Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/205

 ren brethren, too, who had something " holy and accept- able unto God" to offer in sacrifice ; for only those who are justified by faith in the ransom are reckoned of God as holy and acceptable. Transformation of nature results to those who, during the Gospel age, present their justified humanity a living sacrifice, as Jesus presented his perfect humanity a sacrifice, laying down all right and claim to future human existence, as well as ignoring present human gratification, privileges, rights, etc. The first thing sacri* ficed is the human will ; and thenceforth we may not be guided either by our own or by any other human will, but only by the divine will. The divine will becomes our will, and we reckon the human will as not ours, but as the will of another, to be ignored and sacrificed. The divine will having become our will, we begin to think, to reason and to judge from the divine standpoint : God's plan becomes our plan, and God's ways become our ways. None can fully understand this transformation who have not in good faith presented themselves as sacrifices, and in consequence come to experience it. Previously we might enjoy any- thing that was not actually sinful ; for the world and all its good things were made for man's enjoyment, the only diffi- culty being to subdue the sinful propensities. But the con- secrated, the transformed, in addition to the effort to sub- due sin, must sacrifice the present good things and devote all their energies to the service of God, And those faith- ful in service and sacrifice will indeed realize daily that this world is not their resting place, and that here they have no continuing city. But their hearts and hopes will be turned to that "rest that remaineth for the people of God." And that blessed hope in turn will quicken and inspire to con- tinued sacrifice.

Thus, through consecration, the mind is renewed or transformed, and the desires, hopes and aims begin to rise

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