The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-11-06
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMS01OOL
LESSON
By r. o. sELLERa, Director Of Evening
Department, Ths Moody Bible Institute,
Chicaso.)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 9.
ABSTINENCE FOR OTHERS CAKE

ABSTINENCE FOR OTHERS CAKE.
(worid's Temperance sunday.)
LESSON TExT-Rom. 1l:7-n.
GOLDEN TExT-"It 10 not good to eat
flesh. nor to drink wine. nor to DO any
thing whereby thy brother stumbseth."
Rom. IAN.
Paul was in Corinth, q city Of lux-
ury, learning and licentiousness when
he wrote this letter to the believers IN
Rome, a letter Of profound logic and
ethics as well az a profound study In
psychology and philosophy.
!. None Of " llveth to hlmseh,"
w. 7.tt. Paul begins this chapter By
giving q caution 40 TO doubtful dispu-
tations. Judgments upon thoughts"
whether II be In the matter of eating
herbs or meats, or In the Observance
Of set days. Who are we but fellow
servants ". ~ Of Godf About such
things as habits and observance Of
days we must each be assured in our
own minds, ". 81, but while that Ii
true yet, mono hveth to himself
". ~, for I'VE are the Lord's' ". 81.
He IL the universal Lord, both Of the
living and the dead, ". -. What folly.
therefore. for any believer to set him
self MP in judgment upon his brother.
Four Things Suggested.
10. "clve IN account to God" w.
t2-1a Verse IL suggests four thhgs:
~ A universal summons, each one
Of u.s." great and small, obscure Or "a
nous, each one must appear, none
overlooked, none excluded, mono ex-
cused. (2) A particular summons,
each one of u.s." not en- masse, but
a. separate units. (3) A purposeful
summons, ito give account" not of
others but each of himself. Il viii not
be blind justice" that shall await US
there, but q holy Cod, one who knows
all. sees all. every thought and imagi
nation Of the human heart (Gen. $50
and whose judgment will be righteous.
90 A rightful summons, because of its
source, before God" 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.
Manmade laws and ordinances AZ to
what we eat or what days we may OBJ
serve will then be revealed IN the
white light Of the God whose name 10
love. In the light of such q prospect
how pertinent therefore that we turn
". 13). from judging others and lock
vall to our ouyu ropH u,t laot that o<,~,
duct become Q rock Of stumbling To
other and weaker brethren.
Another Law.
~. "Follow after things which make
for peace" w. 1924. To follow that
which shall edify IL to exercise the
law of liberty" James In his epfstle
Q:25, AID tells us to look into this
law and to continue therein for by II
we shall be judged, yet there In stin
another law, the royal law" CAS-.
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-
ponds not upon the scrupulous observ-
ance of ordinances either az to eat
ing, or the observance of days, but
rather In the manifest righteousness of
our lives and In having peace In our
hearts. Oh. 1918. being filled with Joy
In the Holy Spirit" v. II. Therefore.
II to eat meat shall cause my brother
to stumble or to be made weak ". 21)
Il will eat no flesh for evesmore."
I. Cor. 8:13.
All of this leads mp to the true prin-
ciple of total abstinence as revealed
in verse 81. 1T IL good not 70 eat
flesh. nor to drink wine, nor 70 Do
anything whereby thy brother STUN
bleth or Ia offended" This does not
alone apply to the Great American
Juggernaut, the commeroialised 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" shan each
be governed BY this principle v win
not be long before the liquor problem
any many other questions that are
troubling US viii be settled The real
question will not be rs n wrong 7"
but rather, How will II 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 q clear
conscience because In 30 taking part
there comes before the mind of the
weaker brother the evil associations
and practices which SO frequently &c
company such acts or such eating
Our indulgence. no matter how limo
cent and entirely harmless II may he
10 Us, is therefore not to be thought
OF. The settles the drink question
the tobacco habit. dancing. card play
ing. theater going. and all question
able amusements."
For once teach q temperance lesson
not on the ground Of the narrowing
effects OF this awful trafiic, bat try to
show that intemperance In largely the
result OF selfishness. Show how less
selfishness In our social relations
would help TO keep men away from
the saloon. Less selfishness m money
would keep US from accepting bloody
tax money. Less selfishness on the
part OF churches by activities during