"Born of the Spirit;" or, Gems from the Book of LifeOsborne, Zenas
Religion
"Born of the Spirit;" or, Gems from the Book of Life
Osborne, Zenas
Free Methodist Church of North America; Osborne, Zenas
The term “_perfection_,” refers especially to the completeness of
Christian character; its freedom from all sin, and its possession of
all the graces of the spirit; completeness in kind. “Let us go on
unto perfection.”
The term perfect love points more directly to the spirit, temper, and
element in which the wholly _sanctified_ and perfect Christian lives.
“God is love,” and they that dwell in God, dwell in love.
In regeneration sin does not reign; in “_sanctification_,” it does
not exist. In _regeneration_, sin is suspended; in _sanctification_,
it is destroyed. In regeneration, irregular desires, anger, pride,
unbelief, envy, malice, are subdued; in “_sanctification_,” they are
removed.
Regeneration is salvation from the voluntary commission of sin;
“_sanctification_” is salvation from the being of sin. “It is the
will of God, even your _sanctification_.”
This state of grace is both _permissive_, and _authoritative_. The
cleansing stream is in reach of every believer, and the declaration
has gone out, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
It is gloriously possible to touch the hem of his garment, and be
made whole every whit.” But secondly, it is the will of God in an
_authoritative_ sense. He requires us, to seek entire holiness. The
length and breadth of the evangelical law, is this: “Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy
mind, and with all thy strength, and what is this but a state of
entire sanctification,” and what less could God require? I believe
that all real Christians accept this statement, but disagree in
regard to the time when this blessed work shall be accomplished. Many
putting it at, or near death, while we, upon the authority of God’s
word say that _now_, is the acceptable time, “To day, is the day of
salvation.” This state of grace, bears its own legitimate fruit;
and when Christians love the Lord with all their hearts, love the
souls of men more than their own ease, or emolument, “and love each
other with pure hearts fervently,” their example speaks volumes,
and preaches more effectively than words in favor of the cause they
profess to love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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