Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-11-03


did it ignorantly in belief But for a
lost, dead sinner plea like. this avalls
absolutely nothing. For such. the one
and only plea is that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners
THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.
The Epstle to the Romans goes on to
unfold the doctrine of salvation. Sin ar.
ragns the sinner before the Divine judg-
ment seat, and he stands there as guilty
and doomed. Salvation therefore can only
be through redemption, and redemption
must be by blood. But as we have seen,
sin has another aspect: it corrupts and
depraves the whole spiritual being. The
| sinner therefore needs new nature. lie
must be born again, born from above.
| But these truths must never be separat-
ed. The Spirits work depends upon the
work of Christ. Hence the emphasis with
| which we are told that Christ came by
| water and blood; not by water alone, but
| by water and bloodas the r. V. renders
| it, "by the water and the blood
We all know what the blood means. We
are redeemed by the precious blood OF
Christ as of u lamb without blemish and
without spot" But some of us are much
at sea about the water. The water and
the blood are tigurative expressions. But
the figures are typical. And il we under
Stdnu lHc types, DOlu VIII tuiu oui
thoughts to the sacrifice of Calvary. The
water was "the water of publication of
Numbers TO- Water that owed its ccre-
monial efficacy to the sin offering. But
the sin offering was only for a redeemed
people; a people already redeemed by the
blood of the Paschal Lamb. When the
Lord returns in blessing to Israel. then,
as Ezekiel 36 teaches us, He will come by
the water" But this is because His first
coming was not by the water only, but
by the water and the blood. The blood
has already been shed, redemption is ac.
complished.
The two, / repeat, must never be sepa'
rated. And as redemption is altogether
Gods work. so also is the new birth. Like
the Apostles ministry (Gal. !: |, X. W,
it is mot from men. neither through
man" No ordinance or sacrament has
anything to do with it. Men can fix time
and place for ordinances, for ordinances
relate to earth: but the new birth Is from
above. The Spirit breathes where He
wills.
1t is to this thirty sixth chapter of Eze-
kiel that these words of Christ refer.
Three clements in the new birth are specl-
fed in the prophecy:
% 81 will sprinkle clean water upon
you, and We shall be clean" ". 25,)
(2l Il will give you a new heart
". 26(
l3l And will put Ny Spirit within
you" ". 81
THE WATER or REGENERATlON.' ~
In Matt 1928, the time of its fulfill
mrnt for the man Is designated by the
Lord as The Regeneration. And III the
only other passage III the New Testament
where that word occurs, 1t is used III con,
nection with THE water OF puriicaton
aud ho Ez,lyIpl nrnphppv nllnHp Dt
course to Titus 80: He saved us by
the washing of regeneration and renew
ing OF the Holy Ghost" The word here
used is loutron. 1t is m.rrendered
Washing" for II Is a noun substantive
and not a verb and the X. V. gloss (mar-
.iu) is misleading, for !outron Is never
used in the Greek Bible tor "thr LAYER.
But in the Greek Version OF EccIus. "a b
il i used for the vessel which held ';hc
water OF pur1ncaton.
But to return to the D,vmeir appointed
rite ol the Jewish religion, What was the
symbolism Of the water: scripture itself
supplies the answer. The word loutron.
ll" the word regeneration. occurs only
twice in the New Testament. ! have al
ready spoken Of Tttu, 81. the other pas.
,.,gr i Eph j:26 Christ gave Himself
Ion the Church, that He might ,tncutY
and cleanse It with the lohtr"n OF water
bv the Word.' In The typ" the l.rachte
reached the sacrifice hy means ot the wa.
ter: IN the autit,pc the believer reaches
the sacrifice by mran, ot the Word. Hence
the language ot scripture. the luutron ot
water IN HE Wuyd' The water ot puri-
Gcatinn was IL We have seen. the water oi
rcycncrat ION. and It is bN the Word that
the sinner i born again to Eod. 1t has
nothing to do with mystic arts 81 -mh.
bolrlh~ after the pattern "t ancient ~