Part 25 of 31 from "Christ our Righteousness".
By Carl Oluf Rosenius.
(1816-1868)
Translated from ekris.net
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5.24)
A criminal who is nailed to a cross, doesn’t die at once. He can still live relatively long, and be furious in his heart as wildly as before. Yes, he can also in words and look give vent to his emotions.
He can wish himself away from the cross, but hangs there nevertheless.
He can move neither hand nor foot, and, therefore, he can not in the least do what he want, unless somebody is persuaded to take him down from the cross.
This isn’t an accomplished death of course, but the destructive forces of the death are in action anyway. “So that the body of sin might be done away with” – Romans 6:6.
It is like that with the crucifixion of the sinful nature. The sinful nature isn’t completely dead at once. Neither does it ever become holy and good. But the Spirit must be allowed to perform that much in the person who belongs to Christ Jesus, that the sinful nature doesn’t get freedom to do what it wants. On the contrary it must be forced back with all its lust, and in that way daily be tormented and killed.
This is indeed a cross which our old man is attached to. It is a bitter suffering which everybody experience, who seriously try to crucify the sinful nature.
Translation Gert Gravgaard
