The Ohio Independent Baptist, October 1966

• or • one __ essin • By Rev. Clifford Lones "\'llll.' ~'l' i.''J'll' llCfltlt' a 'l)tritltal t1 1,t1,tr1 .t, ('tl<..' \\lll) 11<l\ C ('ll:l'lCllCCtf ., ~l' .. ,n 1 l1lc,,1ng. (,real 111c11 ()f (il1ll ... , \IC lllClll l\'nCti ~1, l ~ll111l)(llal C\ 1de11 C t ' · ,l , cL<.. tlti l1h.: ·,1 ng c pcr1c nee. l ,, ight l l l)t)d\ 1.: rc~1ut cd )f h,tv– i ng had a ,c ... 111d blc · ·1ng c pcr1cnce ,, th tl1' H l1l\ p1rit a ~ h \\ as \\ al k- 111 ~ ".i'-)'' 11 a treet. ...... Th<.) e f ti \ \ h don't holc.J to ,l cc<..1nd hl' 1ng d tr1ne n1u ·t adn1it. ..... l1 ,, , er. there i a real differe n e in l ~hr1 t1an . m hri ·tian have a , ital relation h ip ~ ith the Lord. \\ herea ·. other Chri tian , though ' 'er, und in doc trine. eem not to . hc1, e a , ital relation h ip with Chri ·t. The rea on for thi evident difference 1n hri t1an · lie not in the econd bl ·1ng but in the RECKO ED ble · ing. Great men of God along ,, 1th p1ritual hri ·tian h ave not rece1\ed a econd ble ing of the H ol)' pirit. they ha\'e suddenl y RECKO - ED them elve to a ble ing or b le - 1ng alreadv their in Chri t. Thu ·. ... ., let u meditate on thi word recko n. What it Means The \\ ord reckon n1eans to con ider on1ething a fact that i a fact . For example. a n1an may be 1tt1ng ve ry con1for tabl,· in a house wh ich i · on ., f ire. The fire i a fact and it · oon de truction of the hou e i a fact. bu t the n1an doe nothing about it unt iJ he ha knowledge of the fact and recko n himself to the ituation . . 1 l n reference to alvation. a person a\ed at the momen t he bel ieve and receives Chr i t. But, he may not ha, e joy and assurance at that mo– n1ent. Hov.-ever. a oon a he reckon , h1n1 elf to the fact of salvation. the jO}' and assurance come. I t may be at the moment he i aved or it n1ay be dav or even week after he i .., a,,ed. \ hen it con1e to a vital piritual relation hip with Chri ·t. the reckoning u ually con1e ometin1e after a per- on 1 a, ed and ha received kno \.\- J- ectge of \\ ha t hi relation h ip are \.\ ith Chr1 t A a Chri stian is taught God' \\·ord and a he meditates upon hi relation h ips v: ith Christ. often it uddenl)r da \\ n upon hin1 that the e relation hips \\'ith Chri ·t are fact and OCTOBER 1966 PAGE 4 he th~n 1~c k. ll n ~ 111111,l:lt ll f thc,c ltlc t, . ">t1 rc l\. the k.11<.) \\ ledge a nti rcckl1111ng l) l tf1 ' I ac t, 111 ,t\ co111c 1n J rogrC')5ivc , t~p,. l1t1l ~nowlcdgc 111a 1 be ,tcct1111u– l'" tcd \\it ht)U t reckoning. Whe n kno \.\ l– edge ,1CCL1111ul a.lc~ 1th0Ltl reckoning a perso n then 1 1a) 't1dcic111 1 reek n h1. rel,1t1 n hip with ( ' hri t as vitall y applica ble to h1111. and the e pcrience re ~uIt ·. 0 1n people try to explain 1t b} the term econd bles ·1ng while all the time it has become a RE - KO ED ble · ·ing or ble ings. Let u now co n ider ·ome relati on- ship · which every hri tian ha · with hri ·t a nd ·ee that the Bible exhort u to reckon the e relation ·hip a · fact - in our life. 1. RECKO ED RUC lFJ ION . DEATH A D BURIAL OF THE FLE H : HKno ,vin1,: tl1is , 1/1at oLtr old 1,1a11 is critcified 1-vit/1 H i, ,,. t/1at t !1e I> <J d)' of s i 11 , , 1 i g I, t be des tro )-'ed . 1!1at l1encefort/1 l ve sl1oitlc/ no t • •• serve s111. - R o111ans 6:6 Thi verse tel l u · to ~·know thi ·." or we n1av !:>a\'. "reckon thi.. ." Thi~ ., J i · further lated in Romans 6: l I , ' Likewise RECKO ye al ·o your– elve to be dead - : · The Apo tle Paul said aboLLt him e lf . "I am cruci– fied with hri t - ." (G a l. 2 :20 ). -rh i · crucif i>,. ion wit h Chri st i · not ome thing in the fut ure for the Bible ·ay it i · an already establi hed fac t. The spjritual Chr i ti a n has r eckoned Rev. Clifford Lones '11 11 1~ ·II 1 , 1l11 s l t1cl I c1t1c1l1 1un , 11 ( h r 1s1. ) ' , u 111a sta n<..I IJe ·ill c a tlca 111.1 11 in «I caske t ancl SJ)cak nil 111a nnt.: ut \ \' l)I' Is Hgai nst h i111 . IJltl y<J ll c, ,nnl ht1rt h i 111 - l1c is <.learl. )' o t1 c a 11 l" kc r l 11 l l) f his Ii f c (.) I' ch a J' a cl CJ l)ut Vl>l l c a1111 t) t ht1rt hi111 - he I - <.. lc,1<..I. ·1·11c <.lca <..l 111a 11 s bucl y wi ll no rise tljJ Hg,.1 in t yc) Ll l1n, lcr ,t11 y circt1n1 stance, '" I he life t)f ,L spirilLt ,tl hristia11 i n1t1ch the sa 111c. rlc has rcckoncc h1111 \c lf c rt1cif1cc.J (cl e,td ) w1th hri st You ca n11ot ht1rl , d1scot1ragc . 01 arott\ c the a11gcr o J ,l spir1tt1al ( hris t1 an - he J\ dead with hr1 c., t. ~ 1n ha~ no power over ,t spiritual ( hri tian becat1sc he h ,ts reckoned h1n1sclf dead and bt1ricd with hri ~t. ".')/, ct/I ive C<111ti,1i,e i,i s tn. - '! !1o l1' slzall ~VE 1~H A 7 AR~ DL'A D to si11 , l ive c111 ) ' l <Jt1ge1 1/1er ein?' ' You n1ay confront a spiritual hri tian with all manner of in but he ca nno t pos ibly participate in ~in becau e he ha reckoned him elf dead and buried with Christ. Whenever a piritual hristian i tempted to in, he immediatel y say · to him elf. " I cannot in because I an1 dead with Chri t. " Dead with Christ Furthern1ore, the piritual Chri ·tian doe · not erve the Lord becau e of fie hl y honor or position. Hi deci s– ion · in hi Jife or in the ervice of the Lord are not deci ions of self. bL1t deci ion .. which he knows Chri l i · making in hi mind. Hi fleshl y n1oti ves and de ' ire · are dead with Chri t. 2. RECKONED RE URREC"'T IO A D Y IELD! G TO THE LORD: The piritual Chri ·tia11 not onl y reckon himself crucified . dead and buried with Chri t ; but al ·o he reck– on him elf re urrected with Chri t. The Apo ·tie Paul not only said, "1 a1n crucified with Chri t,' but al o he aid , ' neverthele I live' ( Gal. 2: 20). The piritual Christian under tand · the whole ver e in Roman 6: 11, ' 'Like lvise RECKON ye also )'OLtrselves to be dead i11.deed L1n to sin , BUT ALIVE itnto God tl1ro11g/1 Jestis C/1rist v ur L ord. '. Everyday. the piritual Chri tian co n ider · it a con ·tant fact, becau e it i · a fact, that he i · living in Chri t. Hi di po ition, attitude, appetite , word . activitie . plea ure ·, etc. are li ved in Chri t b cau e of thi mo- 111ent by n1on1ent reckoning. Thu . the piritual Chri ·tian li ving ( Co11ti11 Ltecl 0 11 page 12 ) THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST