Victory Over Sin – Part 6

You have come to the light at the end of the tunnel for this segment of “Victory Over Sin.” Hopefully with Part 6, you now have the entire article and can go back and read it in its entirety to cement the beautiful discourse of Elder Charles Fitch. It is possible for all of us, fully surrendered and obedient to God’s will, to be overcomers of sin. Here is the final segment, Part 6. Please enjoy!!

You ask me finally concerning myself. Here, Dear Brother, I speak with unfeigned diffidence. I love to look at my Saviour, and to hold Him forth in all His fulness to my needy, perishing fellow men. But in myself, aside from what the grace of God has done, and shall do for me, I find nothing but the dark and perfect lineaments of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. I speak sincerely, my Brother. I know that if God should withdraw his grace from me, and leave me to myself, there is not a sin within the reach of my powers, which I would not instantly commit and practice forever. {1839 CF, VOS 22.6}

And now, having told you what I think of myself, to my own shame, permit me to tell you what I think of the grace of God, to his praise. “God has promised to dwell in me, and walk in me; and be my God;” and this I consider a pledge of every possible good which He can give me. “Having therefore such promises,” I expect, by trusting in Christ, that they will be fulfilled to me for His sake, “to be cleansed from

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all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.” {1839 CF, VOS 22.7}

My God has sworn that He will grant me, that I, being delivered out of the hand of my enemies, may serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of my life; and He has raised up Jesus Christ to be my horn of salvation, to perform to me this mercy promised to our fathers, to remember this holy covenant, this oath which he sware. I do therefore expect, through the strength and faithfulness of my Lord Jesus Christ, in performing to me this holy covenant and oath of God, to be delivered out of the hand of my enemies, and to serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of my life. I expect that He, according to His own promise, will be faithful to sanctify me wholly, and to preserve my whole spirit, and soul, and body, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In myself, I am nothing but a miserable, lost sinner; but in my Saviour, “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;” and He has made me “complete in Him.” I therefore expect “to abide in Him, and whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” {1839 CF, VOS 23.1}

And now, my brother, as to what I expect to preach, I have only to say, that I expect to uncover to my fellow men, just so far and just so long as my God shall enable me, “this fountain which has been opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness .” I expect to do all in my power to make my fellow men acquainted with the “holy covenant of our God, and the oath which He sware, that He will grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, may serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our lives; and that Christ is our horn of salvation to perform this covenant; this oath of a covenant-keeping God ;” that this and every other “promise of God is yea and Amen in Christ, unto the glory of God by us .” That He who hath called them is faithful, to sanctify them wholly; to preserve their whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ . That Christ gave himself for us, that he might sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present us to Himself, a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that we “should be holy and without blemish ;” and that they have only, like Paul to “believe God, that it shall be even as it was told them ;” and, like Abraham, to “stagger not at the promise of God through unbelief; but to be strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded, that what God had promised He was able also to perform ; and like Sarah to judge him faithful who had promised;” and by placing this confidence in their Savior, they shall so receive the fulfillment of God’s exceeding great and precious promises, as to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust;” that having these promises

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and this faith in Christ for their fulfillment, “they shall cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” This, my Brother, I regard as the glory, the crowning excellency of the gospel, the brightest star in the whole firmament of revealed truth; and with my Saviour’s permission, I expect to point my fellow men to this day star of hope, until the hand that points them is given to the worms. It is, to my soul, a fountain of living waters, a wellspring of life, and I expect to say to my fellow men, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price;” and to cease not, until the lips that are allowed the high privilege of uttering such an invitation, can speak no more. {1839 CF, VOS 23.2}

And now, my Dear Brother; you have my whole heart laid open without reserve; and to God I commit myself, and his truth, and the cause of the Saviour, dearer to me than life. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”  

Your Servant in the Gospel,  

CHARLES FITCH. {1839 CF, VOS 24.1}

AARON GUEST, PRINTER, 121  MARKET-STREET. 1839