June 30
“For the death that He died He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so, consider [or reckon] yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:10-11)
Today we will finish discussing the means which God has provided for overcoming our old nature, the cross of Jesus, and will complete for now our Green Letters quotes.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST – GOD’S WAY (Continued)
Marcus Rainford: “It is not to be a mere passing impression of the mind when we are undisturbed by active temptation; no mere happy frame of spirit when under temporary refreshing from the presence of the Lord; no self-flattering consciousness of a heart exercised in good works; from none of these is the believer to infer his practical mastery over sin, but on the ground that Jesus died unto sin, and liveth unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“I must recognize that the enemy within the camp – the flesh, the old nature, self, I, the old Adam – is a usurper. By faith I must reckon him to be in the place God put him – crucified with Christ. I must realize that now my life is hid with Christ in God; that He is my life” (Ian Thomas). (pp. 51-52)
What did you think of this teaching related to our position in Christ, the fact that our old self was crucified with Him and the crucial importance of our continual reckoning or considering it to be so in order to be victorious in our battle to overcome temptation? This is having a big impact for me and is of great help, as I am currently struggling with temptations that I thought I had mastered, and I have not dwelt on these foundational principles and put the emphasis on them as these authors do. I have only recently read this book, and how glad I am that a friend gave it to me years ago. I am only sorry that it sat on my self unread for so long.
I do believe these authors are on the right track to principles of crucial importance, so important in fact that it could be that this principle is as important or perhaps more important than any of the other overcoming temptation principles! We do well to study this and gain a mastery over this principle more so perhaps than the others. Let us give much thought and prayer to these lessons and review them over and over again, meditating on the cross and our crucifixion with Christ as God’s way of rending our old natures inoperative, and subsequently our chief way of achieving victory on a daily basis.
May God give each of us new eyes to see the cross as more than the place where the blood of Christ was spilled for our forgiveness of sins, but also the place where our old natures were put to death so that we can walk in daily victory over sin!