Life on the Highest Plane
The Believer a Saint by Condition
But what does the expression "dead to sin" mean? Does it mean that sin is dead or that it is eradicated? Does it mean that the believer is beyond the reach of temptation or the possibility or ability to sin? No, it means nothing of the kind. God's Word teaches that the believer on earth has the penalty of sin removed and the power of sin broken but nowhere does it say that he is freed from the presence of sin. That blessed state is the believer's future inheritance as we shall see in a later study. Neither is he freed from temptation. In fact temptations are even more severe and more constant as one maintains in faith the attitude of "dead to sin." But "dead to sin" does mean that in Christ the believer has been brought positionally into such a relationship to it that he is beyond the reach of sin's dominion, that he is environed by Christ Jesus in such a measure as to share to the full His victory over sin. It means also that through the new birth he has been given a nature which hates sin and loves holiness. Where formerly there was response to sin, and apathy toward God, now the attitude is completely reversed. Sin meets with a cold reception and a quick rebuff while the whole being is aglow with an ever deepening love and devotion to its Lord. "The new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" refuses sin and chooses holiness; says "no" to sin and "yes" to God.
This positional victory over sin through grace is perfect. In Christ God has taken the believer beyond the necessity of sin's lordship. In Christ sin's power is broken and its claim is cancelled. Several times in Romans six God declares the believer's perfect freedom from the power of sin.
Romans 6:18, 22, "And being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. Being now made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification and the end eternal life."
Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under law but under grace."
These words if they teach anything clearly tell us that the believer in Christ need not sin, that sin has no rightful claim upon him. Let us get this thing straight and have no confusion in our minds about it. God nowhere says that we are not able to sin but He clearly says that we are able NOT to sin. In other verses in Romans six God states explicitly that sin still has power over the believer because the believer permits it. In other words, the believer sins because he wants to, because he yields to the allurements, the charms, the call of sin or he sins because he does not claim his privileges in Christ.
Just here I can almost hear the murmur of doubt in the heart of some reader as he says, "Is such victory possible?" Most of us have such an inadequate conception of the meaning of the Cross and of the power of Christ. We imagine Him able only to carry us safely over the border line of the new sphere of life and unlock for us the door into Heaven, but utterly impotent to keep us victorious and Christlike in the midst of the temptations of a sinful world. We are so ready to believe in the strength of the devil and so loath to believe that we are indeed spiritual multimillionaires, "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." But such you and I are even while living as spiritual paupers. But "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think," and will prove that He is so able if we but give Him the chance.
Perhaps some reader, if we were talking together personally, would put to me the questions that have been asked scores of times. "Can this truth of complete and continuous victory over sin be brought from Heaven to earth, can it be brought out of the realm of the doctrinal into the realm of the experimental? Will it really work if applied to my temper, jealousy, worry, pride, resentment and hatred? Can I in my daily walk in a world reeking in sin and placing temptation before me at every step really be kept unspotted and unsullied? Can the relationship 'dead to sin' be actualized in my spiritual experience here and now on earth?"
My answer to you would be, "Test the power of Jesus Christ's victory over sin on your besetting sin and give Him a fair chance to prove to you that He can save to the uttermost, even to make you dead to that sin. Take the sin that is dragging you down into the very depths of despair and let Him who is your Sanctification make you dead to it."
A missionary came once for a talk. Her face was the picture of despair. By her own confession hers was a joyless, peaceless, powerless life. She found no joy in Bible study; no reality in prayer; and she had no love for souls. She had dreaded having me come to that school to lead a series of evangelistic meetings because she thought she would be expected to do personal work among the girls and she was utterly devoid both of desire and of power for such a task. Her body as well as her spirit was ill and she had already told her Chinese co-workers and her fellow-missionaries that because of ill-health she did not intend to return to China after her furlough. We talked together of the life of victory in Christ but she repeated over and over again that while she believed it was for others she knew it was not for her. She knew intellectually the Bible truth about victory over sin and was altogether familiar with every Bible verse that I quoted. She had read many book on victory in Christ and could have told any person who came to her seeking help the way to victory. But she herself was living in utter defeat and abject discouragement. Deep down in her heart was a hurt. There it had been for four years eating away at her spiritual vitals. To that hurt she was wholly "alive." We talked for hours but she left me as she came - in despair. However, a deep, quiet assurance of complete victory for her came into my heart. I knew that victory in Christ was God's will for her for He had said so in His Word so I confidently claimed His promise in 1 John 5:14-15 and thanked God for the answer to the prayer as I fell asleep.
Before breakfast there was a tap on the door What a gloriously radiant face greeted my eyes as I opened it and she exclaimed: "Oh! it's gone and I know it will never come back again!" What's gone? The hurt. How? The Lord Jesus Christ, her Victor, had presenced Himself in the spot where the hurt was and had made her dead to it. Since that time, fully seven years ago, God has used that missionary to help many another defeated one into the joy and peace of victory over sin.
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with # 5)
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