THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S
February, 1938
61
verses. The writer of these notes believes that the cause of Scriptural temperance would be served better if isolated passages, such as this one, were not used to carry, a meaning that they, in the light of their context, do not contain. W ill any one con tend that Samson, the child of Manoah and his wife, is a good sample of manhood to emulate? The verses teach that his mother was instructed to abstain from wine or strong drink, as well as from things un clean. It is implied that the mother’s abstinence from these practices would have a beneficial effect upon her unborn child, and the lesson would be well planned if modern expectant mothers could be brought to see the tremendous importance of exer cising the greatest care of their bodies while looking forward to childbirth. The passage before us speaks of the church as a whole, but that does not mean that the individual believer is not respon sible for the treatment he gives to his physical body, for this teaching is also clearly set forth. The body is a precious thing, fearfully and wonderfully made, rendered all the more precious because, for the believer, it is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. T o misuse that body is to court the judgment of God. God’s temple is to be used by Him. It is meaningless for one to claim that his body belongs to God if the individual uses that body for his own desires without regard for the purposes o f the true Owner. It would be an act of thievery to appropriate another’s property without the owner’s w ill ingness that he should do so, and no one ever secured the permission of God to mis use the Lord’s property. Moreover, God’s temple is to be ex pressive of His nature. In 2 Corinthians 3:2 where another figure is used, we are told that the church, and therefore each indi vidual member in it, is an epistle “ known and read of all men.” An epistle is a bit of the mind of the writer conveyed to the reader. Thus the believer may become the means of showing forth the Lord Jesus Christ to others. IV. T he S acrifice for the L ord (Rom. 12:1, 2) The appeal in this passage is based upon what the Lord has done for the believer. It is not a direct command, but rather a “beseeching” on the ground of grace, and it calls for the voluntary giving up of one self to the Lord. But while the message in itself is not a command, love will turn it into a most insistent demand to be obeyed gladly. The sacrifice is to be also a “ living” thing, not merely an offering laid upon the altar in some meeting of special spiritual appeal and then removed from that altar when the influences of the meeting are forgotten. When one’s life is given over into the Lord’s hands, there never again will be any uncertainty as to what is right or wrong for the believer to do, or be, for every III. T he H abitatio n for t h e L ord (1 Cor. 3:16, 17)
decision will be made in the light of the Lord’s pleasure concerning it. Furthermore, the sacrifice is a “ reason able” thing— reasonable when viewed in the light of what the Lord is, and what He has done and will do for the believer. For the saved one, it would be wholly un reasonable not to yield all into the hands of the Lord. Finally, the sacrifice is to be a transform ing thing. It will bring the believer into such close fellowship with the Lord that likeness to the Lord surely will result. He is the One who beyond all others offered His hody, that is, Himself, as a voluntary sacrifice to God. And the more the believer is like Christ in the spirit of yieldedness to God, the more will God’s purpose in the believer’s life be fulfilled (cf. Rom. 8 :28, 29). Points and Problems 1. “Began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was” VIk. 6:55). The Greek form of the verbs makes it clear that the people would carry their sick about from place to place, wherever they heard that He might be. They gave a wonderful exhibition of faith, refusing to be discouraged when they failed to find Him in one place. 2. "Not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine” (Judg. 13 :14). Because the coming child was to be set aside as a Nazarite, even the mother , was to observe the Naz- aritic law during her period of child-bear ing. This law is stated in Numbers 6:3-5. The Nazarite not only was forbidden to drink any fermented wine or strong drink, but he could not eat even the grapes, whether moist or dried, “ from the kernels even to the husk.’’ Certainly this was avoid ing every appearance of ev il! It would be an excellent thing for every modern woman to read the word of God to Manoah. In spite of the marvelous protection thrown by the God of nature around the unborn child to protect it from the evil effects of the parent’s sin, it is well ' known that alcoholism often leaves its mark in various ways. 3. The International Committee have made a mistake, I feel, in choosing 1 Corin thians 3:16, 17 as a reference to the human body. It is true that the body of every indi vidual believer is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and therefore its defilement is a heinous sin. All this is very clearly taught in a later passage in the same Epistle (6:15- 20)., which would have been most appro priate for the Lesson Committee’s purpose. The “ temple"wdierred to in chapter 3 is not the individual Christian’s body, but the entire church of God, the Body of Christ. The warning of verse 17 against those who would “ defile the temple of God” is in tended for the sectarians of verse 4 who were marring the unity of the church by their divisive movements. It is never wise to sunder a passage from its context, even for the purpose of teaching a good lesson. 4. The exhortation of Romans 12:1, 2 is addressed only to those who are called “ brethren,” that is, to those who have be come members of the family of God
H i g h S c h o o l C o u r s e at Home Many Finish in 2 Years I Oo as rapidly as your time and abilities permit. Course equivalent to resident school work — prepares you tor I entrance to college. Standard H. S. texts supplied— F loras. Credit for H. S. subjects already completed. Single sab* is if desired. High school education is very important for aq- i vaneement in business and industry and socially. Don’t be handl- I capped all your life. Be a High School graduate. Start yew I training now. Free Bulletin on reauest. No obligation, w n r i n n School, Dpt H-235 Drawl at 58 th, Chico«o MY HUMAN BEST FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT by
Richard Ellsworth Day A new d e v o tio n a l work by the author of “ The S h a d ow of the Broad Brim” (a Life of S p u rg e o n ) and “ Bush Aglow ” (a study of D. L. M oody). During the past few years, Dr. Day has become a front rank
R ic h a rd E l l s worth Day, Pas tor, H a m iI ton Square B a p tis t C h u rch , S a n Francisco
figure among the writers of definitely Christian literature. He regards “M Y HUMAN BEST, FILLED W IT H THE SPIRIT” as “my golden book—the cli max of all I have previously written.” These booklets are planned for family use and will be issued quarterly. Winter Quarter— January, February and March— price 35c Yearly Subscription— $1.25 Order from your Church Supply House, Bookseller or Zondervan Publishing House Dept. KB Grand Rapids, Mich. H foody. Check Bung# Cornel Every year, or twice a year, just as you desire. Moody will send you a generous check as long as you live. You can depend on a regular, guar anteed income of 3 ^ to 8 V 2 % —on every $100 you invest with us. Your income is sure; behind every an nuity contract are the $ 6 , 000,000 oi assets of this world-famous institu tion. And your money will be doing a great Christian service. You be come Moody's partner in training young people to carry the gospel to all countries. Write for free booklet, "Facts," for full details about the Moody Plan. MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE O F C H I C A G O Founded by D. L. MOODY Moody distributes 600,000 tracts and 30,000 gospels annually.
A N N U IT Y D EP A R TM EN T KB -I. 153 Institute Place, Chicago, Illinois Please tell me how I can invest $100 or any multiple in the work of Moody Bible Institute, and still have an income during my lifetime.
D. L. Moody Address.
Made with FlippingBook HTML5