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The New Lifestyle Through Jesus, July 1
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
, NKJV.
Self must die if we would be counted as the followers of Christ. The apostle
says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.... For ye are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God.” “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.”
When men and women are converted to God, a new moral taste is created; and
they love the things that God loves; for their lives are bound up by the golden chain
of the immutable promises, to the life of Jesus. Their hearts are drawn out after
God. Their prayer is “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out
of thy law.” In the immutable standard they see the character of the Redeemer, and
know that though they have sinned, they are not to be saved in their sins, but from
their sins; for Jesus is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. It
is through the blood of Christ that they are brought nigh unto God.
As they behold the righteousness of Christ in the divine precepts, they exclaim,
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” As sinners are pardoned
for their transgressions through the merits of Christ, as they are clothed with the
righteousness of Christ through faith in Him, they declare with the psalmist, “How
sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” “More
to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey
and the honeycomb.” This is conversion.
When the Spirit of God controls the mind and heart, it turns the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. The law of
Jehovah will then be regarded as a transcript of the divine character, and a new song
bursts forth from hearts that have been touched by divine grace; for they realize that
the promise of God has been fulfilled in their experience, that their transgressions
are forgiven, their sins covered. They have exercised repentance toward God for
the violation of His law, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, who has died for
their justification.—
The Review and Herald, June 21, 1892
.
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