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 WHAT
PAUL SAID TO THE ROMANS is my bite-size, direct statement digest
of that important letter. Introduction and Ch. 1-5 were
published in Plain Talk, Vol. 14, No. 3. We continue from
chapter 6 in this issue. RFT
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Should
this make us less concerned about sin in our daily lives? No
indeed'. True Christians are dead to sin in intent and purpose.
Christ gave His life, was buried, and was resurrected to live
unto God. When we were baptized into Christ we declared our old
manner of life to be dead and buried. Shall a "dead"
man continue to be active? Having rejected our old manner of
life, we must carry out our intent to live unto God.
We
are no longer under the curse of a system of law, so that a
single sin condemns us. That bondage has been removed through
Christ's death and the forgiveness it made possible. But we can
still bind ourselves in a life of sin. You once yielded your
members unto sin, and grew worse and worse. Now exert that same
free agency to serve righteousness, and grow more holy, living
unto God. By sinning you earn eternal death; but serve
righteousness, and God sill give you eternal life through
Christ.
You
see, it was not the law that was to blame for our former
condition; it was our sinful conduct. Our former manner of
living was to give in to appetites of the flesh. We were bound,
as if by marriage, to this "old man." But we (i.e.,
our "old man" of the flesh) died (when we died
figuratively in
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baptism); so that now we (our "new
man" of the spirit) are free to be married to a new and
better life. Being joined to Christ we can, like Him, bring
forth fruit to God.
However,
it would be a mistake to think that the flesh no longer has
sinful appetites, or that man's spirit (apart from forgiveness
in Christ) could prevail. (I, myself, must struggle to keep my
body in subjection to my will; nor do I consider myself to have
attained unto the perfection in Christ toward which strive.) I
sometimes do what I know (deep inside) I should not do. I do net
always live up to the high standards I know to be right, and
wish to follow. My spirit strives for a better life, but my
flesh is weak. I am torn by this inner struggle. If I had only
law and my own conduct for my hope, I would be most miserable.
But I do not trust in my own strength. My spirit is so given to
Christ that I can trust slim.
Remember
what I said about serving God from the heart or spirit of man?
Law alone brings only deep despair; not because the law is weak,
but because man is weak. But when Christ died as an offering for
sin, so that God can justly forgive, He made it possible for
those who sincerely trust and strive to serve Him, to attain
unto rightwiseness before God. Yes, God sees the heart. To be
carnally minded is death, now as ever. But through Christ the
spiritually minded have life and peace.
To
be truly spiritually minded one must enthrone the Spirit of God
in one's heart. Such enthronement will be evidenced in the
intent and manner (continued next page)
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