Bible Review V15: October 1916 - March 1918 - Iapsop.com

1917 THE SONS OF GOD 3m
gotten of God continues in sin."
This makes the matter
very clear: "Herein [by this sign] are manifested the
ehildren of God and the children of the adversary."
Furthermore a natural inherited sonship for the whole
race would do away with the necessity of regeneration and
give the lie to the strongest affirmation of the Blessed
Savior: "Ye must be born again" For no one can even
see the kingdom of God unless he be begotten from
above.
The tendency of the old Theology, it is true, was
always to minimize the blessings and privileges of Sonship,
and according to the natural tendency of the human
mind, the New Theology [in some
quarters] has
swung like a pendulum to the opposite extreme of making
these blessings the birthright of the whole human
race, instead of being the free gift of God by undeserved
favor.
The Bible, however, speaks constantly of those who are
"elect according to the foreknowledge of God, chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the Cosmos, that they
should be holy and without blame before him in love."
For the body of Christ does not include," nor ever will,
the whole world, but only those who are baptized in one
spirit into one body. It is by means of this Body of the
Christ, that the whole creation shall be eventually
and finally redeemed. For its members are heirs of
God and joint-heirs with Christ, and they alone who
suffer with him now, shall be jointly glorified with him.
They reign with him, [sitting with him in his throne],
over "the nations of the saved," upon the earth. Of
his government there is no end, either duration or extension,
since there is no limit to him. "They shall judge
the nations and have dominion over the people, and
their Lord shall reign forever."