Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-08-03


the Christian OF a
great deal OF present comfort. too. for
every true believer on Jesus Christ
Is a saint. and becomes such the mo-
ment he 80 believes. Saint" IL tho
substantive OF the verb ito sanctify."
Q word of two meanings.
What sanctlfy Means.
To "sanctlfy" means, first, TO set
apart thing or person for holy
use. II 1.-THE my income, and set
aside one dollar out OF every ten for
Gods service. that dollar is sanctified
in the instant Of its being set aside.
and II IL were person II might be
called saint.
Again "sanctlfy" means TO make a
thing intrinsically clean. The dollar
set aside Is much soiled. and after
setting II aside send II 10 a bank.
note company. which puts It through
q process OF cleansing by means OF
which II comes back 10 me almost as
fresh and crisp az when II was first
put into circulation. II Is now sane
tilted In a second sense. This two
fold transaction represents saintshlp.
For example. the moment man
takes Jesus Christ by faith TO be his
Savior he is SET apart by God and for
God, and becomes a saint. But In
that same moment he enters upon a
process. or rather a process enters
upon or within him. II is a process
OF cleansing. The operator is the
Holy Spirit, who takes up his abode
in him. and the means he uses is the
Word OF God. Now are We clean"
said Jesus. through the word have
spoken unto you
Sanctiiication In the first case pretty
nearly agrees with justification. which
IL instantaneous. but In the second
case II Is continuous and progressive
as the Christian yields himself TO the
Holy Spirit. and admits the Word OF
God into his heart and life.
We now reach the consideration OF
what ! think is the deepest truth re-
vealed In The Bible. for the apostle Is
addressing not only the saints which
are nj Ephesus. hut also the faithful
III AHliSt jesus. III OtiCi NQtubf
there are saints and there are faith
full saints. the latter being those who
are in the experience Of the process
just referred to.
Notice the proposition "in" What
small word 1t is. and yet when II
IS used as here, TO indicate the rela-
tion between Christ and the believer
on Christ. It becomes one OF the most
important words In the Bible. How
can one be said 10 be in Jesus Christ?
The answer Is, just as a member OF
my body can be said 10 be In me.
Christ is represented as the head OF
the body. the church. and believers on
him are members OF that body. The
relationship thus is not merely gov.
ernmental. but vital.
"Faithful In Christ Jesus"
This suggests what 1t means to be
faithful in Christ Jesus" My eye. or
ear. or tongue. or hand. or foot. Ia
faithful In me as Il surrenders itself
20 my will, and obcys my behests. This
is what Paul teaches when In Romans
he oxhorts Christians to present their
bodies unto God as a living sacrifice.
because live and express myself
through them, and for this same rea.
son Christians need 10 be faithful In
Christ. else how shall he be known
and maintained In the earth?
Here Is lesson for our home life.
our social life and our business life
as well. Everyone who knows
Christ should be able to say with the
apostle. For me 10 live is for Christ
TO live"
The chapter now goes on 10 speak
OF the spiritual blessings the Christian
has In Christ as a member OF his
body. All the blessings OF the head
belong to the members. In Christ
they are chosen. redeemed. inherited
and sealed
The teaching Ia not only that they
have an inheritance IN God through
Jesus Christ. but that God has an in.
hcritanee in them. And this inheri-
lance he has made sure 10 himself
and TO them by giving them his Holy
Spirit TO dwell within them as the
seal OF his ownership until the re-
demption of the purchased possession
II. e., the resurrection and glorifica-
ton OF their bodies.
He who trusts In Christ need not
fear for his ultimate salvation. and
need not doubt the promise OF glory.
But the question arises. Have you yet
trusted in Christ? The Christ OF the
Bible. l mean. not some ideal Christ
such as many are talking about IN
these days.