The Holy Spirit and the Sons of God 75 And it is implied in the case of Cornelius* with which the Apostle Peter had nothing to do except to preach the word, that when the apostles had passed away the mold of exper ience common for all succeeding centuries would be that of these Gentile converts wherever in Christendom or heathen dom the Gospel of Christ might be preached. 6. The conditions of the manifestation of the presence and power of the Spirit are the same, at conversion or at any later, deeper experience of the believer, whether in rela tion to fuller knowledge of Christ, or to more effective service, or to more patient endurance of ill, or to growth in likeness to Christ. The experience, in each case, is run in the same mold; each part, each word or fact o f Christ, must be received in the same attitude and condition of mind as the first, when He was seen as the Bearer of our sins, even by faith alone. Negatively, it may be said that the conditions are con fessed weakness and inability to help oneself; the end of nature’s wisdom, power, righteousness has been reached; utter despair of there being any good thing “in the flesh" settles over the soul, a willingness to look to God alone for help begins to stir in the heart. Convictions of unfaithfulness and self-seeking mingle with a hunger and thirst for righteousness and a life worthy of the name of Christian. It is not, however, as consciously sinless in themselves that the Spirit is given to them who “seek the blessing,” but to them as sinless “in Christ.” Believers in Christ begin their life in the very standing of the Son of God Himself. Neither do the Scriptures teach, as implied or expressed in certain theories, that there is an interval between the remission of sins and “the sealing of the Spirit,” and that “justified” believers may die during such interval having never been “sealed,” and so never been “in Christ,” and never been attested sons of God. *Acts 10.
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