The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 310

THE SINNER TO BE WROUGHT UPON

270

in fact,

His name and glory. He does not allow us to days out of every ten for Him, and the rest for ourselves; He does not release us for a single day or moment. He de-

mands

the gain of our existence for His glory, unconditionally,

npon the

altar of

live three

He planned and created

always and evermore.

claims us.

Hence, being our Lord and Ruler,

us for

He

this.

Thus He

can not forego the

and since we never have rendered Him we are absolutely His debtors. What money is among men, loi^e is to God. He says to you and me and every man " As you thirst for gold, so do I thirst for love.

last farthing of life's gain

;

the tribute,

:

your God, want your love, your whole heart's love. This is My due. This I claim. This debt I can not cancel. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with The fact that we do not render Him this love, all thy strength." or render it unholily and fraudulently, makes us His debtors perpetI,

ually.

We know that this is called the juridical conception these effeminate days

men

,

and that in

desire to escape from the tension of the

But whole sentiment springs directly from a lie. This opposition against the juridical conception sets God at naught or ignores Him. Even without believing in God, one can dream of an ideal of holiness, according to the ethical conception, and strive against sin with inward thirst after holiness. But with only an ideal to incite him, there can be no room for right, no debt to God for one can not owe an ideal, but only a living persori. But when I acknowledge the living God, and that always and in all things I have to do with Him, then He has righteous claims upon me which I have violated, and which must be satisfied. Hence the juridical conception comes

right; wherefore the ethical conception is lauded to the skies. this

;

first.

The

ethical idea is

juridical idea is

;

"

latter is therefore of first

;

"I

am sick how

How can

can I become well?" God's violated right be restored? " ;

The The

The Christian must not wounds the very heart of the Re-

primary importance.

consider himself, but God.

It

formed confession when the pulpit aims at sanctification without Dr. Kohlbrugge's chief merit lay in this, that he grieved over this neglect, and with powerful hand stemmed the tide of despising God's right, saying to church and

zeal for justification. for God's sake

individual: "Brethren, justification

To

say, " Oh,

if I

were only holy,

first."

my indebtedness to God would

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