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Golden T ext: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but un der grace? God forbid” (Rom. 6 :1 5 ). D evotional R eading: 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11. Outline and Exposition I. T hings U nder t h e S un (Eccl. 2:1-3, 10, 11) H AV ING for its key phrase the words "under the sun," the Book of Ecclesiastes contains the record of the vanity, nothingness, uselessness, and futility of all things under the sun, when those things are used without regard to things above the sun. The writer of the book had every opportunity to test all things under the sun and he gave himself and his resources to the test in order to de termine the relative value of all things. He sought all the pleasures of earth un der the sun. In the lesson today he tested the value of mirth and laughter and came to the conclusion that mere pleasure was a madness (vs. 1, 2 ). He tried the supposed delights of wine, being careful to exercise wisdom in the use of this product and not lose his senses through indulgence, but he found the outcome was vanity (v. 3 ). He indulged in whatsoever promised good: what his eyes desired he secured, and what his heart wished for he obtained (v. 10). He tasted all the pleasures and joys of earth. His conclusion was that not only pleasure but also labor was a thing of van ity (v. 11). Although this conclusion is reached, it does not follow that all things under the sun are valueless and useless. Remembering the key to the book, we understand the passage to mean that all things under the sun are vanity. And the reason is that man’s heart has been made for God and eternity, not merely for self and time. Until the heart of man obtains what comes from above, he will never be satisfied. II. T h e T w o M a sters (Rom. 6:17-23) This section of the Book of Romans speaks of two masters and two servants. Those individuals who have been regen erated by the Spirit of God have been de livered from being servants to sin and have become servants of righteousness (vs. 17, 18). The servants of sin voluntarily yield their members to that service (v. 19), and the servants of righteousness are to yield, in the same manner, their members unto holiness. The natural inclination of the un saved person is to serve sin, whether that inclination is manifested in a vile and vi cious life, or in a moral and religious life. One position is as far from the true God as the other. There was a time when Paul had the right to boast of having attained to the heights of human excellence, yet at that time, he was far from God. And he was likewise far from God when, with religious zeal, he became "a persecutor” of the fol lowers of the Lord Jesus Christ, one who could call himself the chief of sinners (cf. Phil. 3:4-8; 1 Tim. 1:13-15). Later, with the same abandon, he desired to yield his members as servants of righteousness. Be ing the servant of sin meant having free dom from righteousness (v. 20). The ser-
vice of righteousness will mean 'freedom from sin. The reason for this exhortation is that the service to sin brings nothing but death, while the service to righteousness brings everlasting life with the added by-product of sanctification or holiness (vs. 21, 22). Of course, this teaching cannot mean that because one renders service to righteous ness one thereby obtains eternal life as a re ward for such service. The thought is, rather, that righteousness is the character of the eternal life which is imparted. In further development of this idea, the writer closes the chapter with the solemn words: "The wages of sin is death.” Those wages cannot be avoided nor canceled; they are paid whether desired or not. On the other hand: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 23). There are two masters in view, sin and righteousness, and each human being must decide which master he will serve. III. T h e L im its o f C h ristian L iberty (Rom. 14:21). While it is true that all things are law ful to the instructed Christian, nevertheless there must be no needless offense given to the weak brother. Liberty in Christ is to be governed by consideration for others. Points and Problems 1. "W hich they should do under the heaven ” (Eccl. 2 :3 ), The Book of Eccle- siastes, in certain respects, is the most curious document in the entire Bible. Be cause of its worldly philosophy and mate rialistic aspects, sincere Christians have sometimes wondered how it came to be in cluded among the writings of divine inspira tion. The answer is that we have here a record of a man who had tried everything “under the heaven"—mirth, folly, wisdom, art, wine, wealth—and had found in these things nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. The great lesson of the book is the unsatisfying character of a life which is lived wholly “under the sun.” The Bible would not be complete without such a book as this. It is a book, however, from which it is dangerous to lift proof texts without careful discrimination. Every text from E c clesiastes must be read in the light of the great underlying purpose of the entire book. 2. “T o give myself unto wine, get ac quainting mine heart with wisdom” (Eccl. 2 :3) . The Revised Version makes this pas sage a bit clearer: “I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom.” W e have here something very much worth-while on the subject of temperance. The writer of Ecclesiastes was no reckless winebibber. He knew that, up to a certain point, alcohol would cheer his flesh. Beyond that was stu pefaction, unconsciousness and suffering. Therefore, as a careful Epicurean, he aimed to “drink with discrimination,” as the liquor interests are advising today. But he found that in the end there was no satisfac tion in this sort of thing. He found as the years passed that even “desire shall fail” (1 2 :5 ). The wine had not changed, but the taste was gone. All was vanity under the sun. He found that the Epicurean life, even guided by the most discriminating wis-
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