Romans 5:1-11 sets forth the terms on which God is with you. Chapter 8 is how you are in Christ before Him. Many are occupied with chapter 8 who are not yet established in chapter 5. They must be taken in divine order. When you look up to God you see everything gone to His satisfaction; but when you look at yourself you are troubled with the working of sin. Why is this! You must change your man; that is the only solution to the difficulty.
In the first eleven verses of chapter 5, you see that everything has been established for you to God’s satisfaction. In the latter half of the chapter it is, you must change your man; it is not to be Adam, but Christ. I ask, with what man are you connected, Adam or Christ? You will never know that you are dead to sin until you have changed from Adam to Christ!
You can never rise up to how you are to be before God until you are enjoying the terms on which He is with you. The prodigal was brought in to share the joy of the father (he wanted to be his father’s again in any way possible, though he was esteemed as well as any other—NC). How much is really lost by not seeing that the love of God has brought us to Himself; that is the true beginning of growth. We have not begun aright if we do not see this.
You could not be in the Holiest and not be settled about yourself. If you refer to your sins you are not settled (in peace, knowing there is never a time we aren’t in God’s forgiveness—NC) as to yourself; when you are settled you are not occupied with yourself and your sins; you are clear of sins, the flesh, self (old self—NC) and everything, and pass into the Holiest to be occupied with Him (2Co 3:18). If you are walking in the Spirit, you are occupied with the Lord Jesus, and not with the flesh; you have entered on new ground outside of everything here.
In the Lord’s Supper you are calling Him to mind. He died on this earth, and you are occupied with that great fact. In conclusion, the great mark of God’s favor in OT times was, “I will be with thee” (Gen 26:3; 31:3; Exo 3:12; etc.—NC), and that is not withdrawn. He says to us, “I will never leave thee” (Heb 13:5). But besides this great favor there is a greater favor now, and that is, You shall have “part with Me” (Jhn 13:8). You do not lose the first because you have the second; but you are brought into another and greater favor.
The Lord grant that we may each of us be more awakened to the futility of accepting the Word of God with the mind of man, and thus limiting it to man. Many think that because they have the light of a truth that they are in the reality of it. No! You may know the whole Bible, and have much light, but there is no growth beyond the measure of the Spirit’s work in you.
—J B Stoney
MJS daily devotional excerpt for February 19
“Early in the Christian life we naturally feel that it is our obligation to overcome self and become spiritual. We do not yet realize that time and processing are required before we are able to give up self-effort for our growth. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, not our obligation. “God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit” (2 Thess. 2:13).”—Miles J Stanford
“The self-life is surely our first and most bitter foe, and the believer who will serve God acceptably must learn His way of victory over this subtle and dangerous enemy. The flesh is irrecoverably fallen and you and I make no real progress in the Christian life until we have learned in experience to say with the apostle: ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing’ (Rom. 7:18).” - John Galway M'Vicker (1826-1900)
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/ (recommend reading the rest)
In the first eleven verses of chapter 5, you see that everything has been established for you to God’s satisfaction. In the latter half of the chapter it is, you must change your man; it is not to be Adam, but Christ. I ask, with what man are you connected, Adam or Christ? You will never know that you are dead to sin until you have changed from Adam to Christ!
You can never rise up to how you are to be before God until you are enjoying the terms on which He is with you. The prodigal was brought in to share the joy of the father (he wanted to be his father’s again in any way possible, though he was esteemed as well as any other—NC). How much is really lost by not seeing that the love of God has brought us to Himself; that is the true beginning of growth. We have not begun aright if we do not see this.
You could not be in the Holiest and not be settled about yourself. If you refer to your sins you are not settled (in peace, knowing there is never a time we aren’t in God’s forgiveness—NC) as to yourself; when you are settled you are not occupied with yourself and your sins; you are clear of sins, the flesh, self (old self—NC) and everything, and pass into the Holiest to be occupied with Him (2Co 3:18). If you are walking in the Spirit, you are occupied with the Lord Jesus, and not with the flesh; you have entered on new ground outside of everything here.
In the Lord’s Supper you are calling Him to mind. He died on this earth, and you are occupied with that great fact. In conclusion, the great mark of God’s favor in OT times was, “I will be with thee” (Gen 26:3; 31:3; Exo 3:12; etc.—NC), and that is not withdrawn. He says to us, “I will never leave thee” (Heb 13:5). But besides this great favor there is a greater favor now, and that is, You shall have “part with Me” (Jhn 13:8). You do not lose the first because you have the second; but you are brought into another and greater favor.
The Lord grant that we may each of us be more awakened to the futility of accepting the Word of God with the mind of man, and thus limiting it to man. Many think that because they have the light of a truth that they are in the reality of it. No! You may know the whole Bible, and have much light, but there is no growth beyond the measure of the Spirit’s work in you.
—J B Stoney
MJS daily devotional excerpt for February 19
“Early in the Christian life we naturally feel that it is our obligation to overcome self and become spiritual. We do not yet realize that time and processing are required before we are able to give up self-effort for our growth. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, not our obligation. “God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit” (2 Thess. 2:13).”—Miles J Stanford
“The self-life is surely our first and most bitter foe, and the believer who will serve God acceptably must learn His way of victory over this subtle and dangerous enemy. The flesh is irrecoverably fallen and you and I make no real progress in the Christian life until we have learned in experience to say with the apostle: ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing’ (Rom. 7:18).” - John Galway M'Vicker (1826-1900)
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/ (recommend reading the rest)
