True Christianity: A Treatise on Sincere Repentence, True Faith, the Holy Walk of the True Christian, Etc.Arndt, Johann
Religion
True Christianity: A Treatise on Sincere Repentence, True Faith, the Holy Walk of the True Christian, Etc.
Arndt, Johann
Christian life; Christianity
of the Mosaical priesthood, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, or
the mercy-seat, with the sacrifices, etc.,—all has relation to the
Christian believer. For unto him it appertains to pray in spirit and in
truth; to burn spiritual incense; and to slay the sin-offering by
presenting his body, through mortification, as a reasonable service and
sacrifice, so that Christ may truly dwell in him by faith.
3. And if we advert to the New Testament itself, what is this but an
outward expression of those truths, which are to be inwardly fulfilled by
faith, in the experience of the believer? If I become a new creature in
Christ, it is incumbent on me to live and walk in him; in him and with
him, to flee into exile, and to be a stranger upon the earth. The virtues
that resided in him I ought to practise; humility, contempt of the world,
meekness, and patience; and I am bound to be fervent in acts of benignity,
charity, and loving kindness. In and with Christ I should exercise mercy,
and pardon and love my enemies, and, with him, do the Father’s will. I
must be tempted by Satan with him; and, with him, I must obtain the
victory. I am to be derided, despised and vilified for the sake of the
truth that is in me; and, if called to it, I ought to die for and with
him, after the example of the saints, and in testimony that he, by faith,
hath lived in me, and I in him.
4. This is to be conformed to the image of Christ; this is to be born with
and in Christ; to put on Christ; to grow up and be strong in Christ; to
live with Christ in banishment; to be baptized with his baptism; to be
scoffed and crucified with him; to die with him; to be buried with him; to
rise with him from the dead; and to reign with him to all eternity.
5. If ever thou desirest to live in a constant union and conformity with
thy Head and Saviour, thou art in this manner to die daily with him, and
to crucify the flesh. Rom. 6:5, 6. Should this divine harmony not exist,
and another way be devised more consonant to thy fancy, then Christ will
not be _within_ but _without_ thee; far from thy faith, thy heart, and thy
spirit; and, in that case, he will profit thee nothing. But if thou permit
him to dwell in thy heart by faith, he will be thy strength, thy comfort,
and thy salvation.
6. All this, O man! doth faith in Christ effect within the heart; and thus
the Word of God becomes a living Word, and, as it were, a living witness
in us of all those things which are externally declared in the Scriptures.
Hence, faith is termed by the apostle a substance and an evidence, Heb.
11:1.
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