Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin FunkKline, John
Religion
Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin Funk
Kline, John
Kline, John, 1797-1864
"Notice right here the striking similarity of the text to what Paul
says. What does my text say? 'Behold, I make all things new.' What
does Paul say? 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old
things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.' What is it
to be in Christ? It is to be filled with his truth as a sponge is
filled with water when immersed in it. It is to be filled with gospel
light as a healthy eye is filled with light in the blaze of a clear
day. And when the spiritual eye is single, that is healthy, not
double-sighted, our Lord says the whole spiritual body shall be full
of light. The light is in the body, because the body is in the light.
I mean just what the Lord meant, the spiritual body, for Paul says:
'There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.' But he goes
on and says: 'However, that which is natural is first.' This we can
all see and know. We know that we were not naturally born of God.
'That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit,' and what is born of the Spirit is the spiritual
body.
"To be in Christ is to be in his love. I was once asked this question
by an individual who probably wished to puzzle me. He said: 'You
preach that a man must be in Christ to be saved, and at the same time
say that Christ must be in the man. How is this?' I answer by using a
very plain illustration. I said to him: When you get uncomfortably
cool in the shade, and move to where the sun can shine full upon your
body, do you not feel its warmth? Now, I said to him, the warmth of
the sun is in your body, because your body is in the warmth of the
sun. Just so we may say it is with us in a spiritual sense. The love
of Christ enters our hearts when we place ourselves where that love
can reach us. Now let me say, by way of digression from my main point
that the love of Christ will never enter a man in a drinking saloon or
in a gambling hall, because it is not there. Such places are as
destitute of the truth and divine love of Christ as the darkest and
coldest night is destitute of the light and heat of the sun. 'Behold,
I make all things new.' This is just what the Lord will do in every
man's mind and heart, spirit and soul, thoughts and affections,
purposes and their accomplishments, who opens the door and bids him
come in. This is the glorious work of regeneration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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