Passaic City record., 1893-09-16
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER II
Lesson Text: ssPersonal Responsible
ity,'' Romans xiv, IL 3-GoldeD
Text: Romans XIV, 21-
Commentary.


be divided into three sections and labelet
doctrinal Chapters /. to viii. }, dispensationa
Chapters tx to xi. and practical (xii t.
xvi). The practical, with which we now hay
to do, may be subdivided as follows xii.
character xiii, relation to civil rulers xiv.
relation to brethren xy. labors xvi, Chris
tian salutations. So that we find ourselve!
to-day dealing with the practical question o
right rel--ions to the brethren, and especially
in the matter of eating and drinking. We
are reminded of the judgment seat of Christ
(verse 10 ; see also II Cor. ", 100 and of in
dividual responsibility.
13. ssLet us not therefore judge one an.
other any more, but judge this rather, that
no man put stumbling block or an occasion
to fall in his brothers way" In l Cor. iv.
5, we are exhorted to judge nothing before
the time until the Lord come. In Jas. H., IS,
it is written that s'he shall have judgment
without mercy that hath showed no mercy,
and mercy rejoiceth against judgment, while
Jesus Himself said, ''If ye had known what
this meaneth, will have mercy and not sacri-
fee, We would not have condemned the guilt
unto ourselves, but unto the Lord oversees 4,
81 and by Christlike life lead people unto
Him.
IA. ssI know and am persuaded by the
Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of
itself but to him that esteemeth anything to
be unclean, to him it is unclean." Jesus
taught that .snot that which goeth into the
mouth deffleth man, but that which cometh
out of the mouth (Math. XIV, III. And Paul
in another place teaches us that If one should
see fit to accept an invitation to eat with an
unbeliever the proper thing would be to eat
what is provided, asking no question for
conscience sake Ct Cor. K, 27) unless the
host should say, sThis is offered in sacrifice
to idols" Then a believer could not eat of
- 49, oil
all eating and drinking as well as in all else
q Cor. x, 80.
Is. ssBut if thy brother be grieved with thy
meat, now walkest thou not charitably. De-
stroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ
died. This matter is more fully dwelt upon
in Cor. viii, 1-13, and is summed up in
verse 13, wherefore, if meat make my BROTH
er to offend, will eat no flesh while the
world standeth." The great question with
believer should not be, sMay do this or
that and not SIM" but "How can I best
hasten His kingdom and win men to Him?"
16. 'Let not, then, your good be evil
spoken off, perfectly lawful act, some
thing that might do or enjoy with a clear
conscience before God, might be misunder-
stood by weak brother and become to him
q stumbling block, in which case it would be
for the glory of God and the good of the
weak brother for me to refrain from even
that which in Gods sight might be innocent.
H. 'sFor the kingdom of God is moi meat
and drink, but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost" The chief business
of those for whom Christ died is not eating
and drinking, but a right relation to God,
our neighbors and ourselves. The founda-
tion is righteousness (Rom. K, 3, 4; II Cor.
", 21), the state is peace (Rom. ", L. Eph.
H., 14), and the manifestation is JOY (John
xv., II xvi, "a Rom. XIV, 13). All will be
disorder and confusion until we seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
(Math. vi, 33), not for ourselves merely, but
for all whom we may reach.
18. For he that in these things serveth
Christ is acceptable to God and approved of
men" Having received Christ as our
Saviour we are always accepted in Him
(Eph. l., g., but for this reason we seek to
be accepted of Him as to our service "We
labor that whether present or absent we may
be accepted of Him. (II Cor ", 81. Saliva
ton full and free is Gods gift to whosoever
will. We are saved by grace not of works
lest any one should boast (Eph. IL, 8; Rom.
iv., 81, but we work because we are saved.
This is profitable to men, and we shall be re-
warded according to our works (Eph. H., 10
Titus ill.,, 81 Cor. ill.,. s., Rev. xii, 12).
19. LET us therefore ALLOW after the
things which make for peace and things
wherewith one may edify another" Our
Lord and Saviour is the Prince of Peace. and
a mind staid on Him will have a perfect
peace. Thus we shall be able to publish
peace lisa. tx. 6 !; XVI, 8 ill.,, Z Rom. X,
15).
20. 'sFor meat destroyed not the work of
God. All things indeed are pure, but it is
evil for that man who eateth with offense."
"Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto
them that are defiled and unbelieving is
nothing pure cTitus l., 15). In this lesson,
however, it is the brethren-the believers
whom we are to be careful not to offend.
81. sit is good neither to eat flesh nor to
drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth or is offended or is mace
weak 1t is only telling part of the truth
to select from this the drinking of wine and
made it a so-called temperance lesson, while
the many other things that offend are left
untouched. good worker on the side OF
total abstinence may possibly be stumbling
block in other directions, and so in other
departments of Christian work. The only
sure way is to adopt II Cor. iv., II, as daily
motto and be willing to die to self in all direc-
tions that the life Of Christ may be manifest
in our mortal flesh. When we can truly say.
s'Not I, but Christ, who hveth in me" (Gal.
H., 20), all will be well.
o. "Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself
before God. Happy is he that condemneth
Eot himself in that thing which He allow
eth, ;" for if our hearts condemn us not then
:
21). To live always as in the sight of the
Lord With a constant aim to please Him will
surely give life free from offenses. "Walk
before Me and be thou perfect, upright, sim
cere," was Gods word to Abram (Gen. xvii. I,
i. margin). To us the Spirit says through
Paul, whatsoever ye 10, do it heartily, as
to the Lord and not unto men" (Col. ILL.,, 23).
%. sAnd he tat doubteth is damned Cor
eondemned) if he eat, because he eateth not
of faith. for wha alsoeyer is not of faith is sin. "
1t is sin to do what you doubt to be right it
is also sin not to do what you know to be
right (Jas. iv.. 3D.. If everything is tested
by ''Will it please Jesus?'' all will be well.
All life is either for self or God and others.
Christ was wholly for God and man, never
for self, ard could truly say to His Father,
II have glorified Thee on the earth. All
right relations to man must spring from
right relations to God. without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he that cometh
to God must believe that He is, and that he
is the rewarder of thcm that diligently seek
Il