From Darkness to Light: The Transformative Power of Christ

The unfruitful works of darkness that poor men who spends his money on drink and drinks it what's he doing he's undermining his health he's knocking out his own higher Powers his most delicate and most sensitive qualities he's reducing himself to the level of a beast he's inflaming all his passions within him and he wakes up the next morning ill it's unfruitful it's of no value to anybody at all it's vile it's foul and it's not only is true of something like drink it's true of everything else which characterizes this life of darkness which men and women apart from God and Christ are living in some shape or form. [00:20:05]

The darkness is not only outside us but it's inside us I know if the darkness were only outside will bring certain powerful Ark lamps develop some sort of search light and you'll dispel the Gloom up to a point I know where I'm going in that car because I've got a great headlight yes but you know when you realize that the darkness is inside you as well as outside you you realize that that external light is not enough and the Darkness is within where well it's in the heart not it's in a man's nature the trouble with us is not that we are absolutely pure but that that we become polluted by the darkness of the world. [00:23:04]

There is something within us stronger than our minds and reason and logic it's what the Bible calls lust even your modern psychologists believe in this they call them drives now certain great drives lusts and passions and desires deep Elemental forces down in the depths of Fallen human nature governing us controlling us manifesting itself not only physically in the form of sex and drunkenness and lust and desire in that sense but in terrible lusts of the mind which are equally bad there's nothing more ugly in the world than ambition it's the ugliest of all lusts in many ways. [00:25:09]

This dualism this contradiction the Mind sees clearly reason speaks and yet a man goes and does the other thing what is it oh it's a law in my members he says I'm brought captive oh Wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me I'm not in control of myself and you know this is the truth about every one of us when we rarely get to know ourselves not a n of us not a woman present can really exercise complete self-control not one of us there is sin within us there is evil there is Passion there is lust there is a power within us greater than ourselves and we are helpless slaves and captives. [00:27:24]

Education is an excellent thing but it doesn't help you here you can be the most educated men in the country and be dissolute and immoral and the creature of your own lusts and passions there are many such tonight alas I'm not being unfair to them it's true of Everybody by giving a man knowledge you can't help him he knows himself that the thing that he's doing is wrong he'll feel remorse tomorrow morning his headache will tell him that he's wrong his shame will tell him that he's wrong be he goes and does it it isn't education he needs he already knows it's power he needs and he hasn't got it and education can't give it him. [00:30:37]

What does a man need well he needs forgiveness but he doesn't only need forgiveness what does he need he needs what Christ Alone can give him what does he give us how is he the light of the world at this point ah says somebody it's his teaching I always thought it's wonderful Sermon on the Mount that's what people need Social Gospel Sermon on the Mount teach them how to live then they'll stop war and this and that teaching of Christ only rubbish and nonsense how can a man carry out the teaching of Christ Christ in his own strength if he can't live up to his own C and to his own Endeavors how can he keep The Sermon on the Mount. [00:35:28]

He that followeth me he say shall not walk in darkness well why not oh he says for this reason but shall have the light of Life what an interesting expression the light of life not merely a light shining outside but a light that gives me life and the life that gives me more light it's the light of life this is the most glorious expression in many ways in the whole of the scripture what does he do how is he the light for us at this point well I say thank God it isn't by shining a light outside me it's by putting a light inside me it's by giving me life this is the great message of this Christian Gospel. [00:38:01]

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord what does this mean oh I do pray that I may be given the power and the force of the spirit to put this clearly to you this evening am I speaking to somebody who's feeling utterly and completely hopeless about himself or herself am I speaking to somebody who says you know all you've said is right I could have said it much better than you I'm a living instance of it I know exactly what you mean I've got no willpower left I've tried I've my resolutions I've got wife and children pleading with me but I can't. [00:38:58]

The message of this gospel is not that a light is put before for you or a beam of light looking at some great cord which you've now got to rise up and raise yourself up by your boot strings in order that you may live it and practice it no no it isn't imitating Christ he says he that followeth me you say I know but listen he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness he shall have it'll be given to him what will be given to him the light of Life what is this well it's this it is something that God does to you it is something that God does in your soul in the very depths of your being. [00:39:55]

The essence of this gospel is to say this that what matters is not what we do but what God does to us that is the central message of this gospel it's the gift of God by Grace received through faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God the whole and this is the glory and this is why one is so moved by it and this is why I say I am holding before you the only light in the world tonight it is not what men can do because he cannot it is what God can it is what God has done it is what God has done when he sent his only begotten son into this world. [00:41:30]

When God does this to you he'll take you out of that Dominion he'll put you into his Dominion dead to sin dead to the law no longer under the rule and Reign and Dominion of Satan translated out of his kingdom into the kingdom of his dear son there is power power wonderwork power in the Precious Blood of the Lamb he sets the prisoner free these are not words these are facts this is what you see happening in the New Testament this is the testimony of the church and her Saints throughout the centuries men who were steeped in sin in the dreads and depths of degradation would lost their willpower their self-respect lost everything under the power of this gospel. [00:47:26]

He'll put his own Spirit into you the spirit that was in Jesus Christ when he lived in this world when he lived that sinless spotless life do you know that very spirit is put into US The Same Spirit comes to dwell within us so that we are not left alone in this hopelessness and in this Darkness our minds are illuminated by the spirit we have this new understanding he works in US creates new ideas creates new desires gives us a new understanding delivers us from the Tyranny and the bondage of Satan and strengthens our feeble will makes us strong makes us more than conquerors he's in us working mightily within us an energy of God to Deliver Us From The Darkness to set us free to make us clean and to keep us clean. [00:51:47]