NOW NO CONDEMNATION*By M. Stanford

Admin Thu 20 Jan 2011, 2:24 pm

NOW NO CONDEMNATION~ *
*By M. Stanford*
*

"Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye
should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Rom. 7:4).
Romans Six reveals our position as having died unto the principle of
sin; Romans Seven teaches us our position as having died unto the
principle of law. Both must be counted upon if we are to abide in
Christ, and walk in the Spirit, as set forth in Romans Eight.
"We have to look at ourselves and see how far we are devotedly following
the Lord Jesus, with full purpose of heart - how we can say, 'This one
thing I do'; but we must take care at the same time not to get into
legal bondage by this standard. If I say, 'Here is a rule of conduct:
follow it,' this cannot reach the heart, the affections. The
ministration of the letter brings only failure, and condemnation; for it
prescribes a rule which man, being a sinner, can never follow. It does
not change a man; it proves him 'ungodly and without strength.'
"We may turn even Christ into that letter of condemnation; we may take
His life, for instance. and make it our law. Nay, we may turn even the
love of Christ into our law; we may say, 'He has loved me, and done all
this for me, and I ought to love Him, and do so much for Him, in return
for this love,' etc. Thus if we turn His love into a rule of life, it
becomes the ministration of condemnation. "
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1).