THAT which distinguishes the exercise of a soul that has been brought into the presence of God is a sense of the exceeding evil of sin, and a yearning desire to be freed from it, and from its darkening and enslaving power, rather than the desire of forgiveness, or of escape from the punishment which is felt to be its due. The light of God’s word, brought by His Spirit to bear on the heart and conscience, not only reveals the judgment which sin merits, but produces a hatred of sin itself, and a sense of the terribleness of the state of one who as a sinner is unfit for the presence of God. Peter learned this, when, at the first miraculous draft of fishes, he became, in measure, conscious who and what the Lord Jesus was, and besought Him to depart from Him because he was a sinful man.
And now in this precious portion of the word, when referring to the blessed fact of our sins having been borne by Christ Himself in His own body on the tree, he speaks, not of forgiveness, but of deliverance and healing— of our being dead to—or rather becoming delivered from sins (God having removed our transgressions from us) and of our being healed by His bruise. The state of sin, and guilt, and soul disease exchanged for a state of peace, and of holy liberty and spiritual health, resulting in that life unto righteousness which is the earnest desire and purpose of every quickened soul.
The gracious Lord grant that this may be increasingly known and realized by His dear saints.
G. B. M.