ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
Paul says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof' (Rom, 6: 12). The old nature is still there; but if we allow grace and Christ to reign, sin shall never reign over us. Therefore the conse- quences of sin shall not have dominion over us. Paul goes further, and shows us our responsibility in regard to our members. We may yield them to our former master or to Christ-our hands, our feet, our tongues, our very selves. I want you to get the significance of this. When I was reading these verses, I pointed out that the meaning of the word "instrument" is "military arms" or "weapons." Let us not furnish our members as military weapons to the devil. Do you know there are many Christian men and women who do yield their members to the devil to help him fight the Lord Jesus? It is a fearful thing that an unsaved man should yield his members to Satan, but it is worse that a Christian should thus fight against his Lord. If the devil wants to slander a person, he would rather use the tongue of a Christian than that of a sinner. He stands on one side of us and tempts us, saying, "Yield your members to me. and I will use them as military weapons to fight the Lord." But Christ stands on the other side, and pleads, "My child, yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." There is no rea!:on why He should not have that which is His own. He purchased us at a great price. We belong to Him. Does the risen Christ control your life, my Christian friend? Have you yielded all your members to Him? There is a difference in His living in you and in His controlling you. Does he have dominion over every part of your being? When I first came to this country, I knew a family in Oak Park, Illinois. I was a student-pastor, and these people were members of my church. They took an interest in me and asked me to their home. When I first went there, I felt free to enter the living room and dining room, but I did not presume to go anywhere else in the house. I had no liberty to do so. Then one day the man said to me: "Here are the keys to our [Page 103
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