Church of God, Carmichael, CA
D. S. Warner, Orignial Publishing Date, unknown
[Original Page Numbers]
SALVATION MAKES US FREE PROM SIN
" For he that is dead is free from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ we believe we shall also live with him. "—Rom. 6: 7, 8.
" For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."—Rom. 6: 10, 11.
"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."—Rom. 6:18.
"He that is dead is free from sin." And this freedom is attained now in this life. Hence immediately follow the words, "Now if we be dead with him," etc. And just as Christ lives unto God, a holy life, "likewise, in the same manner we should reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. " Not dead to sin prospectively, or only professedly, but DEAD INDEED UNTO SIN.[11] Actually dead and oblivious to sin. Having no more part in the sins of this world than if literally dead and buried. What can strongly and more positively express absolute freedom from sin than the declaration that we are dead indeed to sin? One might abstain from the commission of sin and yet not be really dead to it. But when dead indeed to any thing that must be the end of it. It means that we have no more to do with sin than the dead who lay in the cemetery have to do with the business of this world. As natural death puts an end to all activities here on earth, so complete salvation in Jesus is the terminus of all human actions of a sinful character.
"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. "—Rom. 6: 22.
SALVATION KEEPS US FROM COMMITTING SINS
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. "—Rom. 6: 6.
Men's outward lives are usually an expression of their inward state. Therefore, the condition of being free from sin will naturally exclude sin from the outward life. As certain as a pure fountain will send forth a pure stream, from a pure heart there will proceed a holy life. For "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, " and all moral actions flow.[12]
Out of the heart, we are told, "are the issues of life. " But do the Scriptures actually teach that salvation enables us to live without committing sins ? There are a few texts in the Old and New Testaments which, when not rightly understood, seem to teach the contrary. One of these is in Solomon's dedicatory prayer, 1 Kings 8: 46; a parenthesis reading as follows, "For there is no man that sinneth not." A very sensible translation of these words is found in the version of the Old Testament by Isaac Leeser, a Jew. It reads as follows: "If they sin against thee (for there is no man that may not sin)." Here is a beautiful consistency that is wanting in the Common version, which reads as follows: "If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) . " In the use of the word "if," a mere possibility of their sinning is expressed, while a probability remains that they may not sin. But the next clause virtually asserts that there is no if about it, that all men do sin. There is, therefore, a lameness in the translation that must be apparent to all. A direct disagreement between the two parts of the same verse. But as rendered by Leeser the verse is consistent with itself and with the Bible throughout. It does not teach that all men must and do commit sin; but all may sin. And so may angels in heaven sin. And some have "sinned," and "kept not their first estate," "but left their own habitation."—2 Pet. 2:4. Jude 6. While all intelligent volitional creatures of God may sin, there is no necessity [13] for any child of God on earth to commit sin. But there are in Christ Jesus abundant supplies of grace whereby all may very easily live free from sin.
We will not here take up other texts that are supposed to teach that we must all continue to be sinners in this life. They are all explained in a tract entitled, "Must We Sin?" found in our catalog. But let us appeal to the Scriptures to find our privileges in Christ. While the Bible draws the true picture of human depravity, the universal sinfulness of our race, aside from the grace of God, it also teaches the all sufficiency of salvation to preserve us from the being and practice of sin. Anything less would not be salvation. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. "—Matt. 1: 21. Jesus means Savior. If he is not able to save and keep us from all sin he is not correctly named. We are told that Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David."—Luke 1: 68, 69.
"To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him' all the days of our life. "—Verses 73 75.[14]