Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: In order to have the love of Divine things, in the exercise of which religion consists, the soul must be spiritually enlightened so as to apprehend them. I. The Scriptures teach that GRACIOUS AFFECTIONS ARISE FROM SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING (1 John 4:7; Philippians 1:9; Romans 10:2; Psalm 93:3-4; John 6:45; Luke 11:52). 1. Affections which arise from external impressions on the imagination are not gracious. 2. The same is true of those which are awakened by texts of Scripture which come to the mind without carrying any instruction in them. When Christ makes the Scriptures a means of the heart burning with gracious affections, it is by opening the Scriptures to men's understandings (Luke 24:32). 3. Affections that have their ground in bodily sensation, freedom of speech in prayer, aptness of thought, and the like, are not derived from spiritual instruction. Hence the affection is not gracious, unless the light in the understanding, which is its origin, be spiritual. There is, therefore, a "spiritual, supernatural understanding of Divine things that is peculiar to the saints, and which those who are not saints know nothing of" (1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 John 3:6). II. This SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT CONSISTS IN "a sense of the heart of the supreme beauty and sweetness of the holiness or moral perfection of Divine things, together with all that discerning and knowledge of the things of religion that depends upon and flows from such a sense." 1. There is tans a difference between speculative knowledge and that which is experimental (Romans 2:20; 2 Corinthians 2:14). 2. He is led by the Spirit who is first instructed in his duty, and then powerfully inclined to comply with such Divine instruction. III. SOME CONCLUSIONS. 1. This spiritual sense will enable the soul to determine what actions are right and becoming to Christians more readily than the greatest abilities without it. 2. This sense will be distinguished from forms of enthusiasm and supposed discoveries of truth and communications other than those which the Scriptures have always contained. 3. Satan and evil spirits have power to tempt us through the imagination. We need to guard against vain imaginations. 4. We need to distinguish "between lively imaginations that spring from strong affections, and strong affections that arise from lively imaginations." What is external and natural in its origin cannot be spiritual and gracious. (L. O. Thompson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:WEB: and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, |
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