The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 443

—

:

;

THE FACULTY OF FAITH truth, is introduced to

fundamental

clear representation of

my

403

my consciousness — which is

whole being, and

is

the

perfectly adapted

—

and joined to it / believe. But this truth does not suit the consciousness of the natural man. He may insert it now and then by means of a temporary or historical faith, but only as a foreign element, and his nature immediately reacts against it, in precisely the same manner as the blood and tissue react against a sliver in one's finger. For this reason a temporary faith can never save a man, but, on the contrary, it injures him for it causes his soul to fester. The human consciousness as it is by nature, and the Christ after the Scripture, are in principle diametrically opposed. The one excludes the other. That which suits and fits the consciousness of the ;

man

natural

sciousness

is

is

This natural con-

the persistent denial of Christ.

the representation of his sinful existence

and since

;

an unconverted sinner always asserts himself and thinks himself savable, and proposes to save himself, he can not tolerate Christ. unthinkable to him; therefore he can not acknowledge

Christ

is

Him.

No, there

is

no need of Him

;

he can save,

too,

with Jesus,

or just as well as Jesus, or after the example of Jesus; wherefore this Jesus is

But

if

by no means the

only Savior.

the Christ after the Scripture

fits

his consciousness, that

consciousness must have been changed from what

and being the contains,

it

reflection

and

representation of his

follows that to

make room

it

was by nature

being and

all

that

it

for Christ, not to oblige

Him, but from his own absolute necessity, h\s being mnst first be Hence a twofold change First, the Jte7v birth, changing the position of his inward being. Second, the change affecting his consciousness, by introducing

changed.

the disposition to accept Christ.

And

this disposition, being the

organ of his consciousness whereby he can do

this, is

the faculty

of faith.

The

fathers have correctly observed that this disposition im-

parts itself also is like

to the will.

And

it

can not be otherwise.

a wheel moving the anns of a windmill.

The

In sinless

will

Adam

wheel stood squarely upon its shaft, turning with equal ease and to the left i.e., it moved as freely toward God as toward Satan. But in the sinner this wheel is partly moved from When he wants to the shaft, so that it can turn only to the left.

this

to the right

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