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THE KING’S BUSINESS
seat of an inciter to sin (1 Cor. 9 :27 Rom. 6:12, 13) “might be done away.” The English words “be done away” do not give the force of the Greek word. A more accurate rendering would be “might be rendered inoperative.” (cf. Rom. 8:13). In this way (i. e. by the crucifixion of the-old man in the crucifixion of Christ and the consequent rendering inoperative of the body of sin) and in this way alone, we are set free from the bondage of sin, and there fore of course will not “continue in sin.” It is clear from this teaching that abso lute deliverance from sin’s pondage is pos sible to each of us. When one dies to sin by having a part in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, sin no longer has any claim whatever upon him. As he is entirely set free from its guilt, he may also be set free Paul now passes on to the more import ant practical every-day conclusions from the great doctrine that •we are identified with Jesus Christ in His death and resur rection. As Ore were identified with Christ in His death, we shall also be made par takers in His resurrection. This has to do not merely with our present spiritual res urrection, to “walk in newness of life,” but also to our future physical* resurrec tion. Christ’s death unto sin was “once for all” (See R. V. Margin), it does not need to be repeated, “it is finished.” (cf. John 19:30;) Hteb.- 10:12). And the life that Christ now liveth “He liveth unto God.” In the same manner we should reckon our selves “to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.” We should reckon ourselves so because that is what we really are. Every believer died in Christ, died unto sin; but many believers do not' know this, their real position; and so as far as their experience goes, they go on thinking that sin has a claim upon us and that we must serve it. But when we, by simple faith, take God’s word about it, that in our own experience sin loses its power over us, and we live unto God. The great need from its power. Tuesday, July 3 . Rom. 6:8rii.
of men and women today is that they helieve in Christ, that they look at Him oh the cross, that you see yourself to be dead unto sin.” So when sin approaches you may say to it, “I am dead to you, I died to you more than eighteen hundred years ago on the cross,” and say to God, “I am alive unto thee.” This is the path of victory over sin. Of course this is all “in Christ Jesus.” Wednesday, July 4 . Rom. 6 : 12 - 14 . Here we have the practical conclusion of Paul’s argument, and that conclusion is, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body.” How can sin reign in my mortal body if I died to it? • But it will reign unless I reckon myself dead unto it, and so refuse to let it reign. And now Paul becomes more definite and practical still about the way of victory. What is the way of victory? Three plain and simple steps are here set forth by Paul: (1) “Do not present your members (that is, your hands, feet, eyes,, ears, tongue, etc.) unto sin as instru ments of unrighteousness.” The way men fall into sin is by presenting their hands or ears or some other member of their body to sin for sin’s use. (2) “Present yourselves unto God.” The only way to keep from presenting our members unto sin is to present ourselves unto God. This is a very simple statement that Paul makes here, but the whole secret of a true and happy life is found in it. Go to God and deliberately, intelligently, thoughtfully, earnestly present yourself, your whole self, to God. He will accept and keep what you thus present (2 Tim. 1:12). The only ground on which we can do it is the ground that we died with Christ, and now in Him are “alive from the dead.” (3) Each day “present your members (all of them) hs instruments of righteousness unto God.” Paul closes this section with the confident and triumphant assurance, “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under law, but under grace.” If we were under law sin would have dominion over us„ for the law would be “weak through the
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