The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-01-09

Have we not, after becoming Chris
tians, longed for deliverance from SIM
We have resolved against ii and strug-
gled, but are still in bondage. Is there
any way OF escape? Pam in the sixth
chapter of Romans tells US there is.
Moreover. il is the method which
seemed to the slave. in most instances,
The only sure one. Other ways have
failed. but now Paul announces that
we may die and so be freed. For he
that is dead is freed from sin" from.
ESQ.
The death in this instance is, of
course, Of a spiritual sort. Paul. in the
beginning of this chapter asks, shall
we continue in sin that grace may
abound?" He answers, God forbid.
How shall we. that are dead to sin, live
any longer %thereln?" He then goes on
to explain this strange assertion:
Know We not that so many of Us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into His death? Therefore we
were buried with Him by baptism into
death that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, ever SO we also should walk
in newness of life In other words.
the faith expressed in baptism united
US with Christ, both in His death n
in His resurrection. When He died, He
died INTO sin during His lifetime He
had d certain relation of subsection to
sin because bearing the burden of His
peoples transgressions. but now He is
freed from this relation and lives only
INTO God. Likewise" says the apos-
tie, reckon We also yourselves to be
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord"
1t is to be noted that this reckoning
is not an attitude Of feeling but of
faith. Faith is ito conclude about our
selves what God has declared about
US" Such a recognition of our posi-
ton is the beginning of victory. Let
US not be deferred from recognition Of
our position as dead to sin, in Christ,
because we have the painful experience
thrf Sin IS not dead to Us. Ire we
T are still in our m1rraf 155Ts~4
lusts. yet We may reckon ourselves
dead unto sin and alive unto God.
An African Converts Illustration.
An African convert once expressed
the truth we are setting forth in these
words: "Soon I will be dead and they
will bury me in my field. My fiocks
will come to pasture above me But !
Shall not longer hear them and shall
not come forth from my tomb to take
them and carry them with me TO the
! sepulchre. They win be strange to me
and l TO them. Such is the image of
my life in the midst of the world since
l believed in Christ"
But this reckoning Of faith is only a
part of the secret Of victory. We are
exhorted, Yield yourselves unto God,
as those that are alive from the dead"
In other words. We are not hidden TO
fight sin. but TO surrender in faith and
obedience TO our Master. We are 10
| occupy ourselves with God and dis
place evil by good.
A Dutch writer. n. J. Hofmeyr. says
helpfully What have YOU to do when
II sinful lust tempts you to yield 70
sin? You have not to fight it, in the
usual sense of the word you have not
TO deal with It directly, but. looking
away to Christ, you are by faith to
reckon yourself as dead TO sin. but
alive to God II Christ. and to present
yourself unto God as made alive from
the dead. and your members as instru-
ments of Righteousness unto God. The
master and the dead slave have no
/ dealings any more with each other. As
one who in Christ has died TO sin. in
the name of God. your new Master,
say no. TO the solicitations Of the old
master. and let Gods spirit in you
deal with him. and he shall have no
more dominion over you. Reckon your
self to be dead 70 sin and made alive
10 God. and yield your members 10
/ God as instruments of righteousness
Confidence in the Commander.
A veteran of Waterloo used to tell
how. the night before the battle, trained
+ soldiers of Wellington took the raw re-
cruits and told them of the skill. the
capacity. the courage, Of their great
commander. They so inspired them
with confidence in the Iron Duke that
no matter how the battle might seem
TO waver they expected victory. So
may we expect it under u Com
mander. for as the verse following the
text assures Us. Sin shall not have
dominion over you for We are not IN
der the law. but under grace"
Io,. 80 Ra Lannv