not after the flesh but after the Spir it.”8 What a tranquil state for the believ er is further promised as a result of true repentance: “Therefore being jus tified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”10 If you have never experienced the guiltlessness, the freedom, the peace with God that the Holy Bible prom ises, consider the case of Nathanael when Philip announced that the Mes siah was' at hand. Philip’s quiet reply of “Come and see,” plus the unbiased personal examination of the credentials of the Nazarene’s claims caused the skeptical Nathanael to publicly pro claim his faith and adoration: “Rabbi (teacher), thou art the Son of God!” 1 .May this discovery of justification through faith in Jesus Christ also be your own personal experience. 'Gen. 1:1 “Gen. 3 “Rom. 3:23 ‘Heb. 11:1 “John 3:16-21 “Heb. 11:1 (Amp. N. T.) ’Rom. 10:17 “Rom. 10:9 ‘Rom. 8:1 “Rom. 5:1 '"John 1:44-51
eternal plan and promises that gives the believer hope and peace. The great faith passage in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells us: “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the con viction of their reality” faith perceiv ing as real fact what is not revealed to the senses. For by [faith], and trust and holy fervor born of faith, the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.”“ How are we come to have this faith so necessary both for salvation and for a positive Christian testimony and daily walk? “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.’” We, therefore, are justified by faith when we believe, with Paul “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”8 This leads us to a state of guiltlessness, in the eyes of the Father: “There is there fore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
This We Believe
The Person and Work the Holy Spirit by Robert L. Thomas, Th.D. Professor of New Testament Language and Literature Talbot Theological Seminary
M odern - day usage of the English language is quite interesting. Very often it will be said, “That per son is a bad influence upon you.” Es pecially is this particular custom ob servable in relation to our children; we will say to them, “Do not play with that little girl next door; she is not a good influence.”
We are accustomed in our use of the language to speak of persons as influenc es, when in reality we mean that they have influences upon others by the way in which they behave. This particular twist of the English language has had an interesting bearing upon the theo logical thinking of men as they have (continued on next page) 17
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