THE KING’S BUSINESS
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cdnsideration for the Lord, he “regardeth it unto the Lord.” And so he that eateth things that another has conscientious scruples about, “eateth unto the Lord.” He proves this by giving God thanks. But on the other hand, he that eateth not does it out of regard for the Lord, and he too gives God thanks. St> neither one must judge the other. Friday, August 24 . Rom. 14 : 7 - 9 . No man who has a right to call himself a Christian “liveth unto himself.” This suggests a question to each of us, Are we living unto ourselves? Paul says .here “none of us” does. So if we are living unto ourselves we may well hear Paul say ing that we are “ none of us.” Do you live unto yourself or unto the Lord? Do. you décidé questions about foods and days and all other questions purely with a view to what will glorify God? In death as in life it is the Lord and His glory that we have in view, “we die unto the Lord.” So then in both life and death “we are the Lord’s.” How glorious ! We are His property, liv ing or dying. The Lord Jesus both lived and died, and it was for a glorious purpose too that “Christ died, and lived again,” viz. that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Saturday, August 25 . Rom. 14 : 10 , 11 . “But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" These are exceedingly important questions for the children of God in all periods of the church’s history. Who can measure the divisions, the bitter ness and mischiefs that have come into the church through this door, of sitting as judges on one another’s actions and despising other brethren because they were differently persuaded about duty from our selves? Judgment belongs to God, let us leave it to Him (cf.-vs. 2-6). There are, it is true, actions which so manifestly are of an unchristian character as to forbid fellowship (1 Cor. 5:9-11; 2 John 9,10), but when in judging brethren we go beyond
Thursday, August 23 . Rom. 14 : 1 - 6 .
Paul was a man of very pronounced con victions, and he knew that these convictions were true. Nevertheless, he also believed in liberty, he would not force his con victions down another man’s throat. “Let each man be fully assured in his own mind,” was thé principle upon which he acted, and upon which he would have others to act. If Christians would act upon that principle it would save much unnecessary and harmful division. Even the one who was weak in the faith was to be received. There are those who will have no fellow ship except with those who have as full and exact a knowledge of the truth as they have themselves. There is one body of believers who separated first from all other believers, and then into six or seven divis ions of their own, upon minute and doubt ful points of doctrine and these six or seven subdivisions will not even break bread together. Alas! for this,carnal sec tarianism that puts private opinion above the clear teaching of the word of God. While the one who was weak in faith was to be received, it was not to the discern ment and judgment of his doubts that he was to be received, i.e., not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions as to which one is to bç preferred as the more correct. The one who has been delivered from all legalism regarding foods and days should not judge him that is still more or less under the law.. And on the other hand, the one who is still held by legal scruples should not judgé him who is not thus bound. God has received him. Each of us is to answer to God and to Him alone, and if we are thoroughly given up to find and to do His will, He is able to make us stand, no matter how, weak we are and what men may say. But while each must decide for himself, he must be careful that he indeed “fully assured in his own mind.” If he is not thus “fully assured,” i.e., if he condemns himself in what he does, then he is also condemned of God (see vs. 22,23). The one who regards a day does it out of
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