The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-03-05


to become an expression Of the righteous
law of God. And Paul by speaking of
being crucified with Christ and of ris-
ing with Him from the dead, is reveal
ing the way In which that condition may
be realized. Crucified with Christ. Dy-
ing with Him. What does 1t mean?
Christ living in the believer. That life
life of faith. Surely here is Christian
experience which Is not common, and
yet an experience which every disciple
Of Jesus should desire and seek after.
Jesus wants and expects His followers to
reckon themselves dead unto sin, and
alive unto God in Christ Jesus"
1T is second experience generally
l of the Christian to realize that he
Is dead to sin and alive to God in
Christ Jesus. The first experience
comes at conversion, when, like Bun
vans Christian. we come to the cross
and the awful burden of sin which we
have been carrying about rolls from
our shoulders and disappears in the
open grave before the cross. and we
realize that Jesus blood has cleanscd
us from all sin. But then comes the
battle with sin. AS with Christian,
we 60 out on our way rejoicing. light
hearted and free, and forgetful almost
that we have ever sinned or can ever
sin again. And Satan lets us alone
for time, and we begin to think
that we have rid ourselves of him for
hut mil nf
souls is only waiting until the first
joys of the Christian experience have
worn away, and the desires and appe-
tites of the old man. the flesh. have be-
gun to cry again for recognition and
| indulgence. Then he comes with his
allurements and temptations. aud
draws the Christian away into sin. Then
come doubts and fears and distress of
soul. We have gotten into the hilly
country of the Christian life. 1t is up
and down. In sin to-day. Repent
ance, and confession and forgiveness
tomorrow. And so it goes. Satan
having dominion over as. Sin having
conscious claim upon us. The flesh
constantly having victory over us. But
this is not what Jesus intended should
be the experience of the Christian. lie
came to give complete deliverance from
sin, but that can be realized only as
the soul comes to understand that he
! Is dead to sin. and risen with Christ
into newness of life. When he De-
gins to understand this marvellous and
glorious truth, and. understanding II.
! gives it practical expression in his life.
then he begins to know what 1t Is 20
cruelty the flesh. with the appetites
and lusts. and to feel that sin and
Satan no longer have dominion over
him.
THIS second Christian experience, this
/ realizing not only that Jesus has
died for our sin but that we have died
with Him and have risen with Him,
marks the life of victory and blessing.
Crucified with Christ. On the cross with
Christ. All, Christian! do you realize
what it was that put your Lord on that
cross? Somehow you have gotten beyond
the cross You realize that Jesus died on
the cross to save you, but now that you
are saved, you think of the cross and
Jesus dying on the cross In connection
with the unsaved and sinful world. But
let us go back and look, with tear-dimmed
e-e and humble heart, upon that cross
and as we contemplate 1t let us try to
understand its deeper meaning. Let us
forget all about the sinful world. Let
rs stand alone before that cross. 1t was
my sin that put the Christ upon that
cross. II was my sin which He bore upon
that cross. My guilty soul was on that
cross with Christ. II 1t we're not SO how
can l hope or expect that my sin has
been atoned for? II there was any par.
ticle of sin not on the cross with Christ
then was 1t not atoned for. But 1t wal
all there. Christ became sin for us
Our sin was with Him on the cross
Crucified with Christ. Then my, guilty
sinful. lost self was on the cross with
Christ. It must be there, II am to hays
hone in the sacrifice which He Their,
, made for s.n. And II was there, II
see MY Gin there on the cross, what doe.
| IL mean? 1t means that death has com,
to me on the sin side. Am going t
claim salvation because OF the sacrific,
which Jesus made on the cross and theI
take my sinful flesh back again and full
, fill the lusts thereof? No. in Christ
died to sin on the cross. and II dead, hov
: dare 1 live as though were still aliv,
.. to sin? "They that are Of Christ. hav'
, crucified the passions and the lust
thereof" The fact that we belong t
, Christ declares that as sinners we hav'
been on the cross with Christ; that w
are dead on the sinward side. That 4
,, the fact in theory, and then comes tn,
,, practical working out of that theory Il
the life. A realizing In actual expert
Il ence, that which we know to be tn
theoretical fact!
! 1T IS as though Paul were holding VI
before our eyes an ideal, q pattern
He,says: Here you are, Christian. o.
! the cross with Christ. Dead to sin
, Risen with Him. Alive to God. Look a
, yourself. Sin no longer to have an,
claim upon you. You are dead rs far a
/ sin goes. You are only alive towar
God" And having seen the pattern
|, having realized that we are crucifie