Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/233

 Flan )f ik

They are embryo spiritual children, on plane M the plane of spirit begetting. Because begotten of the Spirit, they are no longer reckoned as human, but as spiritual ; for the human nature, once theirs, once justified, they have now- given up or reckoned dead a living sacrifice, holy, ac- ceptable to and accepted of God. They are now new crea- tures in Christ Jesus: old things (human hopes, will and am- bitions) have passed away, and all things have become new; for " ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." (2 Cor, 5:17; Rom. 8 : 9.) If you have been begotten of the Spirit, " ye (as human beings) are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Plane L represents the condition of perfect spiritually- ing \ but before plane L can be reached, the conditions of our covenant must be carried out. It is one thing to cov- enant with God that we will be dead to all human things, and a further thing to perform that covenant throughout our earth- ly career keeping the "body under" (dead), keeping our own will out of sight, and performing only the Lord's will. The entrance upon planeZ is called birth, or the full entrance into life as a spirit being. The entire Church will enter on this plane when gathered out (selected) from the world in the "harvest" or end of the Gospel age. The "dead in Christ shall rise first. " Then we, who are alive and remain, shall be changed in a moment made perfect spirit- ual beings with bodies like unto Christ's glorious body (for "this mortal must put on immortality"). Then, that which is perfect having come, that which is in part (the begotten condition with the various hindrances of the flesh to which we are now subject) shall be done away.

But there is a still further step to be taken beyond a per- fection of spiritual being, viz., to "the glory that shall fol- low" plane K. We do not here refer to a glory of per- son, but to a glory of power or office. The reaching of

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