igS The Plan of the Ages.
of the flesh j and some have been begotten again, by the Spirit of God through the word of truth, that in due time they may be born of 'the Spirit into the heavenly likeness, in the first resurredion : "As we have borne the image of the earthly, we [the Church] shall also bear the image of the heavenly" unless there be a falling away. i Cor. 15 : 49 ; Heb. 6 ; 6.
Though the acceptance of the heavenly call and our con- secration in obedience to it be decided at one particular moment, the bringing of every thought into harmony with the mind of God is a gradual work; it is a gradual bend- ing heavenward of that which naturally bends earthward. The Apostle terms this process a transforming work, saying, "Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed [to the heavenly nature] by the renewing of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfeft will of God." Rom. 12:2.
It should be noticed that these words of the Apostle are not addressed to the unbelieving world, but to those whom he recognizes as brethren, as shown by the preceding verse "I beseech you therefore, brethren, . . . that ye pre- sent your bodies living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God.'*
It is commonly believed that when a man is converted or turned from sin to righteousness, and from unbelief and opposition to God to reliance upon him, that is the trans- forming which Paul meant. Truly that is a great change a transformation, but not the transformation that Paul here refers to. That is a transformation of character ; but Paul refers to a transformation of nature promised to believers during the Gospel age, on certain conditions, and he was urging believers to fulfil those conditions, Had not such a transformation of character already taken place in those whom he addressed, he could not have termed them breth-
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