In other articles in this issue, we have seen how, at the cross, God has dealt with sin as well as with sins. The blood of Christ puts our sins away, while in the death of Christ, we are dead to sin itself, the cause of the whole problem. Sins are the fruit, but sin is the root, and the root must be dealt with if we are to live a life of victory before God.
Positional and Practical Deliverance
In Romans 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6) we read, “Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” At the cross, God saw the end of the old man —what we were as children of Adam — and now the believer does not need to be in bondage to sin. We are called upon to act practically on this truth and to reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)). Because Christ has already won the victory for us and given us this place positionally, there is power in Him (not in us) for us to take this place practically. As a result, believers may now yield their members “servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Rom. 6:1919I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:19)).
It is important to realize that the practical side of this in our lives is an experimental thing, for most of us must go through an experience similar to that of the man in Romans 7 before we get real deliverance. It is possible to understand the truth of death and resurrection with Christ in an intellectual way, to have been baptized, and even to have, at least in a limited way, reckoned ourselves to be dead to sin, and yet not really to have fully yielded ourselves to the Lord. It is one thing to say, “O wretched man that I am!” in a general way, and to admit that there is no good in my old sinful self, but it is another thing to be willing to allow the searching eye of God to expose my old nature for what it really is. It was only in the light of the law that sin became “exceeding sinful” (Rom. 7:1313Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:13)), and it is only in the light of God’s presence that I am able to say with Job, “Wherefore I abhor myself” (Job 42:66Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6)). If I am to be really free, I must be willing to take this place, and not to trust in myself anymore.
Self-Righteousness
Unhappily, most of us do not want to admit that our hearts are capable of some of the worst sins. We like to foster our own self-esteem and to feel, like the self-righteous Pharisee of Luke 18:1111The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (Luke 18:11), that we are “not as other men are.” I well remember a sister in Christ who, when referring to another believer who had committed a serious moral sin, said to me, “But you and I would not do something like that, would we?” We like to persuade ourselves that we are innately better than others. Then, when our sinful nature manifests itself from time to time, there is the tendency either to become angry and defensive, or perhaps to deny that we ever did such a thing. Such a tendency to self-righteousness in the believer is largely responsible for the misery found among Christians. If they were to justify God instead of themselves, they would avoid the weary process of self-vindication, and also much sorrow in their lives.
The Good Is Bad
In dealing with this bad root, we must also realize that not only must the “bad” in us die, but also the “good.” Most of us have a tendency to feel that, while we are sinners and thus have some bad qualities, we also have some good qualities that can be salvaged from the wreckage of our sinful selves. Perhaps we are naturally kind and loving — cannot that be used for God in our Christian lives? Or perhaps we are generous in giving — is not that a good quality? Maybe one is a good leader — do we not need leadership like that among believers? No, for while it is right to be kind and right to be generous, sin has spoiled even actions like that. Leadership ability is not in itself wrong, but even if the act is right, sin attaches wrong motives to it, and self becomes the object, not Christ. Paul had not only to say, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)), but he also tells us, concerning his so-called good qualities, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:77But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (Philippians 3:7)). Outside of new life in Christ, we have no pure motives.
We must realize that there is no such thing as reformation for the flesh; death is the only remedy for it. Sometimes, when the flesh becomes too objectionable, we may try to control it by human energy. This may work for a while, and if we have a strong determination, we may succeed in keeping the flesh under a measure of control. However, inevitably we will find it too strong for us, and then we will find ourselves back in Romans 7:1919For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (Romans 7:19) — “the evil which I would not, that I do.”
Denial and Defensiveness
There are at least two common reactions to the realization of what I am in my flesh. Some believers will become crushed and depressed, not wanting to believe that they are really all that bad. “What will people think of me, if they find out?” Others become defensive, denying that they are like that and refusing to face what they really are by nature. Sadly, there is that in each of us that is devious enough to pretend to surrender to God without actually doing so. We may be viewed outwardly as good Christians, whether in our personal lives, in family life, at work, or even in Christian service, while inside we have not really brought that root sin to the cross. Many times, when we are confronted, either by others or by the Lord Himself, with some bad root that He is calling on us to judge, we will run from it, deny it, and refuse to face it. We still want to hang on to some shred of dignity for ourselves, instead of admitting in God’s presence what the flesh really is. We must realize that an oversensitivity about our own character stems from a state of soul that is not occupied with Christ. Seeking to try and conceal our true state from the Lord only produces heaviness of spirit, and we will not enjoy the warmth of God’s presence. Like the psalmist, we will be compelled to say, “Day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer” (Psa. 32:44For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (Psalm 32:4)).
Dealing With the Root
Often dealing with the root of sin involves a real struggle in the presence of God, for the root may be quite different from the fruit, although, of course, connected to it. One bad root may give rise to many fruits, perhaps not appearing on the surface to be related, yet all growing from the same root. We see examples of this in the Word of God. When David sinned with Bathsheba, it might seem rather obvious that lust was at the bottom of it. However, when the prophet Nathan confronts David, he does not even mention the initial act of adultery, but rather calls attention to how David despised the Lord (2 Sam. 12:79). Although lust was surely involved, the real root was David’s not being content with the abundant provision God had given him and then abusing his authority and power as a king. The other things stemmed from that. In another case, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, went after Naaman and asked him for some silver and clothing as a reward for Naaman’s having been cured of his leprosy. It might have seemed like a simple case of a poor man who wanted a little something out of Naaman’s wealth and abundance, but later Elisha exposed Gehazi’s heart. Elisha mentioned not only money and garments, but also oliveyards, vineyards, sheep, oxen, menservants and maidservants (2 Kings 5:26). Evidently Gehazi resented being a servant, and instead of being content to serve Elisha, he really wanted to be a wealthy man himself, with riches and servants of his own. Thus the root may be deep and may require probing by the Lord.
Complete Surrender
The happy response to God is to be ready to surrender to Him and to admit the reality of our sinful selves. God is ready to help us do this, for “the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly” (Prov. 20:2727The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. (Proverbs 20:27)). Once we are truly saved and the Spirit of God dwells in us, God is willing, by His Spirit, to bring to light those things with which we need to deal. Then, if we respond to Him, we will find that we are “changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). Every new truth that the Spirit of God seeks to bring before us will find its corresponding antagonist in some part of my old nature. But the God who brings it to our attention has already prepared the remedy for it.
It is not a happy thing naturally to have our hearts exposed before God, for we will find interior caverns there that are full of filth and webs of deceit. However, we can rest in the knowledge of two things. First of all, He already knows our hearts, for “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)). He knows far better than we how bad the flesh really is. Second, no matter how bad the old sinful self is, we can rest in the fact that “our old man is crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)). God has seen the end of the natural man, and, having died with Christ, we no longer need to serve sin. A sense of the grace of God in our souls will enable us to justify God, judge the flesh unsparingly, and live a life of victory for Him.
W. J. Prost