"And that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the
new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and
holiness of truth."
13. Having put away the old man, the apostle exhorts us further to
put on the new man, that day by day we may grow as new creatures.
This is effected by first being delivered from error--from the
erroneous thoughts and ideas incident to our corrupt nature with its
false conceptions of God, wherein we do not fear nor believe him--and
then from God's Word receiving the right understanding of him. When
we rightly understand, we shall fear his wrath against sin and rely
on his grace in true faith, believing that he will forgive our sins
for Christ's sake and will hear our prayer for strength and
assistance to withstand and conquer, and to continually grow in
faith.
14. This change Paul calls being "renewed in the spirit of your
mind"; that is, constantly growing and becoming established in that
true conception and clear knowledge of Christ begun in us, in
opposition to error and idle vaporings. He who is thus received, says
the apostle, is a man "that after God hath been created in
righteousness and holiness of truth." In the old man there is naught
but error, by means of which the devil leads to destruction. But the
new man has the Spirit and the truth, by which the heart is illumined
unto righteousness and holiness, wherein man follows the guidance of
God's Word and feels a desire for a godly walk and good life; just
as, on the other hand, the desire and love for sin and wickedness is
the product of error. This new man is created after God, as an image
of God, and must of necessity differ from such as live in error and
in lusts, without the knowledge of God and disobedient to him. For if
God's image is in man, man must consequently have the right knowledge
of God and right conceptions and ideas, and lead a godly life
consistent with holiness and righteousness as found in God himself.
15. Such an image of God Adam was when first created. He was, as to
the soul, truthful, free from error, and possessed of true faith and
knowledge of God; and as to the body, holy and pure, that is, without
the impure, unclean desires of avarice, lasciviousness, envy, hatred,
etc. And all his children--all men--would have so remained from their
birth if he had not suffered himself to be led astray by the devil
and to be thus ruined. But since Christians, by the grace and Spirit
of God, now have been renewed to this image of God, they are so to
live that soul and spirit are righteous and pleasing to God through
faith in Christ; and that also the body--meaning the whole external
life--be pure and holy, which is genuine holiness.
16. Some there are who pretend to great holiness and purity, but it
is mere pretense, deceiving the people in general. Such are the
factious spirits and monastic saints, who base their holiness and
uprightness solely on an external, peculiar life and on self-elected
works. Theirs may be apparently a commendable, holy and pure way of
praying and fasting, of denying self, etc., and the people may call
it so; but inwardly they are and remain haughty, venomous, hateful,
filled with the filth of human lust and evil thoughts, as Christ says
of such. Mt 15, 19; Lk 16, 15. Likewise their righteousness on which
they pride themselves before God has a certain gloss, on the strength
of which they presume to merit the grace of God for themselves and
others; but inwardly they have no true conception of God, being in
rank unbelief, that is, false and vain suppositions, or doubts. Such
righteousness, or holiness, is not true nor honest. It is made up
wholly of hypocrisy and deceit. It is built, not of God nor after
God, but after that lying spirit, the devil.
17. The true Christian, Paul asserts, has been molded through faith
in Christ into a new man, like unto God, truly justified and holy in
his sight; even as Adam originally was in perfect harmony of heart
with God, showing true, straightforward confidence, love and
willingness. And his body was holy and pure, knowing naught of evil,
impure or improper desire. Thus the whole life of the man was a
beautiful portrait of God, a mirror wherein God himself was
reflected; even as the lives and natures of the holy spirits the
angels are wrapped up in God and represent true knowledge of him,
assurance, and joy in him and utterly pure and holy thoughts and
works according to the will of God.
18. But since man is now so grievously fallen from this cheerful
confidence, this certainty and joy, into doubts or into presumption
toward God, and from unspotted, noble obedience into the lusts of
iniquity and ungodliness, it follows that not from mankind can come
help or relief. Nor can any one hope for remedy except the
Christians, who through faith in Christ begin again to have a joyful
and confident heart toward God. They thus enter again into their
former relation and into the true paradise of perfect harmony with
God and of justification; they are comforted by his grace.
Accordingly they are disposed to lead a godly life in harmony with
God's commandments and to resist ungodly lusts and ways. These begin
to taste God's goodness and loving kindness, as Paul says, and
realize what they lost in paradise. He, therefore, that would be a
Christian should strive to be found in this new man created after
God; not in blind error and vain conceit, but in the very essence of
righteousness and holiness before God.