The Second Part of Calvary

I had a conversation with a friend the other day and I told him I'm not even to the point where I walk with God. In reality, I'm just crawling.

The real soul behind this idea that I shared with my friend is wrong, not because I'm really walking with God, but because I'm coming at this with the wrong premise.

Everything that I'm reading out of The Green Letters has been so challenging to me, and it deals mainly with the second part of Calvary. While the Reformation brought about what true salvation is, it fell short in emphasizing what real sanctification is.

Can't blame it all on teaching though. Stanford, the author of this book, says that "understanding and appropriating the facts of the Cross proves to be one of the most difficult and trying of all phases for the growing believer. Our Lord holds his most vital and best things in store for those who mean business, for those who hunger and thirst for His very best as it is in our Lord Jesus Christ. The believer's understanding of the two aspects of Calvary gives the key to both spiritual growth, and life-giving service."

Standford also quotes Adolph Saphir, who said:

The narrow path,

commencing with the cross -

'Ye have died with Christ' -

ending with the glory of the Lord Jesus,

is the path on which

the Lord draws near and

walks with His disciples...

if we gladly take hold

of the great fact of redemtion -

'I have been crucified with Christ'-

then Christ by His Spirit

takes up the exercise of

the function of life within us,

and leads us as His bond-slaves (disciples),

in the train

of His triumph.