The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-10-20
Death Unto Sin, Life Unto God.
died he died but in that he vet
he liveth unto God Romans vi, 10.

gon of Christ requires the crucxon of the flesh with its
appettes and passions it insists that we say no to socl
tatons to carna SINS that refuse to give rein to these
impulses or indulge them, and that we die to them
And insists too that this denial and death must be the
rule in the higher part of nature aso in the domain OF
the intellect and the Affections Christianity demands that
evil dispositions and affections malice, envy-that
these be cnt off with relentless hand the lusts OF
the body every man. hen who shares it, Christianity
means DEATH 1t is also life, life in God and unto God
That is teaches that God all things, through all
things that God is being Of goodness and of love- that
in this world He trying work out the welfare of every
man that He Furnishes men because He loves them and
would save them from their sins. The christian, then IN
his e unto Cod gives evidence to the belief that God
desires and working for the good of every man, bytryng
to do good to all men by aying himself with God IN
working out His plans for the good of all men, So it is
that Christianity at the time and throughout its
extent death and life.
perfect Christian who has lived this earth and so
find in Him this death and this life In the words OF our
text He died unto sn and He liveth unto God Christ
"died unto sn," He had body and mind as other men
have and when tempted and solicited to give indulgence
to them steadastly refused When young just be-
ginning e this world and all its pomp and glory were
placed before Him and offered for His acceptance and ne
turned away When scribe and Pharsee the established
and reputable teachers Of religion whose authority He re-
cognized, demanded of Him that He show sign from
heaven as condition of their acceptance OF Him. Christ
refused to make Of his great powers for selfish ends
When the people who had seen HIS miracles VINO
make Him king, He slipped away from the sight OF men,
Christ throughout His life 'died unto sim" He also
ived unto God loved God believed in God the truth
and goodness of God and determined that in Him
self He should represent to and bring to men the
love and goodness of God In the comprehensive lam
guage of St. Peter, "Christ went about doing good
Death and le then to make up the religion OF Jesus
Christ This death in the flesh, this denying and cutting
off Appetite is therefore, essential part OF the expert
ence of every who attempts to lead the LIE OF
Christ 1t cannot be neglected it cannot be avoided
And this necessity grows out of the nature OF things 1t is
not an arbitrary imposition of God Painful and distress
ing as may be- this death to sin is our only health and
salvation We in the nature of things rule or be
ruled by inclination Christ our Leader and Captain was
not saved from this death to SIM He did not save and
spare Himself from it. More than any man has done, or
ever can do Christ subdued the esh and lived in the
Spirit Do we hesitate follow where Leader has
gone9 We must be conormed His DEATH that we may
be like Him in His life.
But again. why is this death to sin, this cutting off in
clnaton part an essential part have OF the
gospel of Christ Why must say nay to these sohc
ations 1t not that the body impure and unhoy 1t
is not on the ground that all that carna and heshy
SINFUL it is not that there is right and exercise OF
this part of mans being But Christianity demands that
we die to the flesh when to indulge the flesh would impair
being in its integrity we have received it from the
hands of God and therefore, would prevent US from do
ing that work that God designed should do on this
earth for our fellowman Sins of the body hen are sins
because they sesha violation OF the great Prncpe
of love-that which is the very truth of all religion OF all
Christianitv So that Christ died unto SIN once,
not at one moment but for all absolutely without
compromise And it is that must be contormed to
his death.
But in the place. this death to sin is but prepara-
tory to the life unto God 1t is not itself that live 1t
but clearing away the forest which without meaning
and value unless there follow the waving gran and golden
harvest So death to the esh essential as but ne
gatve and destructive and unless there follows lite IN the
Spirit is of little value Suppose that the lite OF Christ
had been only successful resistance to temptation sup
pose that His whole life had been spent away from men in
sotudes in the wilderness in successful conflict with the de-
vi How utterly devoid of power and inspiration would
on earth How would He be stripped of His glory and
beauty that life of abounding love and service tor men,
How negative and barren of all good results to the world
would that life have been So, religion that spending
its whole energies in crucyng the hesh that has never
gotten beyond this inatory stage, weak and barren
Now what is the character of Christianity as we see 1t
about us today? AS consider the gospel of Christ as
thew strive to realize within themselves its teaching, what
is most prominent? Is it not that Christianity means not
to do certain things to refrain from certain actions May
not the watchword of Christianity for most men be eX
pressed by the word "Dont' Yet, is not such Christ
anity undeveoped in its very beginning lhe watch
word of the gospel in part is "dont but over vastly
wider sphere its true motto is "do. Now ''dont repre-
sents an essential part and side of religion yet when
Christianity contents itself with fulfilling that you have
puritansm hard and unovey, utterly lacking IN rounded
truth and beauty 1t is sunted it fulhls the command
"don't" it forgets the command 'do-the life of love
and service Such Christianity presents absence OF
oh. cd tho cont tact