T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
784
precedes addition. We cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of th e flesh and sp irit, before we can perfect holiness in th e fear of God. 2 Cor. 7 :1 . The first th ree days of th e creative week, God was separating and dividing. The second th ree days he was fu rnishing and adorning. Before th is sum in ad dition can be perform ed, we m ust es cape th e corruption th a t is in th e world th rough lust. 2 P et. 1:4. Bach qual ity h ere mentioned is a kind of soil or, atmosphere in which th a t which follows is nourished. F a ith is -the sta rtin g point of all, signifying th e a ttitu d e of th e soul tow ard Christ. A t th e nead of th e list are th e active gifts, v irtu e and knowledge, th en th e passive qualities of self-control and endurance, th en the a t titu d e tow ard God which is godliness, followed by th e a ttitu d e tow ard the church which is love of th e b reth ren , and finally th e a ttitu d e tow ard God and all m ankind which is love. The condition of progress in th e sp iritual life is th e strenuous exercise of all th e graces of th e inner and ou ter life. John 7:17. Col. 1:10. The lack of these things produces sp iritu al near-sighted ness. The worldly man sees th a t which is near, earth ly good and gain. The unworldly man sees th a t which is a fa r off, th e heavenly glory and etern al re ward. If we live en tirely w ithin the little scope of our horizon, th e things ■ of th is world have a larg e place in cu r esteem. When we behold the land th a t is very far off, Isaiah 33:17, th e power of th e world to come controls our live^. F a ith which unites us to th e invisible Christ, v irtu e which toils for an un seen Master, temperance wmcn uses self-denial in hope of a fu tu re rew ard, and patience which endures and suffers in view of a crown of glory, all clarify our sp iritu al vision and attach us to the age to come. SUNDAY, Aug. 31. Rom. 13:8-14. Self-control and Service. Augustine was sitting in a garden at Milan where he was teaching rhetoric. H is m other Monica h ad prayed for him for th irty years b u t he had only gone deeper into sin. He h eard the voice of a child in th e stree t outside singing the refra in of a popular song, “Tolle, lege,” “Take and rea d .” Acting on an im pulse suggested by th e song he took a copy of th e Scriptures from a pile of books beside him and opened it a t ra n dom. H is eye fell on Rom. 13:13-14. The Spirit sen t th e arrow of conviction to his soul. He fell upon his knees and
convey a false impression of Christ. They watch our lives and seem s no beauty in Christ they are repelled and estranged from Him. A Chinaman once came to a m ission station in China and presented him self as a candidate for church membership. He was asked where he had heard th e Gospel preached. He replied, “ I have never h eard the Gospel preached b u t X have seen it lived.” In a rem ote country d istrict where no Christian m issionary had ever gone, th is man h ad come in contact w ith a native Christian and by w atching his consistent daily life, had become con vinced of th e tru th of C h ristian ity and had been converted. FRIDAY, Aug. 29. 1 Cor. 8:1-13. Self-denial on B ehalf of O thers. No outw ard action is intrinsically sinful. Nevertheless th e re is no act however app aren tly innocent th a t may not be a sin when perform ed from a wrong motive and und er certain cir cumstances. Christian liberty is a glo rious Gospel privilege b u t it has self- imposed lim itations. While all things may be lawful, expediency lim its th e scope of Christian practice. Scripture enjoins temperance in all th ing s and implies abstinence in some things. Con sideration for one’s own well being will secure m oderation in all things. Con sideration for th e well-being of others will promote prohibition in many things. A certain ecclesiastic, when a friend rem on strated w ith him concern ing his bibulous habits, scornfully re plied, “ Shall I shave my head- because ano th er man has w ater on th e b ra in ? ” By th is reply he showed him self very fa r removed both from th e sp irit of Christ and th e logic of Paul. A Chris tia n man may indulge him self in some th ing th a t he no t only believes is h arm less b u t positively beneficial. Never theless if ano th er Christian, however weak, poor and ignorant, is h u rt or hindered by it, th e law of love cuts it off w ith a blade keener th a n one of Damascus steel. In th e place of eating m eat in vs. 13, we may sub stitu te th e use of narcotics or stim ulants, th e read ing of novels, th e playing of games of chance or skill, th e indulgence in any p articu la r amusement, and th e argu m ent is as applicable to th e tw entieth century as to the first. The law of love is as universal and inexorable - as any axiom or form ula of m athem atics. SATURDAY, Aug. 30. 2 P e te r 1:1-11. Discipline an d Self-Control. In th e Divine arithm etic, subtraction
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker