ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
question must be faced: Who is going to order and control this new bride? The first husband, the law, says, "I am"; the second Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, says, "I am." Those who say their rule of life is the law put themselves under the old husband. Others say they receive the old husband from Christ. But the fact that we are new creatures in Christ does not give us any more strength in ourselves than we had in our unregenerate state. Christ died so that we might be delivered from the law. He is the Head of the church, and should con- trol the new bride. The Word of the Lord and His command- ments become our rule and standard of life. When I was conducting a Bible conference in Minne- apolis, a man who had not died to the old master came to me, presenting the claims of the law. Then I said to him, "But I am already married." Again he argued, and again I said, "But I am already married." Finally he asked, "What does your being married have to do with this?" And I read to him the first four verses of the seventh chapter of Romans. "You are trying to marry me to the old husband," I said. And this is exactly what every legalist who professes to know Christ is doing. He is a spiritual adulterer. I am glad to know that I am dead to the old husband. My new Husband is not hard to please; and He gives me His all- powerful, in-dwelling Holy Spirit, about whom we shall read in Romans eight, to enable me to do His will. As a result of our union with Christ, "we should bring forth fruit unto God" (verse 4). Here the figure is developed further: Even as children are born of the earthly marriage, so also "when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death" (verse 5). But since we have died to the old hus- band, and are "married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead . . . we should bring forth fruit unto God" (verse 4). If we are ever to bring forth fruit unto God, my friend, it will not be because of law, but because of the risen Christ. Page 118]
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online