The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-06-29

A W III transformation of
life called a new
birth. We enter this life by birth;
our entrance upon eternal life must
be preceded also by birth. Sin has
effaced in man both the moral and
spiritual image of God. The new birth
restores both. This Is the uniform
testimony of Scripture The best that
can be said of the old nature, declared
to be dead in trespasses and sin (Eph.
2:I, Is that 1t retained, in spite of the
fall, a capacity TO receive new life
from God and respond to His known
WILL.
The parable of the sower aptly IL
Illustrates this. Therein four kinds OF
soil are represented. In three cases
the soil is inhospitable. In one case
only Is the soil good. But even here it
does not terminate the seed nor create
life within it. 1t only receives 1t, for
which 1t has the capacity and fur
nishes hospitable environment in
which it may develop and grow. The
Interpretation of the parable as gen.
orally given treats of the soil as the
| Word of God. 1t is therefore the plant
| ing of the Living Word in the heart
| (Which has the capacity 20 receive ii
and furnish a hospitabe environment
| for its developmenD that results in
| the reproduction of the moral and
| spiritual Image of God. This recep-
ton of the Living Word into heart
is definite, and more or less clearly
marked in the experience of the indi-
vidual, being accompanied often by as
positive u crisis as when u child is
born into the world.
In His talk with Nlcodemus (Johp
$3.50, Christ gives us the one instru-
ment, the Living Word, and the one
active agent, the Holy Spirit, in effect
| ing the wonderful transformation
called the new birth. These divine
elements of conversion are expressed
in other connections, as for instance
THAT He might sanctify and cleanse
1t with the washing of water by the
Word" (Eph. 5:26); "Being born not
of corruptible seed, but of incorrupt-
ible, by the Word Of God, which liveth
and abideth forever" Ct Peter l :23) !;
and According to His mercy He
saved us, by the washing of regener-
alton and the renewing of the Holy
Ghost" (Titus 3:5).
| Whenever, therefore, the Spirit Is
mentioned In connection with water
it signifies the Spirit of God operating
in and through the Word. To be born,
therefore, Of water and of Spirit, Is
the New Testament way of saying
that the Divine Spirit Is the active
agent, and the Divine Word Is the eff
fective instrument In the new birth OF
of the soul. ut is the Spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth moth
ing; the words I speak unto you they
are spirit, and they are life" John
:63).
"Here then from headquarters we
have a statement that His Words are
very spirit and life; that His Word
and Spirit are instrument and agent
in the immense work of creating a
new nature for the believer" "In the
new birth, then, the Word of God is
the seed the human heart Is the soil +;
God by His Spirit opens the heart to
receive the seed; the nearer believes,
the Spirit quickens the implanted
seed into life in the receptive heart ;
the new divine nature springs up out
OF the implanted Word; the believer
is born again, created anew, made
alive, passed out of death into llfe.'
A remarkable brick, taken from the
ancient wall of Babylon, bears the in
scription of one Of its mighty kings.
In the center of the inscription is the
footprint of dog. 1t was the custom
to imprint the royal mark upon bricks
used for public works. While this par
ticular brick was lying In It's plastic
or soft state, drying In the sun, a
vagrant dog evidently trod upon it.
The kings inscription is entirely IL
leglble, while the footprint of the dog
is perfectly distinct. SO sin has eff
faced the image Of God, leaving he
hind its own unmistakable mark. The
divine method of recovering what was
lost in sin is new creation based on
an act of faith In the finished work Of