beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye pre sent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). No real Christian will ever deny that this demand upon his body is reasonable. He knows that his body belongs to God just as much as his soul does. The word service [Gr. latreia] is rendered “ worship” in the Revised Version. It means a voluntary worship, the dedicating of one's body, so that true worship is the offering of one’s body to God in everyday life. The presentation must be complete. It is not a presentation to the Father, nor to the Son, but to the Holy Spirit who has made the body the temple of His abode. Sanctification is for the whole man, spirit and soul and body (I Thess. 5:23, 24). Have you ever, by a deliberate and voluntary act, presented your body to the Holy Spirit? He has sanctified each be liever positionally by coming into the body. Now the believer must actively sanctify himself by recog nizing the Spirit’s presence and His right to possession. In Exodus 29, where we read the account of the consecration of the priests, we see in the ceremony both positional and practical sanctification. The ram of consecration was slain and the blood applied to the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot of the men to be sanctified [or set apart] for the priesthood. This part of the ceremony prefigures posi tional sanctification. They were be ing set apart by God (vs. 44). But that was not the end of the cere mony. Read the entire chapter and you will see that Aaron and his sons needed to sanctify themselves. There need not be anything im pulsive or dramatic about the act of sanctifying our bodies for the Holy Spirit to use as instruments through which to demonstrate His power in saving others. Many sins are committed by means of the body, but “ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and pre- MAY, 1970
pared unto every good work” (II Tim. 2:21). God has predestinated His chil dren to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). He has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4). This is our perfect sanctification to be realized at the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ when “ we shall be like him” (I John 3:2). This is the plan and purpose of God for all His children. When we are gathered to Him at the translation of the Church, the un finished work in us will be complet ed. Bdt the work of the Spirit in our practical sanctification is grad ual and progressive. This process might include some crises, but it is progressive nevertheless.
We’d like to tell you about RETURNS NOT DISTURBED b y market changes and business fluctuations...
WHEATON Survivorship Annuities^ In a constantly-changing world, these Annuities bring you, or a surviving loved one, a fixed return—regular, generous—for life. This return is not altered nor subject to fluctuation as in many other forms of investment. The Wheaton Annuity agreement is simple to execute; and there is no worry ever, about reinvestment. Currently, the larger portion of your payments are excluded from tax. PROVIDES FOR LOVED ONES . . . Furthermore, a t your homegoing, these same favorable features will be passed on automatically to your desig nated loved one without incurring costly delays or interference. Please keep in mind, too, th a t not once since 1898, when the first Wheaton Annuity was issued, has the College failed to make payment in full or on schedule. Under certain conditions, marketable securities and real estate may be ex changed for Annuities. We would underscore still another consideration. While your money is profitably working for you, it is also working “for Christ and His Kingdom.” Your gift-investment will be helping to train young men and women for Christian service—as pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, and lay leadership in business, professional, civic and church life. WRITE TODAY FOR FREE FOLDER . . . PLEASANT TOMORROWS I t gives the complete story on W heaton’s Single Life and Survivorship Annuities, and how the plan can be arranged to best suit your individual needs and circumstances. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding annuities, gifts or wills. No obligation whatsoever. “For Christ and His Kingdom” . . . Since 1860 - W H E A T O N C O L L E G E - W H E A T O N Please send me without obligation, Pleasant To- Name __ morrows , the helpful folder which explains Address— in detail the Wheaton Annuity Plan. C.ity I L L I N O I S 6 0 1 8 7 -Age- Dept. K570 -Sex- -Zone- State _ 23
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