It's all a matter of attitude

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile. "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried, "Who'll start the bidding for me?" "A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two? Two dollars, and who'll make it three?""Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; Going for three..." But no, From the room, far back, a grey-haired man Came forward and picked up the bow; Then wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening the loosened strings, He played a melody pure and sweet, As a caroling angel sings.The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and low, Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?" And he held it up with the bow. "A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? Two thousand! And who'll make it three? Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice, And going and gone," said he.The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not quite understand. What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply: "The touch of the Master's hand." And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and scarred with sin, Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd Much like the old violin.A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine, A game -- and he travels on. He is "going" once, and "going" twice, He's "going" and almost "gone." But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd Never can quite understand The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought By the touch of the Master's hand.-- Myra Brooks Welch * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *THE CONDITION FACTOR -- Born into the world in the life and image of the first Adam, I grew up a condemned sinner, "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). In His foreordained time and purpose the Father called me, and by His grace and the Spirit's conviction of sin, I responded in unconditional faith--responsibly accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my own Saviour.At that moment the Holy Spirit, by His indweliing, brought me the life of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ to be my Christian life. Then and there I was placed in my position as a new creation in the Last Adam. Nevertheless, Adamic life and nature continued to indwell my body of mortal flesh.In the Spirit's time I came to realize the positional truths in the Word concerning me--from Romans 5:12 on throughout Paul's Church Epistles. I saw that I had judicially died unto sin at the Cross, crucified with the Lord Jesus (Gal. 2:20).In time, and plenty of that, I learned via Romans Seven not to struggle against the fleshly life of Adam within, but to count by faith upon the positional truth of the finished work of the Cross. "For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to have died indeed unto sin, but to be alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:10,11).As I reckon my new self positionally dead unto sin, the Holy Spirit progressively applies that finished position to my growing condition. I experience, step by step, the freedom from the power and reign of indwelling Adamic sin that was wrought on Calvary. My condition begins to conform to its source, my position in Christ.Likewise, reckoning upon my position as "alive unto God in Christ Jesus," the Holy Spirit centers my heart and mind upon the One who is my Christian Life. As I behold Him by means of the Word, in personal fellowship and worship, the Spirit of Christ develops that completed life to manifest the "fruit of the Spirit." With ever increasing growth I am slowly conformed to the image of the Son."But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).At the Rapture I will receive my renewed body, like unto His glorious body. Then, and not until then, my body of mortal flesh will be instantly transformed into my spiritual body. The old Adamic man will finally be eradicated, and I will be in eternal condition what has been my position ever since my death and resurrection in Him at Calvary--yes, ever since my Father formed me in His heart in eternity past.The question remains: what of these great liberating positional truths have you learned from the Church--whether it be through your local Bible church, or elsewhere?From nearly fifty years of close observation, I would say that your chances are just about one in a thousand.