am who sinned in the Garden. He thereby has passed that evil virus to all of us as members of the hu man race. Let us purpose anew and afresh each day in our hearts to go with the goals of Paul as he pur posed in his life to live only and always with Jesus Christ having the pre-eminence. Every believer must be very care ful about the problem of sin in his own life. It is always easier to note a besetting transgression in someone else than it is to see wickedness in our own hearts. How easy it is to allow discontentment, unthankfulness, envy, jealousy, pride, criticism, laziness, coward ice, dishonesty, gossip and other evil appetites to overcome us. Paul wanted to run his life as a Chris tian race, living above these things so that he could come to know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings so that he could be made conform able unto the Saviour's death. If you have ever tried to dig up a bush or a small tree, you have discovered that there is one par ticular taproot which anchors the plant into the soil. Once that has been severed removal becomes easy. So it is with sin in our lives. There may be something just now which is holding you firmly to this world. Let it be cut loose so that you can be freed to live entirely and absolutely for Jesus Christ. Never forget that just a single be setting sin in your Christian life can bring all spiritual progress to a stand still. Such will mean a fail ure to grow or mature in the Lord. The first time I ever saw the ocean was in the state of Oregon. I am sure I must have felt like the discoverer Balboa when he looked
on the vast Pacific. How tremen dously exhilarating to see such power on every side. On one oc casion I got into a small boat and tried my hand at rowing. I was unable to move it no matter how hard I pulled on the oars for I did not realize that the anchor had been put out. Such can happen in our spiritual experience as well. Seaweed can easily accumulate around the anchor so that we are unable to progress. Around a single sin there may gather a mass of objects and hindrances which will stop completely our spiritual prog ress. This is why we must absolutely lay aside every sin. When the besetting sin is con quered we can be on our way to spiritual victory in Christ. We are running a race as believers toward heaven. We are to move with pa tience trusting the Lord for our every need. How inspiring to think what it will be like when we get to glory having persevered in the battle. Not only have we before us the example of all the noble and illustrious heroes of the faith (He brews 11) but also we have the wonderful pattern of our perfect Saviour Himself. Ask the Holy Spir it, Who desires to do so, to help you today in this pathway of peace and victory. One of the most penetrating questions of life revolves around the desire to know for a certainty what the Lord's will is for our lives. If God has a plan for us, how does He reveal it? Beyond this, too, how can a sinful, finite human being come to know what a holy and infinite Creator desires? These an swers are given to us in Scripture with some practical suggestions for our spiritual growth. In Philippians Page 37
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