have been considering how
the death and resurrection of Christ on the cross has four facets to His work.
We have come to see the blood, the cross, the flesh, and the bearing of the
cross. We have already considered at some length the first two facets: how
Christ has redeemed us from sins and has also crucified our old man. These two facets,
which are concerned with the blood and the old man, are both done in Christ . The other two, those of the
flesh and cross-bearing, are to be done by Christ within us . So, the work of Christ can be divided between what is done
in Him and what is done in us. John 15 says: “Abide in me, and I in you” (v.
4a). We can say that the first two facets of Christ’s work are concerned with His
word to “abide in Him” and the last two facets are related to His word, “I in
you.” Blood and crucifixion are those facets of His work which we know we have
received in Christ, while what is later to be spoken about regardingthe flesh and bearing the cross are
those facets of Christ’s work which He will do in us. For us to be in Christ
needs our faith, and for Christ to do His work in us
requires our obedience. Faith and obedience are the two most important spiritual
exercises for Christians to engage in.
Faith is believing I am already
in Christ, that I am already one with Him, that whatever is His is mine, that all
His experiences I too have experienced. Thus, living faith is
believing that whatever is Christ’s is also mine. What Christ will do in
us, however, requires not only faith but also obedience: we need to obey His
leading. When the Lord works in us, sometimes it is an urging, at other times
it is a forbidding. Sometimes we do not move when we should, so He will cause
us to know what to do. At other times we are doing things in the flesh, and He
will therefore check us within and cause us to sense that such things should
not be done again. So the Lord frequently impels us or prevents us. To believe
and obey is to listen to His moving and forbiddance. Oftentimes we sense within
us a kind of soundless voice, a sort of senseless sense. We can neither see nor
hear nor touch, but we seem to see, to know and to sense. Such inward motion causes
us to know what should or should not be done. Hence, to be obedient is to obey
that inner leading. Obedience is more than obeying the Bible; it is also
obeying the inner leading. In order to have a victorious Christian life we must
know what is obedience as well as what is faith. On the other hand, if there is
neither living faith nor obedience, doctrinal truth will only be in the brain
and not also in spiritual experience.
Christians must exercise faith to receive all that is in
Christ, and they likewise need to exercise obedience to accept all that Christ
will do in them. The way of victory is therefore twofold: one is faith and the
other is obedience. The efficacy of the blood needs faith, not obedience,
because blood is the work of Christ. All that is accomplished in Christ must be
received by faith, not by obedience. The fact of the old man having been
crucified is not to be obeyed but to be believed. Exercise faith to believe that
you have already died in Christ.
Believe you have already received all things prayed and
asked for, and you shall have them. This evening we shall see what living faith
is. How can we possess all the riches in Christ? Everybody is familiar with this
word “faith,” yet much so-called faith is not genuine faith. Such faith
produces nothing. For instance, the Bible tells us that our old man has already
died and many Christians declare that they believe this; nevertheless, their
faith has no effect upon their Christian walk. Let us therefore search the
Scriptures and learn what faith really is. Let us first acknowledge that what
many people’s faith is, is but a consent of the mind; it
is not a believing in the heart. Their brains may approve of a teaching or
preaching as being reasonable and good. However, let us
the death and resurrection of Christ on the cross has four facets to His work.
We have come to see the blood, the cross, the flesh, and the bearing of the
cross. We have already considered at some length the first two facets: how
Christ has redeemed us from sins and has also crucified our old man. These two facets,
which are concerned with the blood and the old man, are both done in Christ . The other two, those of the
flesh and cross-bearing, are to be done by Christ within us . So, the work of Christ can be divided between what is done
in Him and what is done in us. John 15 says: “Abide in me, and I in you” (v.
4a). We can say that the first two facets of Christ’s work are concerned with His
word to “abide in Him” and the last two facets are related to His word, “I in
you.” Blood and crucifixion are those facets of His work which we know we have
received in Christ, while what is later to be spoken about regardingthe flesh and bearing the cross are
those facets of Christ’s work which He will do in us. For us to be in Christ
needs our faith, and for Christ to do His work in us
requires our obedience. Faith and obedience are the two most important spiritual
exercises for Christians to engage in.
Faith is believing I am already
in Christ, that I am already one with Him, that whatever is His is mine, that all
His experiences I too have experienced. Thus, living faith is
believing that whatever is Christ’s is also mine. What Christ will do in
us, however, requires not only faith but also obedience: we need to obey His
leading. When the Lord works in us, sometimes it is an urging, at other times
it is a forbidding. Sometimes we do not move when we should, so He will cause
us to know what to do. At other times we are doing things in the flesh, and He
will therefore check us within and cause us to sense that such things should
not be done again. So the Lord frequently impels us or prevents us. To believe
and obey is to listen to His moving and forbiddance. Oftentimes we sense within
us a kind of soundless voice, a sort of senseless sense. We can neither see nor
hear nor touch, but we seem to see, to know and to sense. Such inward motion causes
us to know what should or should not be done. Hence, to be obedient is to obey
that inner leading. Obedience is more than obeying the Bible; it is also
obeying the inner leading. In order to have a victorious Christian life we must
know what is obedience as well as what is faith. On the other hand, if there is
neither living faith nor obedience, doctrinal truth will only be in the brain
and not also in spiritual experience.
Christians must exercise faith to receive all that is in
Christ, and they likewise need to exercise obedience to accept all that Christ
will do in them. The way of victory is therefore twofold: one is faith and the
other is obedience. The efficacy of the blood needs faith, not obedience,
because blood is the work of Christ. All that is accomplished in Christ must be
received by faith, not by obedience. The fact of the old man having been
crucified is not to be obeyed but to be believed. Exercise faith to believe that
you have already died in Christ.
Believe you have already received all things prayed and
asked for, and you shall have them. This evening we shall see what living faith
is. How can we possess all the riches in Christ? Everybody is familiar with this
word “faith,” yet much so-called faith is not genuine faith. Such faith
produces nothing. For instance, the Bible tells us that our old man has already
died and many Christians declare that they believe this; nevertheless, their
faith has no effect upon their Christian walk. Let us therefore search the
Scriptures and learn what faith really is. Let us first acknowledge that what
many people’s faith is, is but a consent of the mind; it
is not a believing in the heart. Their brains may approve of a teaching or
preaching as being reasonable and good. However, let us
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