The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-03-04

EoX e. |uecIdTlnb IL ! III
righteous (Ro~
4:5).
How can God reckon one righteous
who is not righteous? This is a fair
question and we must face 1t. Sup
pose a merchant In q small town had
fallen into debt. He Is not a good
buyer, he Is no accurate In his ac-
counts, and he Is shiftless. Suppose
a rich uncle who has made a fortune
in the same business, and has retired,
should pay him a visit. After a few
days he says to his nephew: John,
hear bad reports about you: people
say that you are sadly in debt and
that your credit is poor. | have had
a good year, and ! believe | will help
you. II you will foot up all your debts
| will give you a check for the whole
amount"
John accepts his offer and pays of
his creditors. AS they go out OF his
store they say to one another: I'VE
are fortunate In getting our money
this time, but we will not trust him
again. He Is the same shiftless John.
and he will soon be as badly In debt
as ever" Now what has his uncle &C
complished for John? He has paid
his debts. but he has not restored his
credit.
Suppose. on the other hand, that the
uncle had said: John. | have been
out of business a few years and | find
that | am getting rusty. | like this
town and | have about decided to go
into partnership with you" John is
delighted, OF course. The uncle says:
81 will put In all my capital and ex-
perience, but | shall insist upon be-
ing manager OF the business. You can
be the silent partner and work under
my direction. And John. | think you
had better take down that sign over
the door, for your name does not com
mand the highest respect in this town.
Suppose you put up my name instead,
& Co. | think It will look better. and
you a be the company"
John gladly complies with the condi-
lions, and the business opens under
@ auspices. John goes out to buy
goods, and what does he find? In.
stead of refusing to trust him, every
merchant in town Is glad to give him
credit, because his rich uncle has be-
come identified with the business. In
the one case the uncle paid his debts,
but did not restore his credit. In the
other case he restored his credit by
going into partnership with him.
Gods law says that the soul which
sinneth shall die. When Jesus took
our place on the cross and died for
our sins. that paid our debt, but It did
not restore our credit, 1t did not make
us righteous. Had there been no
resurrection OF Jesus we could not
have been justified, though 1t is con.
ceivable that we might have been for.
given. But when Jesus rose from the
dead and identified himself with us by
faith, coming into our heart and TAX.
ing possession OF our life, then he not
only paid our debts, but he restored
our credit. He made 1t possible for
God to declare us righteous, since we
have gone into partnership with a
righteous Saviour, who has not only
kept the law perfectly himself, but
who is able to help US to keep 1t. He
is the managing partner, and we sim.
ply obey his orders. We have wen
taken down the old sign, and now we
bear his name--Christian.
Martin Luther said; III any one
knocks at the door Of my heart and
inquiries II Martin Luther lives here,
| should reply, Martin Luther is dead,
and Jesus Christ lives here" Paul
had the same idea, for he said: Il
live. yet not |, but Christ liveth in
me" For we are dead and your life
Is hid with Christ in God"
When a woman marries she loses
her name and identity, but she takes
the name Of her husband and shares
his rank. If he Is a duke she be.
comes a duchess. If he is a prince,
she becomes a princess. Even so, the
believer who surrenders his life to
the Lord Jesus loses his identity and
his sins, but shares with him his name,
his character and his rank. God calls
him Christian, because he is the bride
of Christ, his only begotten son. God
can justly declare him righteous be-
cause he is forever united to One who
is righteous, and who is able to make
him like himself.
If Jesus lived a holy life in one
body he is surely able TO do II in an.
other, If that body Is yielded to his
control. God then can properly and
Justly reckon the believer righteous
because Of his union with the right
eous Saviour who has atoned for his
past sins by his death on the cross,
and who guarantees his present and
future conduct because that life has
been committed to his keeping.
II, as he says, he is able to save un-
to the uttermost," able to keep us
from falling" Jude 24). and II he
guarantees to present us before the
presence Of Gods glory absolutely
f~aultless. surely God can safely
reckon US as righteous. The ground
Of our justification then is not what
we are, but whose we are. not our own
good works. or our desire to be right
eous, but our union with the Lord
Jesus, who was delivered fer our Of
fences, and was raised for our justi
hcation" from. 4:25).