ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
Door?" Most people, even the unsaved, would reply, "No: of course not: that is the house of God." And He tells us that our bodies are His temple. Shall we keep His dwelling place less clean, less free from defilement, than we would the house of worship made of brick and stone? God wants our hearts: and that includes the whole personality; it includes every member of the body. He wants these temples of His Holy Spirit-once for all. One day I was in the house of a member of my church, talking to the parents of the family. Their little girl was play- ing on the floor with her doll. It was an old, ragged, soiled doll, but the child loved it. During my visit in the home, how- ever, she walked over to me and said, "Mr. Talbot, I want to give you my dolly." I took lier gift, and went on talking to her parents. When I was about to leave, forgetting that the doll was still in my hand, I started toward the door. At once I felt a tug at my coat. I looked down and saw the little girl standing there with tears streaming down her face. When I asked her what the trouble was, she said, "I want my dolly. I did.not mean for you to keep it." My friend, do not yield yourself to God in this manner. When you give yourself to Him, make the transaction final. We often sing,
"Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. "Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold."
Yet we really do not mean what we say: . nor do we live accordingly. This is not yielding our bodies unto God, "a living sacrifice." Let us deal with Him in finality. In verse 2 Paul tells what is involved in this sacrificial offering. It is not some sentimental thing: it is both practical and real. It has a negative and a positive side. The negative [Page 225
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