Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-03-02

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A Christ! The old
~ self dead! Risen
IA with Christ (as
Paul expresses 1t
n in Col. SD. A new
~ life begun, What
IA is Paul talking
4 EGO about? What ex-
:,E8<RlfSas:s travagantlanguage
,WffES,E is this which he is
Is-T using? Is he tell
o.. ing OF an expert
ence which is pc
culiarly his own, which was meant for
him and him alone, or is he talking
about something which should charac-
terize the life of every Christian? Is he
referring to an extreme and unreal and
rare expression of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. or is he revealing the very heart
OF that Gospel, and making clear and
pam the full and deep meaning of
Christs saving and Quickening and
Keeping power? II the former then our
text, while giving an intensely interest
Ing glimpse of Paul's Christian expert
ence, has no direct bearing upon the
lives of the disciples OF Jesus, but If the
latter, the revelation of the Gospel to
Peui, and through Paul's experiences, is
@ wal Importance to every Christian
Ttat Paul did have experiences which
Were peculiarly his own, and for him
alone, is certain, for he tells in the
twelfth chapter Of III Corinthians Of be-
ing caught up into Paradise, and hear
ing unspeakable words, which it is not
lawful for man to utter" but that this
experience Of which he tells in our text
was not one Of them is clear as we com
pare Scripture with Scripture. In this
same letter to the Galatians, in the fifth
chapter, Paul declares that they that
are OF Christ Jesus have crucified the
hesh.' And in the sixth chapter of
Romans he dwells with great fullness
upon the fact that the believer is united
with Jesus in the likeness OF His death"
that our old man was crucifed with
Him, that the body of sin might be done
away and that If we died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with
Him For the death that Christ died,
He died unto sin once; but the life that
He liveth. He liveth unto God. Even
so, Paul goes on to emphasize, reckon
ye yourselves to be dead unto sin, but
alive unto God in Christ Jesus"
w HAT Paul declares then in our
w text, every Christian may say and
should be able to say. Not Paul alone
Crucifed with Christ. but every believer
crucified with Him. Not Paul alone risen
with Christ. but every disciple of Jesus
feeling the power of the resurrection life
That is, theoretically every believer is
crucifed with Christ. and is risen with
Him, but eXperimentally that fact has
been realized by but comparatively few.
Similarly, it is a fact that that Jesus
has made atOnement for the sin Of the
whole world. Theoretically every bit
OF sin in the world was put upon Christ
when He hung upon the cross. but ex-
perimentally the world has not come
into realization of that fact During
the war many death warrant was can
celed by President Lincoln, and the
messenger started off post haste to car
ry the news of the deliverance. and al
though it was hours or perhaps even
days before the bearer of the pardou
could reach the place where the soldier
awaited execution. and make known to
him his deiyerance, from the moment
the stroke Of Mr. Lincoln's pen made
the pardon effective he was free man.
The pardon did not date from the mo-
ment of its reaching the condemned pris-
oner, but from the time that it came
fresh and effective from the hand Of the
president. Long before he realized il
the prisoner was a free man And the
world. though it realizes fl not. has had
its pardon signed in the blood OF Jesus
Christ long long ago back there on
Calvary II is a fact that the sin of ALI
the world has been atoned for. but n is
sadly true that the news of that de-
liverance has not been received or be-
lieved by the world. And Of the Chris
tan, it Is true that he has been cruel
fed with Christ and has risen with Him
but very, very many dear souls. who
know Jesus is their Saviour. have not
realized the relationship which they
sustain TO Him in His death and His
resurrection
DAUL had received the full message
\ and meaning Of the Gospel OF Jesus
Christ He could say: Il have been
crucified with Christ. and it is no longer
that live uuf (sHrfgt Ig,,o4L