APRIL 30TH, 1898

APRIL 30TH, 1898

I had not realised that twelve months had passed since the departure of Mr. Stoney, but it does not do to allow the mind to go back on the things behind, and one can look forward to the time when J.B.S. will be conspicuous as “a pillar in the temple of my God, and go no more out”, and we shall see all God’s ways having their result in the heavenly city. I do not know that my mind has any well-defined distinction between our being formed in Christ or Christ formed in us. I may have used the expressions interchangeably.

We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus; that I suppose is wholly God’s work; on the other hand Christ being formed in saints appears to be an initial work, and the work of ministry, the “apostle laboured in birth till Christ were formed in them”. It may be something of the same thought as the saints being Christ’s epistle. Had the Galatians appreciated Christ they would not have turned to law.