say."
May the love of God my Father rule my life in everything. So that all may see I triumph. Only through His power."
8. DISCIPLINE ENABLER - Some of us may think we lack the discipline to overcome our lusts. However, Paul wrote, "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline." (2 Tim 1:7) The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness for it is profitable not only in the this life but also in the age to come." (I Tim 4:7,8) Allow the Lord to help develop in you the devotional disciplines to spend time in the word and prayer daily so you can instill the spiritual disciplines to instill the proper spiritual empowering to accomplish all that the Lord wants you to be, do and say. We cannot expect people to overcome their lust with their own self-discipline abilities. We have to allow the Spirit of God to instill in us the supernatural strength, training and self-control to make the right decisions to be more sanctified, holy and set apart from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. (I John 2:15,16)
9. DISQUALIFIER - The Lord Jesus Christ has the power and right and ability to disqualify us from service if we do not give Him control of our desires. Fear the Lord you His saints, for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come my children and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psa 34) Remember that the Lord Jesus has the ability to relegate us to unemployment, insignificance and on to the shelf of life if we do not let Him control our lives. He chastens us to make us more godly so do not despise the discipline of the Lord. (Heb 12) We know that many are being disqualified because they allow the lusts of the flesh to overcome them instead of being an overcomer. Let us run with temperance the race that is set before us so that we are not disqualified and set aside by the Lord Jesus Christ.
To help understand “The Christ Driven Life” here is an acronym to study and meditate upon. Using the expression, “CHRIST IN ME”, which is the Christ Driven Life.
1. C: Conformed to Christ - Every aspect of life is to reflect Christ
2. H: Heart of Christ - Christians are commanded to have the mind and heart of Christ
3. R: Renewed in Christ – The old has gone the new has come. You are a new creation
4. I: Integrity of Christ – No hypocrisy and deceptiveness.
5. S: Sanctified by the Holy Spirit – We are continuously being cleansed and purified by the Holy Spirit
6. T: Thankful to Christ – Live a life of daily praise and thankfulness
7. I: Invest your life in and for Christ – This world is not your home. You are owned by Christ
8. N: Nourished by the Holy Spirit – Daily renewal is necessary for living the Christ driven life
9. M: Motivated by the love for Christ and reverence for God in everything
10. E: Empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Christ driven in all things
