November 27

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. — Rom 8:10 BSB

We need two things working actively within us: a spiritual death and a spiritual life. We need death to be put upon the flesh, upon sin, and upon everything ungodly so that these do not rule over us. At the same time, we need the continual communication and maintenance of divine life—a life that reaches out toward God, coexisting within the same heart, active at the same moment.

On one hand, sin is striving for control. But on the other, we have a view of the cross of Christ, a testimony of his bleeding, dying love. This view puts death upon sin. As death is put upon sin, and as lust is mortified, crucified, resisted, or subdued, there springs up a life of faith, prayer, hope, love, repentance, and godly sorrow for sin. A spirit of humility, spirituality, and a desire to live for God’s praise and walk in his fear arises. The cross provides both death to sin and life to righteousness. From the cross flows the healing for every wound and every motive for living a godly life. In God's mysterious wisdom, the cross is the way through which sin is pardoned, the law is magnified, justice is exalted, the sinner is saved, sin is subdued, righteousness is given, and the soul walks in peace and holiness.

What depths of wisdom, mercy, and grace are found here! Search wherever you will, try every other way—if you are serious about your soul's salvation, if the Spirit has planted the fear of God in your heart, you will find no other way but this. There is no other path that leads to holiness here and heaven afterward. There is no other way by which sin can be pardoned and the soul sanctified. This understanding of salvation—from sin's guilt and power, from the curse of the law, and as the source of all holy and acceptable obedience—is why the cross has always been so dear to God's people. It’s why, throughout all ages, they have been united with Paul’s declaration, that he was determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified.