The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-08-28


ing sacrifice. There is nothing in this
injunction that even hints at asceticism.
1t is simply an exhortation to devote
to God our bodies which rightly be-
long to him. This is a reasonable
service, and we shall understand it to
be such if we keep in mind that even
our bodies do not belong to us but to
God, and that they are the temples of
the Holy Spirit Il Cor. 6:19-20).
We now naturally ask, how shall we
present our bodies as a living sacri-
flee? If we turn to the sixth chapter
of Romans we shall find the answer to
this question. In that chapter we
read, ''Let not sin therefore reign in
your mortal body, that We should obey
it in the lust thereof; neither yield We
your members as instruments Of I'M
righteousness unto sin; but yield your
selves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members
as instruments Of righteousness unto
God"
The second thing urged upon us by
our text is noncomformity to this age:
"Be not conformed to this world" or
as better rendered, "to this age" This,
If it means anything, means that we
are not to be like the time in which
we live, which is called evil by the
word of God. Paul's expression con-
corning it is, "This evil age" In thus
characterizing the age in which we
Dn1I1 r,~( ori1
that everything in it is bad, but rather
that evil is it's distinguishing or char
acteristic mark. 1t was with knowl-
edge of this fact that Jesus, in his in
tercessory prayer, prayed for his
disciples of all time, saying, II pray
not that thou shouldst take them out
Of the world, but that thou shouldst
keep them from the evil"
It should be evident to all that this
injunction means that we as Christians
are not to fashion our lives after this
age so that they correspond with it.
but we are to take a position toward
this age that will put us out of CORE
spondence with it's evil. This unques-
tiOnably means that we shall be
obliged Oftentimes to decline to allow
our lives to be governed by the habits
and customs of our times. We cannot,
If we obey God, be in agreement with
those things that are contrary to the
standard which God has set for us.
This may mean that we shall be con-
sidered by the world a queer people,
but if this cause us humiliation we
should be perfectly willing to suffer
shame for Christ's sake. In fact, the
word Of God tells us that Jesus Christ
"gave himself for us that he might
redeem us from all iniquity and purify
unto himself a peculiar people, Jealous
Of good works."
The third injunction Of our text is,
BE We transformed by the renewing
Of your mind" More, you see, is ex-
pected of us as Christians than nom
conformity to this age. We are to be
not only unlike it, but entirely differ
ent from it. The word transformer
is the same word translated trans
figured" in the accounts concerning
Christ when he took Peter, James and
John with him into the mountain,
apart from the rest of the disciples,
and was, if we now use the word OF
our text, transformed" before them.
The accounts tell us that Ellis face did
shine as the sun, and his raiment was
white as the light" OF course it is
not expected of us that we shall have
such a supernatural appearance as did
Christ, but that our life shall partake
of the characteristics of that country
toward which we are travelling, SO
that those who see us shall know Dy
our conduct that our citizenship is in
heaven.
The text tells us the divine way by
which we may be transformed. 1t IS
'by the renewing Of the mind" If we
turn to Titus 8 IS we shall see that this
is the work in us of the Holy Spirit.
There we read of the renewing OF the
Holy Ghost" Brethren, if we are to
be unlike this age, and like the age to
come, it will be only as we allow God,
through the Holy Spirit, to renew our
minds"