The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-11-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VIl.-Fourth Quarter, Fol
Nov. IL, 1916:
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

|Memory Verse, xiv, 10, 1I-Golden
Text, Rom. xiv, 21-commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. stearns.
This is called a temperance lesson
and Is no doubt intended to be used as
an exhortation and a warning against
the use of intoxicants, most impOr-
tant topic. and line of service on
which we cannot do too much, but
when I consider the Incorporate peo-
pie who are so often prominent in what
is called temperance work l feel in
creasingly the need of getting at the
root Of the matter rather than prescrib-
ing for symptoms. The words TEN
perance" and duty" are seldom used
In the Scriptures, not over six or seven
times in each in the whole Bible, and
the meaning of temperance Is self con-
troll in every form (Acts xiv, rs; Cor.
tx, 25; Gal. v, %; II Pet. 1. g.. AS in
Pauls talk with Felix and verse II Of
our lesson, righteousness comes first.
In l Cor. vi, 0. 10, where the drunkard
is mentioned among other gross sin
ners, the opening sentence is "The I'M
righteous shall not inherit the kingdom
Of God"
The great topic of this espistle is
righteousness, the word being used at
least thirty-fve times and fifteen Of
these in chapters Nv and K. AS in
/, II. it 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 lisa. Xiv, 6; Rom. x, 81. There is
no possible way for any one, drunken
or sober, moral or immoral, but to
plead guilty, according to chap. Ill, 10,
and be justified freely by grace dii, 24;
then will come the peace and Joy Of
being justified by faith xiv, II; XIV, 49,.
and the patience and comfort of the
Scriptures (xv. 49,. 1t is no use to ap-
peal to any kind Of sinner to do right,
for until born again by receiving Christ
all are said to be 'fn the flesh" merely
natural people, and cannot please
God John 1, II. 10; Rom. viii, 7. 8.
When Christ is received as a personal
Saviour and our righteousness. then
we are said to be lin the Spirit" and
by the Spirit we may be led, control
led. live and make no provision for the
flesh or its lusts (Rom. xiii, IA; Gal.
v, 1926. Salvation, Of which the first
eight chapters Of this letter tell us 80
fully. Is the free gift Of God for all
who will receive it, or rather Him
Rom. vi, %; Rev. xxi, 6; xxi. ~. and
there are no differences nor degrees.
for all who are in Christ have all the
benefits of His finished work and are
equally saved and delivered from the
wrath to come q Thess. |, 1O. 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 from. xiv.
7; XIV, 8; Pet. ii. 21-23; John viii, 20;
Gal. II. 2W. If we thus had the good
Of others at heart instead Of our own
selfish ends we would not talk Of
eating or drinking what we pleased re-
CARELESS 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 all 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. 1, GID.
Although all believers are accepted in
the beloved, washed. sanctified and
justified and made meet to be par
takers Of His Inheritance Eph. /, 9, Z:
Cor. vi, II; Col. 1, 12). we are left
here for service and good works, for
which every one of us shall give &C.
count Of himself to God 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,
7-12; Cor. iii, 11-15). The service
which will be rewarded will be that
which He has wrought in us by His
Spirit, according to Phil. Ii, 10; Heb.
Kill. 81. We cannot expect that any
thing we do of ourselves that Is not
His working In us will have His ap-
proval.
When I was of duty for eleven
weeks little over three years ago be-
cause of heart failure. which many
thought would take me home. nothing
gave more comfort In my weakness as
I 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. we
are the Lords" II is possible so to
abandon ourselves to Him for life or
death. for service or suffering. that
His perfect will shall be everything to
rs, and our heart song shall he. mot
l. but Christ: mot I. but the grace of
God" (Gal. II. 20: Cor. XIV. 1O,, This
will keep us so occupied with Himself
that we shall not see others except to
help them and viii make us 80 sensi-
tive to what He likes or dislikes that
we shall not wish to allow that which
He would condemn.
Forevermore, beside us on our way.
The unseen Christ doti. moct,
That we may lean upon His arm and sa'
Dost Thou, dear Lord, approve?
The kingdom to which we are has
tening and which cannot come till TIe
comes. If II fills our souls vision. will
~ kt,,<v