The Red Cloud chief., 1913-11-06
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 9.
ABSTINENCE FOR OTHERS, SAKE

(Worid's Temperance sunday.)
LESSON TExT-Rom. 14:7-2l
GOLDEN TEXT-''It is not good to eat
flesh. nor to drink wine. nor to do any.
thing whereby thy brother stumbleth."
Paul was In Corinth, Q city Of lux.
ury. learning and licentiousness when
he wrote this letter to the believers in
Rome. . letter Of profound logic and
ethics a. we'll 40 q profound study in
psychology and philosophy.
.. None of " lIveth to himself"
w. 7.t1. Paul begins this chapter by
giving q caution az to doubtful dispu.
tations. Judgments upon thoughts"
whether 1t be In the matter OF eating
herbs or meats, or in the observance
OF set days. Who are we but fellow
servants ". ~ Of God? About such
things az habits and observance OF
days we must each be assured In our
own minds. ". 81, but while that is
true yet. none liveth to himself
". y, for I'VE are the Lords" ". 81.
He Is the universal Lord. both of the
living and the dead, ". 81. What folly,
therefore, for any believer to set him.
self up in judgment upon his brother.
Four Things Suggested.
u. "6lvo an account to God" w.
1918. Verse IL suggests four things:
U A universal summons, leach one
Of u.s." great and small, obscure or ia.
nous, each one must appear, none
overlooked, none excluded, none ex.
cused. (2) A particular summons,
each one Of u.s." not en- masse. but
as separate units. (3) A purposeful
summons. Ito give account" not OF
others but each of himself. It will not
be blind Justice" that shall await w
there. but holy God, one who knows
all, sees all. every thought and imagi
nation OF the human heart (Gen. 6:6)
and whose judgment will be righteous.
(H A rightful summons. because Of it's
source. before Cod" and shall not the
Judge OF the whole earth do right?
No excuse because Of the failure Of
others will avail, no subterfuge be &C.
ceptable. "strict Justice" will condemn.
Man.made laws and ordinances 40 to
what we eat or what days We may OBJ
serve will then be revealed In tho
white light Of the God whose name II
love. In the light Of such q prospect
how pertinent therefore that We turn
". 13). from Judging others and look
we'll to our own conduct, lest that con.
duct become q rock Of stumbling to
other and weaker brethren.
Another Law.
III. "Foilow after thInss which make
Tor peace" w. 1928. To follow that
which shall edify Ia to exercise the
''law Of liberty" James in his epistle
(1:26. 2:12) tells us to look into this
law and to continue therein for by 1t
we shall be judged. yet there Is still
another law. "the royal law" (2:S,
Matt. 22:36-40), the fulfilling of which
will settle every question Of mans re-
lation to man. We should so use our
liberty that 1t be not evil spoken Of
or become a rock of stumbling to any.
Whether or not the kingdom Of God
be In us. or We in the kingdom, de-
pends not upon the ecrupulous observ-
ance of ordinances either as to eat.
ing. or the observance Of days. but
rather In the manifest righteousness of
our lives and In having peace in our
hearts, ch. 1913, being filled with 10y
in the Holy Spirit" v. II. Therefore.
II to eat meat shall cause my brother
to stumble or to be made weak ". 21)
II will eat no flesh for evermore," !"
I. Cor. S:13.
All of this leads up to the true prin.
ciple of total abstinence as revealed
in verse 2l. 1T Is good not to eat
flesh. nor to drink wine. nor to do
anything whereby thy brother stun
bleth or is offended" This does not
alone apply to the Great American
Juggernaut, the commercialixed liquor
traffic, which, according to the United
States Supreme court, has no legal
ground upon which to stand. When
the members of the church OF God
In this "land of liberty" shall each
be governed by this principle 1t will
not be long before the liquor problem
any many other questions that are
troubling us will be settled. The real
question will not be 'Is 1t wrong?"
but rather. How will 1t affect my
brother?" All meats are clean. we
know that, Acts 1918. but We also
know that many cannot eat, cannot
participate In our acts. with clear
conscience because In 20 taking part
there comes before the mind of the
weaker brother the evil associations
and practices which 20 frequently &C.
company such acts or such eating.
Our Indulgence. no matter how limo.
cent and entirely harmless It may be
to u. 10 therefore not to be thought
Of. This settles the drink question,
the tobacco habit. dancing. card play.
} ing. theater going. and all question
able amussments."
For once teach . temperance lesson
not on the ground OF the narrowing
J effects OF this awful traflc. but try to
show that intempsrance IL largely the
result Of selfishness. Show how less
selhshness In our social relations
would help to keen men away from