Which? - Chambers, Oswald
Address given at the annual autumnal gathering of the league of prayer in Caxton hall, London , November 5, 1913
But god forbid that i should glory, save in the cross of our lord Jesus christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and i unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)
God or sin
God or sin must die in me. The one elementary bible truth we are in danger of forgetting is that the gospel of god is addressed to men as sinners, and nothing else. In tracing the experimental line of church history one notices a significant thing whenever a voice has been raised, like john wesleys, on behalf of gods great power to deliver from sin, instantly a reacting wave of piety occurs, which takes the form of devotion and sentimental religious activity while the real message of the gospel is lost by obliteration. After john wesleys teaching a protest was lodged strongly against his emphasis on a second definite work of grace, and the consequence was a revival of that wave of sentimental higher life not rooted and grounded in a changed life by gods grace.
Christ or Barabbas
And they crucified him. (Matthew 27:35) Christ versus Barabbas we have to choose. For a long while we can ignore sin and dwell on the fact that god is our father, but if we mean by that that he forgives sin because he is loving, we make the atonement a huge blunder and calvary a mistake. What does Barabbas represent? The expedient to Jesus Christ, something less radical, less emphatic, less against what we want. What is the Barabbas in your life and mine? Shall we give our vote for Christ or Barabbas to be crucified? Most of us have voted at one time in our history with god against Christ. The choice is always put when we are in the ascendant, when we are not being over-swayed either by Christ
Or barabbas, but when we are in full possession of our powers; then gods providence puts the choice suddenly in front of uschrist or barabbas?
Christ or the old man
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. . . . (Romans 6:6)
What is our old man? The disposition of sin in us discovered by the incoming spirit of god when we are born from above (rv mg). A christian experiencing the first work of gods regenerating grace begins to discern this disposition, and the issue is clear that that old disposition must be crucified or the spirit of Christ must be crucified, the two cannot remain long together. Paul states triumphantly, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him . . . (RV ). It was not a divine anticipation on the part of the apostle Paul, it was a very radical, definite experience. Are those of us who have experienced gods regenerating grace prepared to go the whole length with Jesus Christ? Are we prepared to let the holy spirit search us until we know what the disposition of sin is, the thing that rules and works its own way, that lusts against the spirit of god that is in us? Will we agree with gods verdict that that disposition should be identified with the death of Jesus? If so, then thank god, it will be as dead in us as the dead Christ was as a crucified body. Beware of going on the line of i am reckoning myself to be dead indeed unto sin unless you have been through the radical issue of will with god. Are we willing to be so identified with the death of Jesus Christ that we know with no apology that our old man was crucified with him?
Christ or I
I have been crucified with Christ; yet i live; and yet no longer i, but Christ liveth in me. (Galatians 2:20 RV)
Christ or i? I mean the religious i, the spiritual i, the pride of spiritual possession. Have we learned the glorious, unmistakable privilege of being crucified with Christ until all that is left is Christs flesh and Christs blood in our flesh and in our blood where once the world, the flesh and the devil had their way? These are tremendous things to say in the light of the way the modern mind looks at things, but not too tremendous in the light of the gospel.
Christ or the world
. . . By whom the world is crucified unto me, and i unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)
What is the world? The set of people with the ambitions, religious or otherwise, that are not identified with the lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, i am crucified to that world, and that world is crucified to me. When the world comes before us with its fascination and its power, it finds us dead to it, if we have agreed with god on his judgement about sin and the world. These are not only statements made in gods book, they are meant to be real, definite experiences in our lives. If the issue is put before you in your own life just now Barabbas or Christ? You can no longer debate the question, you must decide; but let me plead with you to decide for Christ and have Barabbas crucified.
If you have been born from above and the spirit of god is discerning in you the old man, the dis- position of sin, then make it an issue of will with him, tell him that you want to be identified with the death of Christ until you know that your old man is crucified with Christ. If you have gone through that issue of will, then stand clear for Christ and Christ only, until i have been crucified with Christ is not a sentiment, but a sensible fact in daily living, walk and conversation, stamped with the other worldliness of the life hid with Christ in god.