Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/136

 i9 The flan #/ flu Age*,

forth. " As each one (whether in this age or the next) be- comes fully aware of the ransom-price given by our Lord Jesus, and of his subsequent privileges, he is considered as on trial, as Adam was; and obedience brings lasting life, and disobedience lasting death the "second death. ' * Per- fe6l obedience, however, without perfeft ability to render it, is not required of any. Under God's Covenant, the members of the Church during ihe Gospel age, have had the righteousness of Christ imputed to them by faith, to make up their unavoidable deficiencies through the weaknesses of the flesh. Divine Grace will also operate toward "whosoever will" of the world during the Millen- nial age. Not until physical perfection is reached (which will be the privilege of all before the close of the Millennial age) will absolute moral perfection be expected. That new trial, the result of the ransom and the New Cove- nant, will differ from the trial in Eden, in that in it the acts of each one will affect only his own future.

But \\ould nut tins DC givug sonie oi tao race a second chance to gain everlasting life? We answer The first chance for everlasting life was lost for himself and all of his race, "yet in his loins," by father Adam's disobedience. Under that original trial " condemnation passed upon all men;" and God's plan was that through Christ's redemp- tion-sacrifice Adam, and all who lost life in his failure, should, after having tasted of the exceeding sin fulness of sin and felt the weight of sin's penalty, be given the opportun- ity to turn unto God through faith in the Redeemer. If any one chooses to call this a " second chance, 1 ' let him d-j ao: it must certainly be Adam's second chance, and in a sense at least it is the same for all of the redeemed race, but it will be the first individual opportunity of his descendants, who, when born, were already under condemnation to death. Call it what we please, the facts are the same; viz., All were sentenced to death because of Adam's disobedience, and all wiH 4oy (in this life or the next) ifull opportunity to gain

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