Jackson County journal., 1919-08-22


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 1920.
We now naturally ask, how shall we
present our bodies as a living sacri-
fee? 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 ye,should obey
it in the lust thereof; neither yield We
your members as instruments Of un-
| 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, ITO 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 ny the
word Of God. Paul's expression con-
cerning it is, "This evil age" In thus
characterizing the age in which we
live, Paul does not necessarily mean
that everything in 1t is bad, but rather
that evil is it's distinguishing or char
acteristic mark. It was with knowl-
edge of this fact that Jesus, in his in
terceSsOry prayer, prayed for his
disciples of all time, saying, Il pray
not that thou shouldst take them out
of the world, but that thou shouldst
keep them from the evil"
1t 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 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 queer people
j. but if this cause us humiliation we
8 should be perfectly willing to suffer
: shame for Christ's sake. In fact, the
! word of God tells us that Jesus Chris
;, "gave himself for us that he nigh
redeem us from all iniquity and purif,
|, unto himself peculiar people, jealous
. of good works.
The third injunction of our text is
( "Be We transformed by the renewin,
r Of your mind" More, you see, is eX
pected of us as Christians than non
e conformity to this age. We are to b
II not only unlike it, but entirely differ
Y ent from it. The word transformed
" is the same word translated trans
9 figured" in the accounts cOncernin
v Christ when he took Peter, James an
IA John with him into the mountain
apart from the rest of the disciples
and was, if we now use the word Q
# our text, transformed" before then
,s The accounts tell us that "His face di
II shine as the sun, and his raiment wa
white as the light" Of course it
u not expected of us that we shall hav
d such a supernatural appearance as di
1t Christ, but that our life shall partak
10 Of the characteristics Of that countr
toward which we are travelling, S
Is that those who see us shall know b
our conduct that our citizenship is !
heaven.
4 The text tells us the divine way /
|! which we may be transformed. It
II 'by the renewing Of the mind" If "
II turn to Titus 8 IS we shall see that tn
II is the work in us of the Holy Spiri
Il There we read of the renewing of IL
Il Holy Ghost" Brethren, if we are
= be unlike this age, and like the age
come, it will be only as we allow Go
through the Holy Spirit, to "renew o.
minds"