"WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED"

"WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED"
Romans 7:9

DON FORTNER


Before the commandment came, piercing his heart and soul, sin was a dead thing to Saul. He had mortified the flesh. He had sanctified himself. He did not believe that there was really any great sin in him. In his own estimation, and in the eyes of others, Saul was a truly holy man. But when the commandment came crushing upon his soul by the power of God in Holy Spirit conviction, it exposed his sin by identifying it. The law aggravated his sin, stirring up the rebellion of his heart. For the first time in his life, Saul felt himself to be a guilty sinner. This conviction of sin is not an easy thing to experience. But it is necessary. Without it, no man will ever come to Christ to be saved by his merits.

Then he adds, "AND I DIED." At last, Saul was stain by the law. His mouth was stopped. He stood guilty before God. What was it in this man that died? It was that which ought never to have lived. It was the great "I". "Sin revived, and 'I' died. " The law killed him. "I,' was so secure. "I" was so proud. "I" was so holy. "I" was so zealous. But now "I died." Any man whose heart has been exposed to the light of God's holy law sees himself as a vile, obnoxious, rotting corpse of human flesh. What does Paul mean by this statement - "I died"? He means, "I saw that I was justly condemned to die. All my hopes from my past life of self-righteousness died. All my hopes regarding the future died." He had broken the law of God, and all his efforts to keep it in the future could not atone for his sin. All his tears of repentance, all his sorrowful cries, all of his sincere confessions, all his best deeds, could not mend God's broken law.

Could my tears forever flow, Could my zeal no languor know,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone.

The thunderous bolts of Sinai dashed all his hopes to the ground. The iron cold sword of the law had wounded and slain his spirit. Then, but not until then, we hear this broken man cry, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?"

Here are five powerful truths that dawned upon my soul, by which I was, like Saul, slain: (1.) MY OWN SINFULNESS: the sinfulness of my deeds, of my nature, and of my righteousness (Isa. 64:6). (2.) THE lNFINITE HOLINESS OF GOD'S LAW. The law of God requires perfection. God cannot and will not accept anything less than absolute perfection (Lev. 22:21). (3.) MY NEED OF A PERFECT SUBSTITUTE. I must have someone to obey the law and accomplish righteousness for me. I must have someone to make an infinite, justice satisfying atonement for my sins. That Substitute I found in Jesus Christ the Son of God. (4.) THE NECESSITY OF FAITH. I saw that faith in Christ is the only way a sinner can ever find acceptance with God. (5.) THE GIFT OF FAITH. And I saw that faith in Christ is the gift of God. By these five truths I was slain; all hope in myself was gone. And I was compelled to fall down before Christ, suing for mercy - "God, be merciful to me, the sinner" "Lord, if you will you can make me whole."

DON FORTNER IS PASTOR OF
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
DANVILLE, KY