32b The Plan of the Ages.
(Rom. 12 : i.) What does the Apostle jnean by thus urging the presentation of ourselves as living sacrifices ? He means that we should consecrate to God's service every power and talent we possess, that henceforth we may live not for self, nor for friends, nor for family, nor for the world, nor for anything else but for, and in the obedient service of, him who bought us" with his own precious blood.
But since God would not accept of blemished or iraper- feft typical sacrifices, and since wr all became sinners through Adam, can we be acceptable sacrifices ? Paul shows that it is only because we are holy that we are acceptable sac- rifices. We are not holy like Jesus, who knew no sin, for we are of the condemned race ; nor yet because we have entirely succeeded in reaching perfection of conduct, for we reckon not to have attained that perfection to which we are called; but we have this treasure in (fragile and leaky) earthen vessels, that the glory of our ultimate perfedlion may be seen to be of God's favor, and not of our own ability. But our holiness, and our acceptableness to God as sacrifices, come from the facft that God has justified us freely from all sin, through our faith in Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.
As many as appreciate and obey this call rejoice to be accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Christ, and look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen at the "crown "of life" "the prize of our high-calling in Christ Jesus" and "the glory that shall be revealed in us." These, from the moment of consecration to God, are no longer reckoned as men, but as having been begotten of God through the word of truth no longer human, but thenceforth spiritual chil- dren. They are now one step nearer the prtee than when they first believed. But their spiritual being is yet imper- fe& : they are only fagottm> not yet born of the spirit.
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