The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-12-28
How God Works In Us.

How God Works In Us.
Our text declares that we should
work out our own salvation, because
1t is God that worketh in us. This
puts Gods work first and ours subSe-
uuently. Let us therefore consider the
matter in this order. How, i'll what
sense. does God work in his people
not in the world; not in the repentant
sinner; not in the merely justified; but
In those who have passed those stages
of approach to God and, by the be-
getting of his holy Spirit, have en-
tered his family as children, as sous!
Behold what manner of love the Fa-
Their hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God" q
John iii. Il. "And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God. and joint-heirs
with Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans
viii, ~ How does God work in such
as have thus become his children
his sons?
We reply that be works in them
through bis spirit-the spirit of the
Truth; the spirit of holiness; the spirit
of conservation; the spirit of sonship.
That is to say. a certain holy power
or influence operates in and about the
spirit begotten children of God in bar
mony with this relationship. 1t has to
do with all of their experiences in
life-home. family. business. joys, suf-
ferings, pleasures. sorrows.
But Gods special way of dealing
with his spirit-begotten children Is
through their intellects-communic
ing with them through the holy Scrip
lures As the Apostle says. God who
spake In time past unto the fathers
by the prophets hath In these last
days spoken unto us by his Son" (He-
brews /. II. The twelve apostles whom
the Father specially gave to him. be
particularly accepted as his representa-
tives, his mouth-pieces. the channels
through whom would come TO the
family of God the instructions neces
sary for their development in holiness
the Instructions necessary for their
attainment of the hope of their calling
glory. honor aud Immortality in joint
heirship with Jesus their Redeemer as
the spiritual Seed of Abraham for the
blessing of the world Galatians iii. 29i
Our Lord Jesus refers to this work
Of God in his people through his Word.
saying. "Sanctify them through thy
Truth. Thy Word is Truth" John
XVII. ~. St Paul refers to the Scrip
lures as the power of God. saying,
IAN Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. and is profitable for doctrine.
for reproof. for correction. for instruc-
ton in righteousness; that the man of
God may be perfect. thoroughly fur
nished unto all good works" I'll Tim
othy iii. 10. III.
aye Are Gods Workmanship"
We have seen that God does a work
In his consecrated people. using his
providences in connection with the ex-
periences of life. and that he specially
uses his Word for their instruction in
righteousness We are TO remember
incidentally that our Lord Jesus who
redeemed us and recOnciled us by his
blood is still our Advocate with the
anu Jul liSli as NAAN -
theirs representative; that through him
we may be all taught of God-in the
School of Christ. Next we should note
the Divine method in this work of
grace being carried on in our hearts
from the time we fully submitted
them in full conservation, in faith.
Our text declares that Gods work In
us is divided into two parts-tO 0tll
and to do. Let US examine first
How God Works In Us to Will.
The will is the real person or ego.
The body is merely responsible as the
agent or servant of the will. With
the world the will and the body are
usually at ne-sympathetically coop
erative. But in those begotten of Gods
Spirit as his children matters are diff
ferent Their wills by conservation
are developed along lines quite antag-
onistic to the natural preferences OF
their flesh. so that the Apostle wrote.
with the mind myself serve Tor
desire to serveD the Law of God. but
f<@ra If1er{r IN.