The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-10
The
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR NOVEMBER %.

Subject: Paul on Sci f-Denial-World's
Temperance Lesson, Rom. IA:
1O-21-Golden Text: Rom. IA:
21-Commit Verses 10, 20.
thanksgiving, So A. D.
PLACE.-Corlnth.
EXPOsITION.-I. Judge Not One
Another. But Help One Another, 10.
Is. There are three thingsto mark well
in v. -. ID Who is to give account
leach one of u.s." Not one Of .us
shall escape that account. There is
not a man so great or obscure that he
will not be summoned. Are you
ready? CD To whom are we to give
account-"to God" That is the
dreadful thing about. it and that is
the blessed thing about it. 1t is
dreadful to some because God is so
holy; dreadful, too, because He is
omniscient and His ~all-seeing eyes
look. US through and through, and no
deed has been so covered, and no
thought or imagination so hidden,
but He knows them all. To Him we
are to give account, and there is no
deceiving Him, and there car be no
false returns. It is blessed to some
because God Is so loving, so just, so
tender, so discerning; because HE
knoweth our Frame" and because He
is the One who redeemed; and how
ever poor and bad the account has
been, we are glad to render 1t to Him.
l am glad that I am to render my ac-
count to God, not to man. 90 OF
whom Is each to render account-"of
himself" Many Of US act as II it was
of some one else we were to render
account. Those who are making the
inconsistencies Of others an excuse
for not being Christians themselves
better ponder these words carefully!
AS we are each to render our account
to God, weshould stop judging one an
other. Food Is a very proper thing.
Others may lay down laws for Us as
to what we should eat or not eat,
that have no warrant in Gods Word,
and we may very properly laugh at
these man-made laws. Yet love ia
the ruling principle of a Christian
life, and II our doing something that
in itself it is perfectly proper to do.
Is going to grieve some brother 'and
above all, lead him into sin and ruin,
how can we do it? Better have our
liberty curtailed than have his soul
lost. If we magnify our liberty to
the sacrifice of our brothers soul we
walk no longer in love-" A true
| rbr{ofion will forhoar mopu things
about which in themselves he has no
compunctions Of conscience lest he
destroy him "for whom Christ died"
IL The Kingdom of God is Not
Meat and Drink, But Righteousness
and Peace and Joy In the Holy Ghost,
1928. Liberty Is given us but we
may so use it that it is evil spoken
of and becomes a source Of evif. The
! real proof that we are in the kingdom
Of God and that the kingdom of God
Is in us, Is not found in u scrupu-
Iousness, or lack of scrupulousness,
In eating and drinking, but In our
manifesting righteousness in our
lives, having peace in our hearts (ch.
1919, and manifesting it toward
our fellow men ". 10; CHI. 1919,
and being filled with joy "in the Holy
Ghost" Many of those whom I have
known who were most scrupu-
lous = regarding what they drink,
have given least proof Of being
In the kingdom by the test of this
verse. The object of our pursuit is
to be, the things which make for
peace, the things whereby we may
build n another up. How many of
u pet hobbies we must lay or the
shelf if we obey Gods command in
verse 10. They do not make for
peace and they do not build up. But
we are so fond Of them and delight to
draw them out on every occasion. 1t
Is better, however, to obey God. Peace
and growth are far more important in
the church than skilful hair-splitting.
The true Christian principle of total
abstinence is found. in verse 81. It
applies to the question of the use OF
intoxicating liquors. 1t applies also
to a great many other things. 1t will
go far toward settling many questions
that are troubling Christians as to
whether they should do this or that.
1t is not merely a question as to
whether the thing is wrong in itself,
or whether you will be hurt yourself
by it, but the real question is, will
any n be injured, made to stumble,
by my doing 1t? I cannot have meat
or drink or any other indulgence as a
lover of my fellow men and a follow
er Of Jesus Christ If thereby I destroy
the work Of God. I know that all
meats are clean, but I know that
many cannot eat them with a clear
conscience and they are evil for that
man. If any n else will be injured
by my indulgence, no matter how in
nocent the thing itself may be, and
how harmless it may be to me, ! will
not do it. 1t is we'll to have faith
but it Is we'll to have the love that
has faith to itself and does not injure
others by the exercise of its owl
faith. Happy indeed is the man
who condemneth not himself in that
thing which he approveth." But If q
man does that about which not only
others condemn him, but about which
his own conscience has doubts, t L
he is condemned indeed. "Whate.
is not of faith is sim" This is a broad
and searching definition of sin. You
may keep saying to yourself, II dc
not believe this thing is wrong. A
great many good people do t." but II
i you yourself have doubts in your
mind about it, if you are not absolute
ly clear it Is the will Of God, then il
is sin in you. The question is not, are
you sure the thing Is wrong? r
question is, are you perfectly sure II
Is right?