Three scriptures were often referred to by an aged Christian as the secret of Christian power. They were these:

(1) Colossians 3:3:"Ye are dead."

(2) Romans 6:11 :"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

(3) 2 Corinthians 4:10,11:"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

Weigh well these passages for they tell much of the way of victory for a believer in his pathway through the world. Let us consider them together for a little.

(1) Colossians 3:3 gives us God's judgment upon the flesh-life, the self-life. In the death of the Lord Jesus

WE HAVE DIED

When Christ went to the cross we went too. "The flesh" (as the principle of evil in the fallen nature with which we were born, is called) has been condemned, root and branch, in the death of the Lord Jesus. It has been ended in the sight of God, and is not to be sought to be mended by us.

The testing of it was made all down the centuries from the time of Adam's fall. Every fresh-proving showed its evil, in increasing measure. Then in the rejection of the Lord its incorrigible wickedness was manifested. So in the death of Christ the fruitless tree was condemned and cut down in judgment. No fruit for God ever grew upon it. No fruit is to grow upon it forever. Now to the believer a new life and nature are given. Christ is his life. That life, unknown to men, is hid with Christ in God. But the day is coming-at Christ's appearing- when it and all else will be manifested.

"YE HAVE DIED." The words were used to set free one who had longed for deliverance from the power of sin, from the workings of the flesh within him. He had fasted one day in a week, then two days, then three days, still without result. Then thinking it over he said to himself, "Suppose I fasted altogether, I should die." At once the light flashed into his soul:"That is what has happened; I have died with Christ."

And he saw that the first part of his history was closed in the death of Christ. "End of Volume I" was written upon the page. And he saw also that a new volume was begun in the life of Christ being given to him.

(2) Romans 6:11:"Reckon yourselves dead" to sin and ALIVE to God. This presents faith taking hold of the fact. We are called to reckon as God reckons, to count ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ-dead through His death; alive in His life. Sin was our old taskmaster; it commanded and compelled, but death has come in for us, in Christ, and in death "the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there:the servant is free from his master." Sin has no title to order and direct now. Christ not only bore our sins, He was made sin for us. He was counted to be that which is so hateful to God. To that-our sin-He has died. Now beyond death He lives, He lives unto God. Faith takes hold of these glorious truths and says, "That death is my death; I have died with Christ. That life is my life; I live before God in Christ." He is free from that which He was made for me. I am free "in Him."

The fact-We have died with Christ.
The faith-Believing it we are set free.
The figure-In baptism to the death of Christ, we are associated with Him.

The fruit-Our lives can express Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit given unto us.

The flesh of sin is still within, or "reckoning" would not be called for, but in the new life given to us we may walk in freedom from its reiterated calls and claims. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."Like a dethroned but still living monarch it may seek to control us still; but we are subjects of a new government, and refuse to yield to the behests of the old. Henceforth

"We KNOW," "we RECKON," "we YIELD."

We know "that our old man has been crucified with Christ"-that with Him we died unto sin.

We reckon that having died to sin we are "alive unto God," in Christ risen.

We yield. 'We place ourselves at God's disposal for His glory and pleasure in the fulfilling of His will, and refuse absolutely at any time to obey the dictates of the old tyrant.

This brings us to

(3) 2 Corinthians 4:10, 11. The practical application of the truths considered is now to be before us.

Day by day we are to apply the knife of self-judgment to ourselves. "Always" this is to be the case. The flesh is ever ready to show itself. Constantly, therefore, it has to be kept back from manifestation.

Luther has said, "If I shave to-day I must shave tomorrow." One who neglects to use the razor will soon be detected. He may pass for a little, but soon his face becomes "like stubble-field at harvest home." So unceasingly the Christian has to bear about in his body the dying of Jesus, applying to himself the cross of Jesus hour by hour, in words and ways refusing all that was judged at Calvary, so that unhindered the life of Jesus may be manifest in his body, that only what is of Him may be expressed.
Wonderful indeed is this! These bodies of ours are to be vessels for the expression of that which was expressed fully in the pathway of our Lord, that "the life also of Jesus"-His life here in this world-may be continued in the life of "His own," His loved ones, ourselves.

With this in view God may roll in death upon us-in one form or another. He may permit circumstances and conditions which may test and try and cast us upon Himself for relief. As with Paul, some thorns for the flesh may be suffered to afflict us. But His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in weakness.

And all is for our good, and all is "For Jesus' sake," so that His life may be manifested in our mortal flesh, that Christ may be seen in our pathway and in our service.

Then while death works in us, life will work in others; the vessel may be more and more broken that the light may shine out more and more.

Blessed indeed to live a life of liberty

"FOR JESUS' SAKE"

and for the blessing of others.

May it be yours and mine increasingly to walk in the Spirit and to be well-pleasing to our Lord until He come. Inglis Fleming