I have to account to God for the way in which I rule my body under His domination. Paul said he did not "frustrate the grace of God" - make it of no effect.

The grace of God is absolute, the salvation of Jesus is perfect, it is done forever. I am not being saved, I am saved; salvation is as eternal as God's throne; the thing for me to do is to work out what God works in.

"Work out your own salvation," I am responsible for doing it. It means that I have to manifest in this body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mystically, but really and emphatically. "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." Every saint can have his body under absolute control for God. God has made us to have government over all the temple of the Holy Spirit, over imaginations and affections. We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to inordinate affections. Most of us are much sterner with others than we are in regard to ourselves; we make excuses for things in ourselves whilst we condemn in others things to which we are not naturally inclined.

"I beseech you," says Paul, "present your bodies a living sacrifice." The point to decide is this - "Do I agree with my Lord and Master that my body shall be His temple?" If so, then for me the whole of the law for the body is summed up in this revelation, that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

It had been a long road for Joseph; it had been a desperately rough road, too. There was the slimy pit, the brothers’ treachery, the slave chains, the terrible palace temptation, and the prison cell. But what a different ending this story has: “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’ . . . ‘Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you’ ” (Genesis 41:41–40). And can you not hear Joseph speaking to his brethren: “God intended it for good to accomplish . . . the saving of many lives.”

A whole life committed to God in unswerving loyalty is held as a most sacred trust. The processes used in building a great soul are varied and consume much time. Many a long road seems to have no turning.

Frequently “the night is dark and we seem to be far from home,” but patience cries out, “Lead Thou me on,” “Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene—one step enough for me.” Faith, courage, and patience are tremendous qualities in a great life, but the time element is the factor which is absolutely necessary to work all these out.

Blessed is that life which is so thoroughly rooted down into the life of God that it can feel and know that, though time moves slowly in long drawn-out tests and trials. God’s tides move steadily on in accomplishing His glorious purposes.

QUESTS AND CONQUESTS

O tarry thou His leisure,

Praise when He seems to pause,

Nor think that the Eternal One

Will set His clock by yours;

But wait His time, and trust His date,

It cannot be too soon, or late!

The turn on the long road comes at last!