Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-08-09

righteous (Rom.
4:5).
How can God reckon one righteous
who is not righteous? This is a fair
question and we must face it. Sup
pose merchant in a small town had
fallen into debt. He is not a good
buyer he is not accurate in his &C
counts, and he is shiftless. Suppose
a rich uncle who has made a fortune
in the same business, and has retired.
should pay him 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. 1 have had
good year, and 1 believe 1 will help
you. If you will foot up all your debts
1 will give you a check for the whole
amount"
John accepts his offer and pays off
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 ac-
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 1 am getting rusty. 1 like this
town and 1 have about decided to go
into partnership with you" John is
delighted, of course. The uncle says:
Il will put in all my capital and ex-
perience, but 1 shall insist upon be-
ing manager of the business. You can
be the silent partner and work under
my direction. And John, 1 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. 1 think it will look better, and
you can be the company"
John gladly complies with the condi-
lions, and the business opens under
new 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, it did not make
us righteous. Had there been no
resurrection of Jesus we could not
have been justified, though it 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 it possible for
God to declare US righteous, since we
have gone into partnership with q
righteous Saviour. who has not only
kept the law perfectly himself, but
who is able to help us to keep it. He
is the managing partner, and we sim
ply obey his orders. We have even
taken down the old sign. and now we
bear his characterization
Martin Luther said: IF any one
knocks at the door of my heart and
inquiries if Martin Luther lives here,
I should reply, Martin Luther is dead
and Jesus Christ lives here" Paul
had the same idea, for he said: 'I
live, yet not 1, but Christ liveth in
me-" For We are dead and your life
is hid with Christ in God"
If Jesus lived a holy life in one
body he is surely able to do it 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
If, as he says, he is "able to save IN
to the uttermost," able to keep us
from falling dude 24). and if he
guarantees to present us before the
presence of Gods glory absolutely
faultless, 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 for our Of
fences, and was raised for our justi-
fcation" (Rom- 4:25).