Death Through Sin, Life Through the Righteousness of Christ

If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10.

Paul was an experimental teacher. He applies himself to the heart. He appeals to the conscience. He aims to quicken and animate the soul, and to draw out the affections to Christ, from what it had inwardly experienced of divine grace. O Christians, let this be your study when you meet and talk together. Yea, often do as David did. Converse freely with your own soul. If Christ be in you. That is, if he dwell in your heart by faith. If you have an inward approbation of him, delight in him, and love to him in your heart: if you believe in him as the Son of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost, to be the only Redeemer, Justifier, and Saviour of perishing sinners— what then? I will tell you, says the apostle, what will be the experience of your heart. (1st.) “The body is dead because of sin.” You will find, and groan under the weight of a dead body, when in your most solemn duties: yea, and in your best frames too, you will find its deadness, and feel its pressure. So that, as one says, a Christian is often weary in, though never weary of serving God. Because of sin, the body is dead to all spiritual delights. It has no relish but for carnal joys and earthly pleasures. It is under the sentence of the law of death, because of sin. No good thing dwells in the flesh. Expect none from it. Be content to leave it dead to spiritual purposes, as you found it. Do not gratify, but mortify it. Be not discouraged under this irksome sense and feeling. Rejoice, it is from experience, (2d.) That “the Spirit is life, because of righteousness.” Sin, and the loss of righteousness, brought death upon body and soul. A sinless man, with perfect righteousness, restores life to the soul. Some talk of their own righteousness, and the work of the Spirit upon the soul, and yet deny the obedience and righteousness of Christ’s life for us. This is contrary to the faith of the gospel. We find our souls alive to God, we own it is by the Spirit of God, because of the righteousness of the Son of God. Therefore we live by his righteousness, live upon him, and live to him, who wrought it for us. This is the life of the soul: the life of faith. O what a special mercy for the soul to be alive to God! O what joy, under a sense of all deadness, dejections, short comings, imperfections, etc. to have the perfectly glorious righteousness of Christ to plead before God! For though we are not righteous in ourselves, yet, “Christ of God is made unto us righteousness.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

What tho’ we find the body dead,
Under the curse of law:
We’re righteous in our living head,
And hope to see his face.

Christ in us lives by precious faith,
The life of every grace:
We feast with joy on what he saith,
And hope to see his face.

- William Mason, A Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God, Volume 2, September 28