Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-11-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson vlI.-Fourth Quarter, For
Nov. IL. 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson. Rom. xiv. IS. to XIV
3-Memory Verse. xiv, IS, 17-Goider
Text. Rom. xiv. 2t-commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. NJ. Stearns.
This is called temperance lesson
and is no doubt intended 10 be used AZ
an exhortation and warning against
the use Of int2fieants, most impor,
tant topic, and line OF service on
which we cannot do too much. but
when consider the Incorporate peo-
pie who are so often prominent In what
is JAILED temperance work feel in
cre,isingly the need of getting at the
root Of the matter rather than prescrib
ing for symptoms. The words ten
pe,ance' and duty are seldom use
in the Scriptures not over six or sever
times in each In the whole Bible. all
the meaning of temperance Is self coB
troll In every form tActs XIV. -. toi
tx. IS: Gal v %. II ret. |. q, A. u
Paul's talk with Felix and verse Il o.
our lesson. righteousness comes hrsl
In Cor vi. 8. 10. where the drunkard
is mentioned among other gross sin
ners. the opening sentence is The un
righteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God
The great topic Of this espistle ts
righteousness the word being used at
least thirty-tive times and fifteen OF
these In chapters iv and Y. As In
1, II. II Is the righteousness of God.
that which God requires. and has pro
vided fully and freely In Christ. but
which men object TO. preferring their
own filthy rags of self righteousness.
character. reformation. duty and the
like Qsa. Xiv. 9: Rom <. 81. There Is
no possible way for any one. drunken
or sober. moral or immoral. but tc
plead guilty. according to chap. Iii. 10.
and he justified freely by crate Till. ~;
then win come the peace and JOY OF
being justified by faith xiv. II. Nv. l3',
and the patience and comfort OF the
Scriptures txv. 4-6l. 1t IS no use 10 ap
peal to any kind Of sinner to do right
for until born again by receiving Christ
all are said TO he 'in the fesh." merel,
natural people. and cannot please
God John /. II, 10: Rom. viii. I. g.
When Christ Is received as persona
Saviour and our righteousness. then
we are said to be .'in the Spirit" AMI
by the Spirit we may be led. control
led live and make no provision for the
flesh or its lusts from. xiii. IA: Gal
v. 1926. Salvation. OF which the frs
eight chapters of this letter tell us So
fully is the free gift Of God for al
who will receive it. or rather Hin
rom Vi. %: Rev. xxi. 6: xiii III. AMI
there are no differences nor degrees
for all who are in Christ have all the
benefits of His finished work and arc
equally saved and delivered from the
wrath to come Il Thess. !, lol Now
as saved people, we are supposed to
have done with self and walk In His
steps who never pleased Himself. but
always pleased the Father and lived
and died to save others rom xiv
Z: XIV. 3: Pet. ii. 21-23; John viii. 90
Gal. ii, 20)., If we thus had the COCO
of others at heart instead Of our "wl
selfish ends we would not talk Of
eating or drinking what we pleased re-
gardless Of others infirmities.
We are here to win others To- Christ
and then to help build them up In
Him. rooted and grounded in love and
filed with ali the fullness Of God for
service here and an abundant en-
trance into His kingdom By and by
xiv. 10: Eph. Iii. 1920: II Pet. /. Bib
Although all believers are accepted In
the beloved. washed. sanctified and
justified and made meet to be par
takers Of His inheritance tEph. /. 9. I:
Cor vi. II: Col. |. 12,. we are left
here for service and good works, for
which every one of us shall give &C.
count Of himself to Gcd at the judg
ment seat of Christ. where only saved
people shall be. and there our service
shall be approved and rewarded, or
else burned up and we suffer loss xiv.
TIP: Cor. ILL.,. 11-15L The service
which win be rewarded will be that
which He has wrought in US by His
Spirit. according to Phil. ii. 10: Heb
xiii. 81. We cannot expect that any
thing we do of ourselves that is not
His working In us will have His ap
prevail
When was of duty for eleven
weeks little over three years ago he
cause Of heart failure. which many
thought would take me home. nothing
gave more comfort in my weakness a
lay in bed than Rom. xiv. 8: "Wheth
er we live. we live unto the Lord. and
whether We die we die unto the Lord
Whether We live. therefore. or die. W..
are the Lords" II Is possible so "a
abandon ourselves to Him for life or
death. for service or suffering. that
His perfect VIII shall be everything to
MS. and our heart song shall be. mot
l. bur Christ: Not I. but the grace OF
Cod fGal II. 20; Cor. Nv. lO). This
"a