The Normal Christian Life

Oswald Chambers' meditation below tows the same line as what I've been reading in Watchman Nee's 'Normal Christian life', together with these few days reading with the children on Romans really brings a lot of light to this matter on dealing with Sin (the nature thereof) and Sins (expression of sin nature). It is the blood of Jesus for our justification; cleansing us from Sins and our crosses dealing with the Sin nature for our sanctification. This has also been my personal experience to declare that this is true, albeit still many crosses ahead as the Lord desires that we grow from glory to glory.

We need to be crystal clear in the differentiation between Justification and Sanctification. Without which we can swing into either legalism or antinomianism (salvation by works and not by faith or Christianity without discipleship). Rejecting the cross could lead us to antinomianism which will loose the truth of the cost of discipleship thus breeding cheap grace. Conversely, if assemblies of believers pursue holiness without the cross, legalism could step in for the force behind the religious system during Jesus time was precisely that. Legalism breeds condemnation but the Apostle teaches in Rom 8:1 that we won’t be condemn if we walk not after the flesh (1 John 2:15-17) but after the Spirit. The letter kills but the spirit of the Gospel gives life (2 Cor 3:6).

Watchman Nee's book is a must read to understand what Ps Susan and Ps Wong has been preaching on the cross (at the Station of Life). The centrality of the cross of Jesus in a Christian’s pilgrimage will determine our desire to follow Him (Luke 9:23). Our desire for neither selfless service in activities nor any form of self zealousness is not the plumb line of following Jesus.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(Rom 6:22)

The fruit of following Jesus and taking up our crosses is Holiness. This means that we don't have to be hung up on pursuing holiness, it's about following Jesus. From this verse it appears that holiness and everlasting life are not mutually exclusive. Therefore living a life of sanctification will determine our salvation at the end… as Watchman Nee put it aptly; our pilgrimage of sanctification and willingness to take up our crosses is the normal Christian life. May we not live sub-normal lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oswald Chambers
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php

. . . our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin —Romans 6:6

Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin— that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you-not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.
Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, "Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me." Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin" ( Romans 6:11 ) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.
Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . ." ( Galatians 2:20 ).