Short Subjects

A Living Sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.—Romans 12:1

A: The “bodies” are plural, the sacrifice is just one.

A Living: It is an active, not a passive sacrifice.

A Living Sacrifice: Christians voluntarily sacrifice themselves, following the pattern of   Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself for the greater good of others.

“The Lamb’s Wife”

The Bride of a spotless Lamb to be,   
Thy Bride with garments clean,   
From every spot and wrinkle free—   
Teach me what this doth mean.

The cleansing blood of Calvary   
Can wash me white as snow;   
But how can all the wrinkles be   
Removed, Lord, I would know?

I’ve seen the linen, Lord, made white,   
All free from spot or stain   
And yet, not faultless in Thy sight,   
For wrinkles still remain.

And ’neath the heated iron,   
Lord, I’ve seen the linen made   
 So smooth that ne’er was royal board   
With choicer linen laid.

Is this the way that I must be   
Made meet to be his Bride?   
Cleansed by his blood—from wrinkles freed   
By furnace heat applied?

Then let pain’s furnace fires glow,   
Let sorrow light her flame,   
If ’neath the heat and ache below   
I still may bear Thy Name.

No pain too great if only this   
The glorious outcome be:   
We the Lamb’s wife in spotless white    
Throughout eternity!

—The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, March 1943 [author unknown]

AND FINALLY...

Daily Heavenly Manna for March 8

God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
—1 Corinthians 12:18

No member of the body of Christ can say that he has no need for another member, and no member may say that there is nothing whatever that he can do in the service of the body. Under the guidance of our glorious Head each member who is filled with His Spirit, and desirous of serving Him, may do so. When the time for rewards shall have come, who knows how much of the usefulness of Paul and Apollos may be accredited to some of the humble ones, such as Aquila and Priscilla, who in various ways ministered to and encouraged and supported their abler brethren in the Lord’s work.

—Reprints, p. 3152