ADMINISTRATION OF THE CROSS*By Miles Stanford

ADMINISTRATION OF THE CROSS*
*By Miles Stanford *
*
"For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3, ASV).

It is futile for us to attempt to curb our sins while we ignore their
source, the indwelling principle of sin. In trimming the branches
(sins), we strengthen the root (self). Rather, as we count upon the
finished work of Calvary, the Holy Spirit will apply the Cross to the
old life. And as that death cuts deeper and deeper into the root, the
branches will wither and fall away.

"The Lord Jesus has been waiting for us to come to the end of our own
efforts. He sends the call, 'Come back to the Cross.' At last we can see
we have been standing and working on the wrong ground, and we hear Him
say, 'It is you who are in My way. I can do My work myself. I simply
need empty vessels. You parted with your sins, but you kept yourself.
Come now, part with yourself, take your place where I put you. When I
died you were in Me on that Cross.' 'Now I see! What next, Lord?' 'Now
you pass to another sphere where you become aware that you are joined to
Me as your life.' "

"Our identification with Christ in His death was a death unto Sin--- the
principle of Sin as a master and a tyrant --- Sin, not sins. The Holy
Spirit is ready to apply that finished work of death to the depth of our
self-life, until Sin loses its mastery at point after point. It goes
deeper than the cutting off of visible and external things. Cause, not
symptoms."

"Christ, who is our life" (Col. 3:4).

*

* If you are a Christian, *
*you are not a citizen of this world*
* trying to get to heaven; *
*you are a citizen of heaven *
*making your way through this world.*
* *
*-----Vance Havner *