THE CHRISTIAN FRIEND. GOD'S SALVATION. FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND DELIVERANCE FROM SIN. Romans iv. v. vi. GOD'S salvation, and the full deliverance which it brings from all the power of Satan, which, being won by the death of Christ, should be the present enjoyed portion of every Christian, is only known to him who has accepted by faith two distinct statements of the word of God concerning it; namely, that as God's salvation surely deals with, and settles the question of, my sins, so surely does it also deal with, and settle the question of, myself. "Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification," indicates the way of the settlement of the one (Rom. iv.), that is, our sins; for the Holy Ghost now present (Acts ii.) is now testifying to us (as He will testify to Israel, founded on the work of Christ, in the day of the new covenant), "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." But while this is true, it is His voice also saying we "are dead to sin," "buried with Him by baptism unto death" (Rom. vi.) (and therefore are we exhorted to reckon ourselves to be "dead indeed unto sin"); these and similar passages give us the other part of this "great" salvation; i.e. the end too of ourselves in that death of Christ in God's sight. Both are to be accepted and enjoyed only by faith. B |