Crucify The Flesh, With Its Affections And Lusts
“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him.”—Joshua 7:19
The Lord our God is a jealous God; jealous of his own glory and his people’s good. Sin is contrary to both. God so loves his people, that he will not suffer sin to reign in them. Wilful, allowed sin, however secret, he will chastise for, and bring the soul to confess and repent of. Though sin shall not bring any one of God’s dear children to hell, yet it may bring a hell into the conscience for a season. Sin may break the peace of mind, though it cannot break the covenant of peace. Willful transgression causes the Lord to hide his face, or frown upon his dear children. This weakens their hands, dejects their hearts, and the enemy gets power against them. This was the case with Achan; therefore the accursed thing must be found out, confessed, and put away. Methinks Achan’s case should remind the believer of his carnal sinful nature. It is from hence spring all his troubles. Indulging its sinful motions brings grief to the soul; encouraging an opinion of its goodness and righteousness, is dissembling with God. It is hiding somewhat in the earth, in the midst of the tent which is abominable to him, and robs him of his glory. The flesh, with its lusts and corruption, though we may think of them as Achan did of the Babylonish garment, that they are ‘goodly’ yet they are accursed by the law of God. Therefore we are, through the Spirit, to ‘crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts.’ Like the wedge of gold, and the shekels of silver, all must be given up; we must retain none of its riches and treasures. How ‘often has our flesh made our hands hang down, our knees faint, and our hearts troubled!
Oh Christian, thou son of the Most High, give glory to the Lord God of Israel; hide nothing in the earth, in thy vile nature, from thy Lord and Saviour; make confession unto Jesus of all that is in thee, vile and abominable, wretched and hell-deserving as thou art by nature. Give Jesus all the glory of redemption, justification and salvation. Expect no good from the flesh, in the pleasures and enjoyments of sense; seek it all in Jesus, and from his Spirit. As Achan troubled Israel, he must therefore perish in the valley of Achor. So, Christian, the flesh that troubles thy spirit is shortly to fall and die under the sentence for sin. But, saith the Lord, ‘I will give the valley of Achor (trouble) for a door of hope.’ Hosea 2:15. Though the body be sown in dishonour, yet it shall be raised in glory. For, saith Jesus, ‘l am the resurrection and the life. He who liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.’ John 11:25, 26.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
