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
It is the charge of the apostle Paul, “Put off the _old man_, which is
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of
your mind; and put on the _new man_, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.” Eph. 4:22-24. And in another of his
Epistles, he gives us a reason for doing so: “Ye are not your own; for ye
are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.
2. We have already noticed what is meant by _the old man_; namely, pride,
covetousness, lasciviousness, unrighteousness, wrath, enmity, hatred,
etc.; all of which must die in the Christian, if ever the _new man_ arise
in him again, and is day by day renewed.
3. In proportion as the old man dies, the new man is quickened. As pride
loses its influence, humility, by the grace of God the Holy Spirit,
succeeds; as wrath yields, meekness advances; as covetousness is done
away, trust in God is increased; and as the love of the world is removed,
the love of God takes its place in the soul, and becomes more and more
vigorous and ardent. In this consists the renovation of the new man. This
is the fruit of the Spirit; this is practical and living faith (Gal.
5:22); this is Christ in us; this is the new command of Christ and new
obedience; this is the result of the new birth in us, in which thou must
live if thou desirest to be a child of God; for those only who so live
have a right to be so called.
4. This is the reason why a man ought now to deny himself; to renounce his
own honor and will, his own love and pleasure, and all his profit and
interest in the world; and why he ought freely to give up his own right
and life, and consider himself unworthy of everything that Providence
bestows upon him. A real Christian, who is endued with the humility of
Christ, readily owns that no man can lay claim to even the least of those
benefits that descend from above, because they are all gifts, and freely
proceed from the goodness of God. On this account he uses all as being
really the property of God, with fear and trembling; not to promote his
own pleasure and satisfaction, his own profit and praise, but from
necessity alone, and because he cannot otherwise subsist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account