The Blessed Life # 5

The Blessed Life # 5

We must not expect to lose our sinful nature. When we are born again, a new life - the life of God - is put into us by the Holy Spirit. But the old self-life, which is called in Scripture the flesh, is not taken away. The two may coexist in the same heart. "The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." (Gal. 5:17). The presence of this old self-life within our heart may be detected by its risings, rufflings, chafings, and movings towards sin when temptation calls to it from without. It may be still as death before the increasing power of the new life, but it will still be present in the depths of our nature, and there will always be a possibility and a fear of its strength growing again to our shame and our hurt.

We must not expect to be free from liability to sin. What is sin? It is the "Yes of the will" to temptation. It is very difficult to express the delicate workings of our hearts, but does not something like this happen to us when we are tempted? A temptation is suddenly presented to us and makes a strong appeal. Immediately there may be a tremulous movement of the old nature, Some do not feel this tremulous response, others do, though I believe it will get fainter as they treat it with continued respect, so that at last, in the matured saint, it will become almost inaudible. This response indicates the presence of the evil nature within, which is in itself hateful in the sight of our Holy God, and should be bemoaned and confessed, and ever needs the presence of the Blood of Jesus to counteract and atone. But that tremulous movement has not, as yet, developed into a natural overt sin, for which we are responsible, and of which we need to repent.

Sin is an act of the will, and is only possible when the will assents to some unholy influence. If the will begins to hesitate with temptation, to dally with it and yield to it, then we have stepped out of the light into the dark; we have broken God's laws, soiled our white robes, and brought ourselves into condemnation. To this we are liable as long as we are in this world. We may live a godly, righteous, sober life for years; but if we look away from God for only a moment, our will may be suddenly mastered, and we may, like David, be hurried into a sin which will blast our peace and blacken our character for all coming time.

Reckon yourself dead to the appeals of sin. This is our position in respect to the appeals of sin. God looks on us as having been crucified with Christ and being dead with Him. In Him we have passed out of the world of sin and death into the world of resurrection glory. This is our position in the mind of God; it is for us to take it up and make it real by faith. We may not feel any great difference, but we must believe that there is; we must act as if there were, and we shall soon come to feel as we believe. When then, a temptation solicits you, say, "I am dead to you; spend not your energies on one that is oblivious to your spells and callous to your charms. You have no more power over me than over my Lord Jesus." "Reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).

As soon as you are aware of temptation, look instantly to Jesus. Flee to Him quicker than a chick runs beneath the shelter of its mother's wing. In the morning, before you leave your room, put yourself definitely into His hands. And when the tempter comes, look instantly up and say, "Jesus, I am trusting You to keep me." This is what the apostle Paul calls using the shield of faith. The upward glance of faith puts Jesus as a Shield between the tempter and yourself. You may go through life saying a hundred times a day, "Jesus save me," and He will never let those that trust in Him be ashamed. He is able even to guard you from stumbling (Jude 24).

All that we have to do is to maintain this attitude of full surrender, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus Christ offered Himself to God, through the eternal Spirit, and He waits to do as much for you. Ask Him to maintain in you this attitude. Use regularly the means of meditation, private prayer, and Bible study. Seek forgiveness for any failure as soon as you are conscious of it, and ask to be restored. Practice the holy habit of the constant recollection of God. Do not be eager to work for God, but let God work through you. Accept everything that happens to you as being permitted, and therefore sent by the will of Him Who love you infinitely. And there will roll in upon you wave on wave, tide on tide, ocean on ocean of an experience fitly called THE BLESSED LIFE, because it is full of the happiness of the ever-blessed God Himself. 

You are, perhaps, far from this at present. But it is all within your reach. Do not be afraid of Christ. He needs to take nothing from you except that which you would give up at once if you could see, as clearly as He does, the harm it is inflicting. He will ask of you nothing inconsistent with the most perfect fitness and tenderness. He will give you grace enough to perform every duty He may demand. His "yoke is easy," His "burden is light."

Blessed Spirit of God, by Whom alone human words can be made to speak to the heart, deign to use these, to point many a longing soul the first step into the Blessed Life, for the exceeding glory of the Lord Jesus, and for the sake of a dying world.

~F. B. Meyer~

(The End)