The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 456

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FAITH

4i6 the sense of saving faith

not perpetual

is

that

;

it

did not exist in

To be endowed much as relief from

Paradise, but can only be found in a lost sinner.

with saving

he must be a sinner, just as

faith,

pain can be given only to one suffering pain. "

Very

"

well," say the Ethicals,

we accept

But when the

this.

physician tries to improve the breathing of the asthmatic by ma-

king him inhale fresh does not inhale.

On

and deeply, and

it is

air, it

And

like

Adam

inhales strongly

the same applies to faith.

can give faith only to the

Spirit

man

the physician's purpose to assist the normal

function of breathing.

Holy

does not follow that a healthy person

the contrary, a healthy

before the

and

fall

sinner,

breathing was spontaneous in sinners like ourselves ;

to

And

this

the soul,

first

we

it is

disturbed.

But when our souls once more we have received only what Adam

be healed.

freely inhale the breath of faith,

and Jesus had before

saint,

most assuredly believe In Adam and Christ this

Christ, did

for faith is but the breath of the soul.

Hence we need help

True the

but a healthy

us."

oppose.

Saving

faith is not the ordinary breath of

disturbed, then restored.

No

;

it is

the specific

remedy

an expedient extended to him because he became a sinner; retained as long as he cofitinues a. sinner; withdrawn as soon as he ceases from sin. When the expedient is no longer needed,

for one lost in sin

;

and the soul redeemed from sin can breathe freely toward God without the expedient of faith, wholly restored, entirely redeemed, then only he receives once more that natural, spontaneous communion with the Eternal which needs no intervening aid, but which is like that of holy Adam and Jesus. Faith

is like

a pair of glasses, not only useless, but hurtful to

good eyes; very helpful

for diseased or

weak

eyes are abnormal, glasses are indispensable

;

eyes.

So long as

became Eyes never

before they

abnormal, glasses were useless (Adam before the

fall).

abnormal never needed them (Jesus). As soon as wholly restored, they are laid aside (the redeemed in heaven).

Next

in order is faith in connection with Sacred Scripture;

here the error of the Ethicals becomes very apparent. that sinless in

heaven

sinless

and

Adam and

still

Christ exercised faith, and that the

believe, leads

Adam had

in death the

away from

no Scripture

;

Scripture.

and

Their theory,

redeemed

In Paradise,

neither has Christ on the throne

redeemed forever

lose their Bible.

Hence

it is

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