November 1956 “The Victorious Life” Late Mr. N. Daniel

Romans 6th chapter; John 12: 32 “And I when I am lifted up from the earth, wil1 draw all men to myself.”

Jesus is speaking about His death on the Cross. The difference between Christianity and other religions is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This truth and atonement, you can find in no other religion. Hindu sages tried hard to overcome the world and sin. They went into the forest and subjected their bodies to difficult conditions, ate only vegetarian food. They subjected their bodies to severe fastings. In spite of all this, they could not find victory over their bodies or the way of salvation. Buddha tried meditation and subjecting his body to severe fastings to gain salvation. Kill your desires adopt nonviolence and attain Nirvana, he preached. This also is a path of defeat.

All men have sinned. They have also inherited a sinful nature by birth. Man has tried to find remedy for both sins committed and sin nature that runs in their veins. The one who created the first Adam, sent the second Adam into this world to redeem the fallen men. Jesus, the second Adam, lived a holy, perfect life and was lifted up on the cross to die, thus atone for our sins. To remedy the sin nature, He who was nailed to the Cross draws us also up to His Cross. Here, our sin nature is crucified with Him. Jesus draws sinners to His Cross so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins through His death. After this, He draws them to have a life crucified with Him so that they are delivered from sin nature. He says “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me, so that the body of death is nailed to the Cross.” There's no other who had a sinless body like Jesus, in this world. This Lamb of God carried away our sins in His body to the Cross and died. He rose again with the authority to forgive sins. No other person has the power to forgive sins.

Another grace also is granted to those who look at the Cross. The desires of the flesh die. To subject. the body to severe denials through one's will-power is same as strangling one’s body with a rope. Even if you go to the grave this way, your sins and your sin nature will still be upon you. When you starve your body and make it weaker and weaker, it may appear to you that the desires of the flesh have died. But they will be still there. When the surface of the earth is dry for want of rain, the seeds that lie in it or bulbs do not sprout. Those who try to dry up the body are just like that. The cross of Jesus is the remedy for us. That sin may not reign in our mortal body, the old man is crucified with Christ. If we die with Christ, we will also live with Him. That is, if through faith, we appropriate or enter into the death of Christ, the body of sin, dies to sin. Sin will not reign over us. Through faith, we are saved. And again, through faith, we are crucified with Him. We, who once wholeheartedly gave ourselves to sin are redeemed from sin. That we may become wholeheartedly, the servants of righteousness. The result is that holiness becomes our portion. Then thereof is eternal life.

This is a mysterious experience, which becomes ours through faith. Have we found new life in Jesus Christ? Good. But have you been crucified with Jesus? Through our body we contact the world, the desires of the world enter our body. These lusts try to captivate our will and rule over the soul. There is no power on earth that can deliver from this servitude or slavery. Our spirit should be subject to the Holy Spirit who has quickened it. And our will should be under the control of the spirit. This transformation is called being born again. Everyone who is converted tries to bring his will under the authority of his spirit which is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Our will which was a slave to the desires of this world, completely unites with the will of God, when we are crucified with Christ. As we take hold of the Word of God in prayer, our inner being which is being taught by the Spirit of God bridles our will and leads it into God's way.

This is what Jesus meant when He said that He would draw all men up to His Cross when He Himself was lifted up to the cross. He meant that He would draw men into His righteousness and His perfection. He would draw men into His love and His Holiness. Christ on the Cross is able to draw us. This is the heavenly magnet which attracts men who are fallen in sin to a higher life. It is a power that draws men into an unselfish life and a victorious life. As you look at the Cross, your defeats will disappear and will be replaced by victory. As you meditate on the Cross, your ugly and evil nature give place to Holy desires. When you are thus lifted up, you'll lift others also. He who is lifted up to be crucified with Christ becomes a powerful man to attract others. The Spiritual Magnetic field around him keeps growing. As you fill your heart abundantly with the Word of God, this inner part of you, which is able to hold your will in its grip will be getting stronger. As your obedience to God's Word increases, your power to attract others increases. If an ordinary strip of iron is stroked with a magnet, that piece of iron becomes a magnet too. As you look at the Cross, you are changed into a spiritual magnet. You'll draw other plain pieces of iron towards you.

Those who are crucified with Christ become those who rise again with Him. There is no defeat to such people. When Jesus was crucified, He obtained complete victory over the world, and was lifted above all the power of the enemy. Those who partake of His death and resurrection, share in this authority. Please read the 6th chapter of Romans, a hundred times and meditate over it, Appropriate the power in the death and resurrection of Jesus, with a body that is dead unto sin and a spirit that is alive unto God in every place that the sole of your foot shall tread, you will see victory. O Christian, have you won your village for Jesus? If you are crucified and buried with Jesus, you will surely win your town for Christ. You will not be distracted by looking at others but you will pray, gather a prayer group around you and intercede until your town is won for Christ. Even if you be a lone man like Elijah, you'll still win or else if you work with a team like Nehemiah, you will win. The glory of Christ will be seen in every place which you tread. You will be a co-worker with Christ. Love, Faith, Humility, Holiness, will spring out of you, as of themselves. The fruit of the Spirit come out of those who are crucified with Christ. You'll see victory in your family. You will win back those children of yours who have strayed out of the way. While you are praying, the spiritual drawing power in you, goes towards the lost and takes hold of them. It will take hold of your wife, it can take hold of your husband. When you were converted, the Lord gave you a pure heart and a clean conscience. In order to preserve and strengthen the pure heart and clean conscience, you need to be crucified. Paul speaks of this experience in Gal.2:20. “I have been crucified with Christ; It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;”

Now you find your lot, in pleasant places. A very precious inheritance becomes your own. You will fix your hope forever in the Cross of Christ. The Lord will be at your right hand. You will not be moved. Your spirit will rejoice in the Lord your Saviour. You will walk in the path of life. You will enjoy fulness of joy in Jesus. You will be full of the fruit of the Spirit. You will attract sinners to Christ.