The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-15
THE FIGHT OF THE NEW
CREATURE.

The conversion or turning OF even q
decent natural man from life controlled
by seltishn ess to one controlled by
Justice and mercy, is apt to be siren
uous fight. The lower faculties of the
mind, will, continually seek to assert
themselves and to regain their old
control of the life, which will thereafter
be one of discussion and compromise, as
between the higher ideals and the lower
ones. The fight in the case of the more
meanly born natural man is a more
severe one, and generally results in his
dissatisfaction, because the lower quail
tiles of his being are so strong that his
will for righteousness, mercy and gen.
esosity, is usually overridden, his con-
science bruised and dissatisfied. He
cries in his heart, 80 wretched man
that l am! Who shall deliver me from
the power and domination of my body
which is dead in trespasses and sin, III
evil propensities?" There is no relief,
for either of these extremes, nor for the
intermediates, of these natural men who
desire to thoroughly abandon sin and
live righteously, soberly and godly.
little BY little that he gains, even tenn.
porarily, a victory.
The Apostle represents himself in the
condition of this natural man, desiring
Righteousness and unable to attain 1T.
because of his own weaknesses and his
evil environment. and then he gives lis
the key, 90 wretched man that l am:
Who shall deliver me from this dead
body?" He replies, Il thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then
with the mind myself serve the law OF
God; but with the flesh the law of SIN"
(Rom. 1880 The deliverance comes
through jul surrender to Christ, in
harmony with the Apostle PauPs
appeal, 81 beseech you therefore,
We present your bodies living sacrifice
holy, acceptable unto God, which Is
your reasonable service. Rom. 12:l.
1t will be noticed that the Apostle
does not address sinners, but brethren.
They are counted brethren from the
time they turn from sin and accept by
faith Divine forgiveness, through the
merit of Christ's sacrifice. None but
justified believers are thus privileged to
present themselves or to be sacrifices
upon the Lords altar. All by nature
reckonedly purged away through faith
in the redeeming blood can the offering
be accepted.
With the acceptance of the offering OF
the believer came his begetting of the
holy Spirit, as a spiritual son of God and
Joint heir with Jcsus-to heirship in the
Millennial Kingdom, etc. These spirit
begotten ones, called in the Scriptures
"new creatures" have thenceforth a
totally different standing before God.
They are viewed as without sin, because
the weaknesses of the flesh belong to the
old nature, which was sacrificed. The
new creature, begotten of the holy
Spirit, is holy, pure, heavenly. in its
desires and aspirations. 1t feeds upon
the Bread from heaven and is blessed
with the peace of God which passeth all
human understanding. 1t is embryotic,
however, and develops, grows in grace
and knowledge.
RENEWED DAY BY DAY"
Speaking of the conflict, the fight, Of
these New Creatures, the Apostle
indicates that it is chiefly with their own
flesh The new mind, the new will. is
begotten in the old frame or body and
needs a reorganization of the govern
ment of the man. by which his rule Of
life is not only taken from the baser
faculties to the higher ones, as when he
was justified through faith and turned
from sin, but it means much more. 1t
means the placing OF the control OUTSIDE
of himself cntirely-the acceptance of
Christ as his Head, as we'll as his Re-
deemer. Henceforth for him to live is
Christ: as a member of the Body of
Christ This class everywhere throughout
the world may be Scripturally consider
ed as Christ in the flesh, because his
spirit dwells in them, his mind controls
them In this sense of the word be it
observed the flesh of Christ is still in the
world, and the spirit or mind of Christ
is still ruling it. In this larger thought
1.-The. offerings of Christ" are still in