steps to christ-第9部分

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2　Corinthians　5：17。

A　person　may　not　be　able　to　tell　the　exact　time　or　place；　or　trace　all　the　chain　of　circumstances　in　the　process　of　conversion；　but　this　does　not　prove　him　to　be　unconverted。　Christ　said　to　Nicodemus；　〃The　wind　bloweth　where　it　listeth；　and　thou　hearest　the　sound　thereof；　but　canst　not　tell　whence　it　cometh；　and　whither　it　goeth：　so　is　everyone　that　is　born　of　the　Spirit。〃　John　3：8。　Like　the　wind；　which　is　invisible；　yet　the　effects　of　which　are　plainly　seen　and　felt；　is　the　Spirit　of　God　in　its　work　upon　the　human　heart。　That　regenerating　power；　which　no　human　eye　can　see；　begets　a　new　life　in　the　soul；　it　creates　a　new　being　in　the　image　of　God。　While　the　work　of　the　Spirit　is　silent　and　imperceptible；　its　effects　are　manifest。　If　the　heart　has　been　renewed　by　the　Spirit　of　God；　the　life　will　bear　witness　to　the　fact。　While　we　cannot　do　anything　to　change　our　hearts　or　to　bring　ourselves　into　harmony　with　God；　while　we　must　not　trust　at　all　to　ourselves　or　our　good　works；　our　lives　will　reveal　whether　the　grace　of　God　is　dwelling　within　us。　A　change　will　be　seen　in　the　character；　the　habits；　the　pursuits。　The　contrast　will　be　clear　and　decided　between　what　they　have　been　and　what　they　are。　The　character　is　revealed；　not

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by　occasional　good　deeds　and　occasional　misdeeds；　but　by　the　tendency　of　the　habitual　words　and　acts。

It　is　true　that　there　may　be　an　outward　correctness　of　deportment　without　the　renewing　power　of　Christ。　The　love　of　influence　and　the　desire　for　the　esteem　of　others　may　produce　a　well…ordered　life。　Self…respect　may　lead　us　to　avoid　the　appearance　of　evil。　A　selfish　heart　may　perform　generous　actions。　By　what　means；　then；　shall　we　determine　whose　side　we　are　on？

Who　has　the　heart？　With　whom　are　our　thoughts？　Of　whom　do　we　love　to　converse？　Who　has　our　warmest　affections　and　our　best　energies？　If　we　are　Christ's；　our　thoughts　are　with　Him；　and　our　sweetest　thoughts　are　of　Him。　All　we　have　and　are　is　consecrated　to　Him。　We　long　to　bear　His　image；　breathe　His　spirit；　do　His　will；　and　please　Him　in　all　things。

Those　who　become　new　creatures　in　Christ　Jesus　will　bring　forth　the　fruits　of　the　Spirit；　〃love；　joy；　peace；　long…suffering；　gentleness；　goodness；　faith；　meekness；　temperance。〃　Galatians　5：22；　23。　They　will　no　longer　fashion　themselves　according　to　the　former　lusts；　but　by　the　faith　of　the　Son　of　God　they　will　follow　in　His　steps；　reflect　His　character；　and　purify　themselves　even　as　He　is　pure。　The　things　they　once　hated　they　now　love；　and　the　things　they　once　loved　they　hate。　The　proud　and　self…assertive　become　meek　and　lowly　in　heart。　The　vain　and　supercilious　become　serious　and　unobtrusive。　The　drunken　become　sober；　and　the　profligate　pure。　The　vain　customs　and　fashions　of　the　world　are　laid　aside。　Christians　will　seek　not　the　〃outward　adorning；〃　but　〃the　hidden　man　of

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the　heart；　in　that　which　is　not　corruptible；　even　the　ornament　of　a　meek　and　quiet　spirit。〃　1　Peter　3：　3；　4。

There　is　no　evidence　of　genuine　repentance　unless　it　works　reformation。　If　he　restore　the　pledge；　give　again　that　he　had　robbed；　confess　his　sins；　and　love　God　and　his　fellow　men；　the　sinner　may　be　sure　that　he　has　passed　from　death　unto　life。

When；　as　erring；　sinful　beings；　we　come　to　Christ　and　become　partakers　of　His　pardoning　grace；　love　springs　up　in　the　heart。　Every　burden　is　light；　for　the　yoke　that　Christ　imposes　is　easy。　Duty　becomes　a　delight；　and　sacrifice　a　pleasure。　The　path　that　before　seemed　shrouded　in　darkness；　becomes　bright　with　beams　from　the　Sun　of　Righteousness。

The　loveliness　of　the　character　of　Christ　will　be　seen　in　His　followers。　It　was　His　delight　to　do　the　will　of　God。　Love　to　God；　zeal　for　His　glory；　was　the　controlling　power　in　our　Saviour's　life。　Love　beautified　and　ennobled　all　His　actions。　Love　is　of　God。　The　unconsecrated　heart　cannot　originate　or　produce　it。　It　is　found　only　in　the　heart　where　Jesus　reigns。　〃We　love；　because　He　first　loved　us。〃　1　John　4：19；　R。V。　In　the　heart　renewed　by　divine　grace；　love　is　the　principle　of　action。　It　modifies　the　character；　governs　the　impulses；　controls　the　passions；　subdues　enmity；　and　ennobles　the　affections。　This　love；　cherished　in　the　soul；　sweetens　the　life　and　sheds　a　refining　influence　on　all　around。

There　are　two　errors　against　which　the　children　of　Godparticularly　those　who　have　just　come　to　trust　in　His　graceespecially　need　to　guard。　The　first；　already　dwelt　upon；　is　that　of　looking　to　their

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own　works；　trusting　to　anything　they　can　do；　to　bring　themselves　into　harmony　with　God。　He　who　is　trying　to　become　holy　by　his　own　works　in　keeping　the　law；　is　attempting　an　impossibility。　All　that　man　can　do　without　Christ　is　polluted　with　selfishness　and　sin。　It　is　the　grace　of　Christ　alone；　through　faith；　that　can　make　us　holy。

The　opposite　and　no　less　dangerous　error　is　that　belief　in　Christ　releases　men　from　keeping　the　law　of　God；　that　since　by　faith　alone　we　become　partakers　of　the　grace　of　Christ；　our　works　have　nothing　to　do　with　our　redemption。

But　notice　here　that　obedience　is　not　a　mere　outward　compliance；　but　the　service　of　love。　The　law　of　God　is　an　expression　of　His　very　nature；　it　is　an　embodiment　of　the　great　principle　of　love；　and　hence　is　the　foundation　of　His　government　in　heaven　and　earth。　If　our　hearts　are　renewed　in　the　likeness　of　God；　if　the　divine　love　is　implanted　in　the　soul；　will　not　the　law　of　God　be　carried　out　in　the　life？　When　the　principle　of　love　is　implanted　in　the　heart；　when　man　is　renewed　after　the　image　of　Him　that　created　him；　the　new…covenant　promise　is　fulfilled；　〃I　will　put　My　laws　into　their　hearts；　and　in　their　minds　will　I　write　them。〃　Hebrews　10：16。　And　if　the　law　is　written　in　the　heart；　will　it　not　shape　the　life？　Obediencethe　service　and　allegiance　of　loveis　the　true　sign　of　discipleship。　Thus　the　Scripture　says；　〃This　is　the　love　of　God；　that　we　keep　His　commandments。〃　〃He　that　saith；　I　know　Him；　and　keepeth　not　His　commandments；　is　a　liar；　and　the　truth　is　not　in　him。〃　1　John　5：3；　2：4。　Instead　of　releasing　man　from　obedience；　it　is　faith；

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and　faith　only；　that　makes　us　partakers　of　the　grace　of　Christ；　which　enables　us　to　render　obedience。

We　do　not　earn　salvation　by　our　obedience；　for　salvation　is　the　free　gift　of　God；　to　be　received　by　faith。　But　obedience　is　the　fruit　of　faith。　〃Ye　know　that　He　was　manifested　to　take　away　our　sins；　and　in　Him　is　no　sin。　Whosoever　abideth　in　Him　sinneth　not：　whosoever　sinneth　hath　not　seen　Him；　neither　known　Him。〃　1　John　3：5；　6。　Here　is　the　true　test。　If　we　abide　in　Christ；　if　the　love　of　God　dwells　in　us；　our　feelings；　our　thoughts；　our　purposes；　our　actions；　will　be　in　harmony　with　the　will　of　God　as　expressed　in　the　precepts　of　His　holy　law。　〃Little　children；　let　no　man　deceive　you：　he　that　doeth　righteousness　is　righteous；　even　as　He　is　righteous。〃　1　John　3：7。　Righteousness　is　defined　by　the　standard　of　God's　holy　law；　as　expressed　in　the　ten　precepts　given　on　Sinai。

That　so…called　faith　in　Christ　which　professes　to　release　men　from　the　obligation　of　obedience　to　God；　is　not　faith；　but　presumption。　〃By　grace　are　ye　saved　through　faith。〃　But　〃faith；　if　it　hath　not　works；　is　dead。〃　Ephesians　2：8；　James　2：17。　Jesus　said　of　Himself　before　He　came　to　earth；　〃I　delight　to　do　Thy　will；　O　My　God：　yea；　Thy　law　is　within　My　heart。〃　Psalm　40：8。　And　just　before　He　ascended　again　to　heaven　He　declared；　〃I　have　kept　My　Father's　commandments；　and　abide　in　His　love。〃　John　15：10。　The　Scripture　says；　〃Hereby　we　do　know　that　we　know　Him；　if　we　keep　His　commandments。　。　。　。　He　that　saith　he　abideth　in　Him　ought　himself　also　so　to　walk　even　as　He　walked。〃　1　John　2：3…6。　〃Because　Christ　also

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suffered　for　us；　leaving　us　an　example；　that　ye　should　follow　His　steps。〃　1　Peter　2：21。

The　condition　of　eternal　life　is　now　just　what　it　always　has　been；just　what　it　was　in　Paradise　before　the　fall　of　our　first　parents；perfect　obedience　to　the　law　of　God；　perfect　righteousness。　If　eternal　life　were　granted　on　any　condition　short　of　this；　then　the　happiness　of　the　whole　universe　would　be　imperiled。　The　way　would　be　open　for　sin；　with　all　its　train　of　woe　and　misery；　to　be　immortalized。

It　was　possible　for　Adam；　before　the　fall；　to　form　a　righteous　character　by　obedience　to　God's　law。　But　he　failed　to　do　this；　and　because　of　his　sin　our　natures　are　fallen　and　we　cannot　make　ourselves　righteous。　Since　we　are　sinful；　unholy；　we　cannot　perfectly　obey　the　holy　law。　We　have　no　righteousness　of　our　own　with　which　to　meet　the　claims　of　the　law　of　God。　But　Christ　has　made　a　way　of　escape　for　us。　He　lived　on　earth　amid　trials　and　temptations　such　as　we　have　to　meet。　He　lived　a　sinless　life。　He　died　for　us；　and　now　He　offers　to　take　our　sins　and　give　us　His　righteousness。　If　you　give　yourself　to　Him；　and　accept　Him　as　your　Saviour；　then；　sinful　as　your　life　may　have　been；　for　His　sake　you　are　accounted　righteous。　Christ's　character　stands　in　place　of　your　character；　and　you　are　accepted　before　God　just　as　if　you　had　not　sinned。

More　than　this；　Christ　changes　the　heart。　He　abides　in　your　he