Think of the miracle that must have occurred for someone to be able to make such a statement while he is still here in this world! How can I continue to sin when it is no longer I who is living? How can I get angry, offended, bitter, discontented, unthankful, bear a grudge against someone, steal, lie, become anxious, be vain and fond of finery; how can I argue, quarrel, be discouraged, feel that my honor has been touched, love the honor of man, be proud or love money, or boast about myself if it is no longer I who live? Can you tell me that? How can anyone who has completely ceased to live for himself do harm? A person sins as long as he himself is alive! How can I demand anything for myself when I no longer live? If I do not want to forsake everything and die with Christ, then I am bound to continue to commit sin. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin,” is the same as “he cannot sin” because he died with Christ, because it is no longer he who lives. 1 John 3:9. How I can stop loving when Christ lives in me? Gal. 2:20. How can I commit unrighteous deeds when Christ lives in me? Christ and conscious sin cannot dwell in me simultaneously. If Christ is within me, then sin is outside my heart. If sin is within my heart, then Christ is on the outside. This is precisely why He can stand outside the door of the heart of converted people and knock, as we read in Revelation 3:20. Unfortunately, most of them continue to live for themselves, because it is a well-known fact that the vast majority of people can commit all kinds of sins over and over again, even some of the basest sins, such as lying or bearing a grudge against someone! How can I continue to defend myself and my possessions and justify myself, when I am dead? How can I be selfish when it is no longer I who live? How can I have a living interest in all sorts of things around the house, in clothes and nice colors, when I am dead? And what interest can a dead person have in what other people say about him or think about him??? Can you tell me that? How much pain can it cause me when someone cheats me in earthly matters if I am dead to them? And how much does a dead person rejoice if payments in his name keep coming in? Can you answer me that? No one can rightly say that he does not have any self-will left, but by God’s grace it can become like this, that it appears as if he does not have a self-will left. How can I love the things of this world if I am dead to them? There is a song that contains these words, “My will no more,” i.e., it is no longer I who live. Is this true in your life? It is not so uncommon for people to want quite a few things!!! A dead person, someone who is no longer alive, has nothing more to lose because he has in fact left everything behind; he has passed away. However, someone who is alive has much to protect. He may suffer many misfortunes and much loss, as well as considerable afflictions from his fellow men. But these afflictions are not the death of him, as people quite often maintain. He still has the opportunity to lay down his life of his own free will. Then this great wonder, or miracle, will occur, namely, that he will be rid of all his unnecessary grief and pains! This is amazing! Thus everything becomes only gain, every little bit of it. “That we, having died . . . .” 1 Pet. 2:24. “We who died . . . .” Rom. 6:2. If we have died with Christ, why then should we consider ourselves “as though living in the world”? Col. 2:20. Have you ever heard such a thing? Now we must ask this question: What must first happen so we can truly achieve this indescribably glorious state? Two things: 1) We must truly want to die to everything of ourselves and of our own, and 2) We need to have a living, personally appropriated faith that we have died with Christ when He died on the cross of Calvary. If #1 is our desire, it enables us to believe. When we believe #2, it becomes reality.Elias Aslaksen

Paul calls the doctrine of Christ “the way” (Acts 24:14); and Jesus says, “I am the way.” We should be zealously trying to find out where the way leads and seek to become well acquainted with it. It seems that many people have the understanding that if they have come to Jesus, they have gone the whole way. The words of scripture in Hebrews 10:19-20 clearly contradict this idea. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest in the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh . . . .” These are clear words concerning the way. The devil would prefer if people did not see any difference between coming to Jesus (the way), and going on the way. We read in Hebrews 9:6, “Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.” This was before Jesus’ work was finished. The priests could not go any further than the first part of the taberna­cle, and their ministry in the first part of the tabernacle was called the ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7), in contrast to the ministry of the Spirit which makes alive. No matter how much they served and sac­rificed, they could not be finished with sin; their very ministry was a reminder to them of their sins. Hebrews 10:3. However, now that Jesus has finished the work, a new time has begun. Nobody needs to be powerless anymore when confronted with sin. Now the time has come when everything is restored. Christ has come as the high priest of good things to come. All His servants in the new covenant are now enabled to be servants of the Spirit and not of the letter. The priests in the old covenant were excused from going further. There was a veil that prevented them from entering the Holiest. But now this veil has been taken away. When Jesus breathed His last on the cross with these words, “It is finished,” the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, and the way into the Holiest was opened. Hebrews 10:19. Have we thought deeply and diligently over how great and glorious the invitation to enter in is? Are we apprehended of this above everything else? In the new covenant, all those who are born again become priests of God. They are part of a royal priesthood, and their ministry is to bring spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God. There is no longer an earthly veil that keeps them out of the Holiest. The veil that hin­ders us now is our own flesh. Jesus opened “a way” through the veil, that is, His flesh. Since we have the same flesh, this way also goes through our flesh—when we are crucified with Him. We have been reconciled in Jesus’ earthly body by death, to be presented holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight. Colossians 1:21 and 22. This reconciliation occurs on the new and living way. He poured out His soul by saying, “Not My will, but Your will, be done!” In these steps we are transformed into His image from glory to glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18. The first part of the tabernacle contained the lampstand, the table, and the showbread. These were holy, sanctified for divine service. Even though this was the ministry of death, the Scriptures also call it a glorious ministry. 2 Corinthians 3:11. It is the same in our days. We can be engaged in much Christian work, but do we partake of a dif­ferent nature? The only thing that avails anything is a new creation. Galatians 6:15. We are not sufficiently apprehended of the glory of Christ if we are content to remain in the first part of the tabernacle. It is impossible to be satisfied with serving God on a soulish level and constantly giving in to the same sins (Hebrews 9:7) if the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4) shines into our hearts. A body that is offered and presented to God puts an end to sin. “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father.” 1 John 2:1. The war is not lost because we have suffered defeat. Nevertheless, it is pot the teaching of the new covenant that we have to sin consciously each day. We are called to follow in His steps who did not commit sin; we are called to suffer in the flesh and be finished with sin. 1 Peter 4:1. The distance from the first part of the tabernacle to the outer court, which has been given to the Gentiles to tread underfoot (Revelation 11:2), is not long. We are already being trodden underfoot by worldly spirit powers if we are not wholeheartedly walking “on the way.” It is possible to make our calling and election so sure that we can avoid this. The lampstand was in the first part of the tabernacle and it cast light on the veil. This is how God’s word in our life casts light on the things that hinder us from doing His will, and so we get to see our true condition. The Father, who leads us to this point, draws us to the Son; and the Son, as the High Priest, is now ready to be our Mediator on the new and living way. The way goes through the veil, which is His flesh. It is a narrow way for flesh and blood; but for our spirit, which is set free, it pro­duces a fullness of blessing and the oil of gladness. It cost Jesus ve­hement cries, prayers, and calling out to God in need. Now this way has been consecrated; it is ready so that we can walk on it. “And by My Spirit, says the Lord” it shall be done. The way into the Holiest of All is not open as long as there is a separation between the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place. The first part of the tabernacle is still standing as long as we are not always ready to serve God. If we cannot from the heart submit to the trials that come our way, or humble ourselves under each other, or if a wife cannot be in submission to her husband, this witnesses to the fact that the veil has not been rent. Seeing that we have such a great and mighty priest over the house of God, let us advance with great boldness and in the full as­surance of faith. A smaller endeavor than this is unfitting. We are fully assured that He is able to do in our lives what He has promised and invited us to. Do not let this way that leads from being human to becoming divine, lie waste. Let us walk on it with zeal. It ends at the Father’s right hand.Trygve Sandvik