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

ideal condition, that perfect pattern
which we see In Christ But as you turn
from the ideal condition to the real self
with its capacity for sin-the 1esh with
its unholy appetites and lusts, you ex-
claim that it is far from dead. It is very
much alive. and constantly leading me
into the world and the ways of the world.
and you cry, with Paul: "Oh, wretched
man that am, who shall deliver me out
of this body of death?" All, dear child
of God, Jesus knows this. He knows that
in actual experience your flesh with Its
unholy desires is not yet dead. But His
cross has given you deliverance. and you
are to claim yourself dead to sin and
alive to God. You are to hold that ono
condition before your souls vision and
as you do so, to mortify one after another
"your members which are upon the
earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordi-
nate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry." 1t Is
declared that we In time become like the
ideal which we hold before the vision.
The picture. viewed day after day. In
time finds its expression in the life; its
message reads itself into the character.
So it is with this truth of our being on
the cross with Christ in sin, and being
alive with Him to righteousness Hold
that picture constantly before the heart,
and we find the desire stronger to really
and truly cruelty the flesh with its pas
sions and lusts. m
A ND we must be on the cross with
~ Christ before we can be alive with
him. Paul says: 1T Is no longer that
live, but Christ liveth in me-" But no
could not say that until he had told how
he had been crucified with Christ. The
worm cannot become the butterfly until
1t has passed through the death of the
chrysalis state. The worm life mus. die
in order that the butterfly life may be
known. So 1t Is with the Christian He
cannot know the life in Christ until
there has been death In the old man.
And on the cross with Christ Is a
progressive condition. Each day has Its
battles to be fought. Each day brings
some new element of the old mar. the
flesh, to be placed upon the cross and
die In order that the fuller life Of Jesus
may be felt. Here is some sin we are in
dulging, some weakness which we re al
lowing to mar our life, some selfish. or
wrong desire we are gratifying, home-
thing which We know is contrary to
Gods will and purpose for us. What
are we to do with it? Place 1t upon tho
cross with Christ. Reckon 1t to be dead.
with Him, as it really is. And because it
Is dead. have absolutely nothing more to
do with it. Turn from 1t as you would
from dead and purifying body. Tell
yourself over and over again that you
are done with II because it is dead. See
| 1t not as the flesh would view 1t, az at
tractive and desirable thing, but view
| 1t as God does, as vile and unwhole-
some plague spot. Then on the cross
with Christ will mean that on the other
side of that cross will be felt the fuller
life OF His blessed presence. No wonder
SO little of the life and power of Jesus
is felt in the life! How can it be when
the whole life is sad contradiction OF
what the Christian life means! 1t is not
some new and strange doctrine which
we are presenting here. 1t Is the sim
pie but full Gospel. 1t is what Jesus In
tended should be realized in the lives oil
His disciples. On the cross with Jesus
as sinner, that you may know lif,
through Him. On the cross day by day
as this member and that member, thii
sin and that desire, is placed there to die
SO that more of the life Of Jesus may b,
known. Then shall we be able to sa,
with Paul: Il have been crucified will
Christ; and 1t is no longer that live, blu
Christ liveth in me; and that life which
now live in the flesh live In faith. tn,
faith which is in the Son Of God, VIII,
loved me and gave Himself up for me.
THESE terms are harsh and cruel
l Cruelty, mortify. cut of. put away
that is, they seem SO. They refer to ,
painful process, but the rejoicing come
after the operation Is over, even as I
does after the skillful surgeon has 70
moved the diseased member of the body
which has threatened with death tn,
| Whole DOuy. IL ID uoI edBy VI Pled5du
to put self, and its appetites and lust
upon the cross, but when the process is
sues in the Christ life becoming our life
a new and unspeakable Joy fills the soul
Christ our life-think Of 1t. Here Is
mystery of grace. We see types of 1t Il
the garden. The gardener takes tn
graft and cuts and trims away all tina
Is hurtful and unnecessary. He see
that there Is clear, clean, close contac
between the graft and the tree. TIL
weak, bleeding graft was fastened o.
the strong stem. 1t stuck. 1t grew there
In time it grew and fiourished. An
one can almost hear 1t say: II live
nevertheless not l, but the tree livet
in me; and the life nov live in tn
foliage live by faith in the shaft Q
the tree. trust to the tree only; with
out It I can do nothing" Christ GU
life. Risen with Him after the painfu
death of self and sells desires. The onl
way we can know this life is by goin
on the cross with Christ. by going dow
.. into the grave where the old self
buried out of sight Then we may Joy
fully sing: 1T is no longer that liv,
!