The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 685

PRAYER FOR AND WITH EACH OTHER ground

of this fellowship is naturally

created of one

blood.

ganic whole.

It is

Humanity

is

645

found in the fact that we are

one.

The

nations form an or-

a mighty trunk with leafy crown

the nations

;

and peoples are the branches thereof, successive generations the boughs, and each of us is a fluttering leaf. Belonging together, living together upon the same root of our human nature, it is one flesh and one blood, which from Adam to the last-born child covers every skeleton and runs through every man's veins. Hence the desire for universal philanthropy

human

to us that is

praying for him, for he also If

we were

;

the claim that nothing be alien

of our flesh

and

for one another, a

of

heap of sand, each grain might pos-

Being leaves, however, of the same tree

apart from the groaning of every

is,

enemy and

of our bones.

but the mutual prayer of intercession would

be out of the question. there

is

like grains in a

sibly send forth a sigh

life,

;

the necessity of loving our

;

leaf, also

mutual prayer of the entire human

of

a prayer

life

" ;

the

whole creation groaneth." But in the Kingdom of Grace the fellowship of love is much stronger, firmer, and more intimate. There is here also an organic whole, even the body of Christ under Him the Head. It is not one converted person independent of another, and the two united by a mere outward tie of sympathy nay, but a multitude of branches all springing from the same root of Jesse growing from the one ;

;

vine

;

all

organically one

;

saved and redeemed by the same ransom

of His blood proceeding from the one act of election born again by the self-same regeneration; brought nigh by the same faith; breaking one bread and drinking from one cup. ;

;

And

let

us notice

it

well, this unity is

doubly strong; for

not independent of the fellowship of nature, but added to

it.

it

is

They

who become members of the body of Christ are with us created from the one blood of Adam, and with us they are redeemed by the one blood of Christ. Flesh of our

Hence there

is

here double root of fellowship.

bones of our bones. Moreover, born from one decree; sealed by one baptism; joined together in one body; included in one promise; by and by sharers with us of the same flesh,

inheritance. In this double fellowship of life is rooted the /i^r

which mutually

unites the children of God, especially in their prayers of intercession,

a union which appears sometimes in their mutual prayer.

Vital fellowship does not spring from our love for the people of

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen