1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

R209 : page 4God not as sinners but as righteous persons, and by faith callGod "Father." It is as justified (perfect) fleshly beings that theynow call God Father--because in God's sight restored to thecondition occupied by Adam before he became a sinner, viz: afleshly or human son. (Luke 3:38.)The next step for these justified beings to take, is to consecratetheir justified flesh (being) to God. "Present your bodies a livingsacrifice," present it to God alive, for his service. God accepts itand reckons you dead as a human being, but alive as a newcreature (begotten) to a new life of a new (divine) nature, andyour human nature is reckoned as dead forever, and in due time,when perfected as new spiritual beings we will have ourspiritual bodies. But now we, new creatures, live in these oldbodies-- reckoned dead; yet our Father counts us no longer sonson the fleshly plane to which he justified us through Jesus'ransom, but sons on the higher plane as begotten of the Spirit,and he says of such: "Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, ifso be that the Spirit of Christ dwell in you." Those who havethus given up the human nature --become dead--are reckoned bytheir fellow men as being still in the flesh; but of God, as beingin the Spirit. To those thus dead God reveals His plan and theexceeding riches of His grace. Thus the good news is declared tothem that are dead, that they might be judged (reckoned)according to men (as being) in the flesh but live according toGod in the Spirit." (1 Pet. 4:6.)====================R209 : page 4HOW MUCH WILL YOU GIVE?Dear friends we are not going to pass around the contributionbox now, but thinking this to be an all-important question, oneupon which depends, perhaps, as much the interest of every oneof us, as any question we could propound, let us each forhimself carefully consider it.We do not ask how much will you contribute towards paying forthe organ in the church, nor how much will you subscribetoward paying the minister, nor how much you will subscribetoward sending the gospel to the heathen, nor even how muchyou will contribute for the relief of the poor, though each ofthese may be considered commendable objects in their time andplace; but how much will you give for the gospel of Christ?But do you say, is it not a free gospel? Does not the prophet say"Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he thathas no money come ye, buy, and eat; yea buy wine and milkwithout money and without price?" Yes that is a correctquotation, but there is nothing in the passage quoted to indicate