Everything Should Comport With God’s Presence in Us

But, besides the new man, there is, in order to our being imitators of God, the Holy Ghost dwelling in us. We are told (Eph. 4:30), “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed,” &c. It is not only that there is a new nature, but the Holy Ghost comes into the vessel, as we see in the case of the cleansed leper, in. Lev. 14; and leprosy in Scripture is a standing type of sin. He was washed in water, sprinkled with blood, and then anointed with oil. The water is the word applied in power; Jesus said to the disciples, in John 15, “Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you.” The word of Christ had been applied to them in power through grace and by the Holy Ghost, and they were washed. Then we have the blood of Christ applied to the conscience; and next, we are sealed with the Holy Ghost, the “holy anointing oil,” the unction from the Holy One. We have the “new man,” the new nature from God, and according to God; and also the Holy Ghost, God Himself, comes and owns the person. He seals him, and abides there, and we are not to grieve Him, but to walk as though God were seen by us at our side. Everything should comport with God’s presence in us; and if we are walking with a good conscience according to our measure of light, we are then free to think of Christ. The Holy Ghost occupies us with Christ, and leads us on in the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17). And it is in this there is growth; in the fuller knowledge of Christ, and conformity to Him, we are led on by the Holy Ghost. If walking up to the light we have received, we have in coming into His presence, communion with Him, and we enjoy and grow in the knowledge of Him. If, on the contrary, we are not walking godlily, the Holy Ghost will make us think of ourselves and judge ourselves. So when we are not only living in the Spirit, but walking in the Spirit, all we are and do will represent Christ, His aim and purpose is that we should be in all the moral features of His character, the reproduction of Himself.