un-Christian life and walking in error and deceitful lusts.

THE GROWTH OF "THE NEW MAN."

"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 as