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第20章

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need not quote the texts upon the subjectthe texts about abiding

in Christ。  〃He that abideth in Him sinneth not。〃  You cannot sin

when you are standing in front of Christ。  You simply cannot do it。

Again:  〃If ye abide in Me; and My words abide in you; ye shall

ask what ye will; and it shall be done unto you。〃  Think of that!

That is another inevitable consequence。  And there is yet another:

〃He that abideth in Me; the same bringeth forth much fruit。〃

Sinlessnessanswered prayermuch fruit。



But in addition to these things; see how many of the highest Christian

virtues and experiences necessarily flow from the assumption of

that attitude towards Christ。  For instance; the moment you assume

that relation to Christ you begin to know what the CHILD…SPIRIT

is。  You stand before Christ; and He becomes your Teacher; and

you instinctively become docile。  Then you learn also to become

CHARITABLE and TOLERANT; because you are learning of Him; and He is

〃meek and lowly in heart;〃 and you catch that spirit。  That is a

bit of His character being reflected into yours。  Instead of being

critical and self…asserting; you become humble and have the mind

of a little child。



I think; further; the only way of learning what FAITH is is to

know Christ and be in His company。  You hear sermons about the nine

different kinds of faithdistinctions drawn between the right

kind of faith and the wrongand sermons telling you how to get

faith。  So far as I can see; there is



Only one way



in which faith is got; and it is the same in the religious world

as it is in the world of men and women。  I learn to trust you; my

brother; just as I get to trust me just as you get to know me。  I

do not trust you as a stranger; but as I come into contact with

you; and watch you; and live with you; I find out that you are

trustworthy; and I come to trust myself to you; and to lean upon

you。  But I do not do that to a stranger。



The way to trust Christ is to know Christ。  You cannot help trusting

Him them。  You are changed。  By knowing Him faith is begotten in you;

as cause and effect。  To trust Him without knowing Him as thousands

do; is not faith; but credulity。  I believe a great deal of prayer

for faith is thrown away。  What we should pray for is that we may

be able to fulfill the condition; and when we have fulfilled the

condition; the faith necessarily follows。  The way; therefore; to

increase our faith is to increase our intimacy with Christ。  We

trust Him more and more the better we know Him。



And then another immediate effect of this way of sanctifying the

character is the tranquility that it brings over the Christian

life。  How disturbed and distressed and anxious Christian people

are about their growth in grace!  Now; the moment you give that

over into Christ's carethe moment you see that you are BEING

changedthat anxiety passes away。  You see that it must follow

by an inevitable process and by a natural law if you fulfill the

simple condition; so that peace is the reward of that life and

fellowship with Christ。



Many other things follow。  A man's usefulness depends to a large

extent upon his fellowship with Christ。  That is obvious。  Only Christ

can influence the world; but all that the world sees of Christ is

what it sees of you and me。  Christ said:  〃The world seeth Me no

more; but ye see Me。〃  You see Him; and standing in front of Him

reflect Him; and the world sees the reflection。  It cannot see Him。

So that a Christian's usefulness depends solely upon that relationship。



Now; I have only pointed out a few of the things that follow from

the standing before Christfrom the abiding in Christ。  You will

find; if you run over the texts about abiding in Christ; many

other things will suggest themselves in the same relations。  Almost

everything in Christian experience and character follows and

follows necessarily; from standing before Christ and reflecting

his character。  But the supreme consummation is that we are changed

into THE SAME IMAGE; 〃even as by the Lord the Spirit。〃  That is to

say that in some way; unknown to us; but possibly not more mysterious

than the doctrine of personal influence; we are changed into the

image of Christ。



This method cannot fail。  I am not setting before you an opinion

or a theory; but this is



A certainly successful means



of sanctification。  〃We all; with unveiled face; reflecting in a

mirror the glory of Christ (the character of Christ) assuredlywithout

any miscarriagewithout any possibility of miscarriageare changed

into the same image。〃  It is an immense thing to be anchored in

some great principle like that。  Emerson says:  〃The hero is the

man who is immovably centered。〃  Get immovably centered in that

doctrine of sanctification。  Do not be carried away by the hundred

and one theories of sanctification that are floating about in

religious literature of the country at the present time; but go to

the bottom of the thing for yourself; and see the RATIONALE of it

for yourself; and you will come to see that it is a matter of cause

and effect; and that if you will fulfill the condition laid down

by Christ; the effect must follow by a natural law。



What a prospect!  To be changed into the same image。  Think of

that!  That is what we are here for。  That is what we are elected

for。  Not to be saved; in the common acceptation; but 〃whom He did

foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of

His Son。〃  Not merely to be saved; but TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE

OF HIS SON。  Conserve that principle。  And as we must spend time

in cultivating our earthly friendships if we are to have their

blessings; so we must



Spend time



in cultivating the fellowship and companionship of Christ。  And

there is nothing so much worth taking into our lives as a profounder

sense of what is to be had by living in communion with Christ; and

by getting nearer to Him。  It will matter much if we take away with

us some of the thoughts about theology; and some of the new light

that has been shed upon the text of Scripture; it will matter

infinitely more if our fellowship with the Lord Jesus become a little

closer; and our theory of holy living a little more rational。  And

then as we go forth; men will take knowledge of us; that we have

been with Jesus; and as we reflect Him upon them; they will begin

to be changed into the same image。



It seems to me the preaching is of infinitely smaller account than

the life which mirrors Christ。  That is bound to tell; without

speech or languagelike the voices of the stars。  It throws out

its impressions on every side。  The one simple thing we have to do

is to be therein the right relation; to go through life hand in

hand with Him; to have Him in the room with us; and keeping us company

wherever we go; to depend upon Him and lean upon Him; and so have

His life reflected in the fullness of its beauty and perfection

into ours。



III。  The first experiment。



Then you reduce religion to a common Friendship?  A common

Friendshipwho talks of a COMMON Friendship?  There is no such

thing in the world。



On earth no word is more sublime。  Friendship is the nearest thing

we know to what religion is。  God is love。  And to make religion

akin to Friendship is simply to give it the highest expression

conceivable by man。  But if by demurring to 〃a common friendship〃 is

meant a protest against the greatest and the holiest in religion

being spoken of in intelligible terms; then I am afraid the

objection is all to real。  Men always look for a mystery when one

talks of sanctification; some mystery apart from that which must ever

be mysterious wherever Spirit works。  It is thought some peculiar

secret lies behind it; some occult experience which only the

initiated know。  Thousands of persons go to church every Sunday

hoping to solve this mystery。  At meeting; at conferences; many

a time they have reached what

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