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Modern Revivals
197
“I was alive without the law once,”—he felt no condemnation; “but
when the commandment came,” when the law of God was urged
upon his conscience, “sin revived, and I died.” [
Romans 7:9
.] Then
he saw himself a sinner, condemned by the divine law. Mark, it was
Paul, and not the law, that died. He says, further, “I had not known
sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said,
Thou shalt not covet.” [
Romans 7:7
.] “The commandment which
was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.” [
Romans 7:10
.] The
law which promised life to the obedient, pronounced death upon
the transgressor. “Wherefore,” he says, “the law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good.” [
Romans 7:12
.]
How wide the contrast between these words of Paul and those
that come from many of the pulpits of today. The people are taught
that obedience to God’s law is not necessary to salvation; that they
have only to believe in Jesus, and they are safe. Without the law,
men have no conviction of sin, and feel no need of repentance. Not
seeing their lost condition as violators of God’s law, they do not
feel their need of the atoning blood of Christ as their only hope of
salvation.
The law of God is an agent in every genuine conversion. There
can be no true repentance without conviction of sin. The Scriptures
declare that “sin is the transgression of the law,” [
1 John 3:4
.] and
that “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” [
Romans 3:20
.] In order
to see his guilt, the sinner must test his character by God’s great
[298]
standard of righteousness. To discover his defects, he must look
into the mirror of the divine statutes. But while the law reveals
his sins, it provides no remedy. The gospel of Christ alone can
offer pardon. In order to stand forgiven, the sinner must exercise
repentance toward God, whose law has been transgressed, and faith
in Christ, his atoning sacrifice. Without true repentance, there can
be no true conversion. Many are deceived here, and too often their
entire experience proves to be a deception. This is why so many
who are joined to the church have never been joined to Christ.
“The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” [
Romans 8:7
.] In the
new birth, the heart is renewed by divine grace, and brought into
harmony with God as it is brought into subjection to his law. When
this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed