The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 352

REGENERATION

312

and the unregenerate so great that

finally

leads to direct oppo-

it

sites.

To say that between the regenerate and the unregenerate there no difference is equivalent to a denial of the work of the Holy Spirit. Generally, however, no difference is noticed at first, no

is

more than

Twins

in the grafted tree.

lie in

the

same

we can not see the The former may even have

regenerated, the other not, but

ence between the two.

cradle, one

slightest differ-

a worse temper Both spring from the same wild trunk. Dissecting knife nor microscope could detect the least difference; for that which God has wrought in the favored child is wholly spiritual and invisible, discernible to God alone.

than the

They

latter.

are exactly alike.

This fact must be confessed definitely and emphatically, in opwho say that the seed of regeneration is material.

position to those

This error occupies the same ground as the Manichean heresy in the matter of sin. The latter makes sin a microbe, and this makes the seed of regeneration a sort of perceptible ness.

And

Bohl has earnestly protested. The seed of regeneration ual.

It

germ of life and holiamong others. Dr.

this falsifies the truth against which,

does not create two

regeneration there

is

is

men

intangible, invisible, purely spiritin

one being, but before and after

but one being, one ego, one personality.

—

Not an old and a new man, but one man viz., the old man before regeneration, and the new man after it who is created after God in perfect righteousness and holiness. For that which is bom of God cannot sin. His seed remaineth in him. "Old things are passed

—

away, behold, all

tilings

Yet the nature

are become new."

is truly changed, and on the new nature in principle, he still continues to work through the old nature. The grafted tree is not two trees, but one. Before the grafting it was a wild rose, after it a cultivated one. Still the new nature must draw its saps through the old nature apart from the graft, tne trunk remains

in

such a

way

of the

ego or personality

that, putting

;

wild.

Hence before

as well as after regeneration

of death, as soon as

seed.

we

we

lie in

the midst

consider ourselves outside of the divine

Wherefore, trying to avoid one false position,

careful not to run into another

;

we must be

trying to escape the Siamese twin-

ship of the old and the new man, and maintaining the unity of the ego before and after regeneration, we should not begin to teach that

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