Temperance and Social Justice

GOLDEN TEXT: “So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” —Romans 14:12,13

ROMANS 13:11 – 14:4, 15-21

IN THE first part of our lesson Paul stresses the fact that now is our salvation nearer than when we entered the Christian way. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand,” he wrote, Paul is here referring to the long and dark night of sin and death; the “night” the Prophet David describes as being filled with weeping. The “day” in Paul’s admonition is the day of Christ’s kingdom. It was to the beginning of this “day” that David wrote in his expression, “Joy cometh in the morning.”—Ps. 30:5

The night is “far spent,” Paul wrote. In every age God has permitted his people, ofttimes even his inspired servants, to think that the “day” of the promised messianic kingdom, with all its marvelous blessings, was much nearer than it actually was. However, Paul was right when he said, “The night is far spent.” There is reason to believe that the nighttime of human experiences was to last for approximately 6,000 years, In Paul’s day, more than 4,000 years, or two-thirds of the night, had already passed. How true, then, was the expression, “The night is far spent.”

Paul admonished, “Let us cast off the works of darkness,” and, “Let us walk honestly [margin, ‘decently’] as in the day.” The meaning of these admonitions is obvious. We are to “walk,” that is, conduct ourselves as though we were already living in the “day,” or in the time of Christ’s kingdom. Since Christ will be the Ruler in that day, and Satan the “prince of this world” will be bound, justice and righteousness will prevail, therefore we should see to it that we practice justice and righteousness now.

We are to “put on the armor of light,” and we are also to put on “the Lord Jesus Christ.” The “armor of light” is the defense which the Lord has provided through the truth of his Word. It protects us specially against the attacks of the Devil, these attacks being upon our minds. The details of this armor are mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is the full acceptance of him as our Head, the ruler of our lives. The only way we can have him as our Head is by being baptized into his death. Through the Apostle Paul He directs us to lay down our lives sacrificially, to be planted together with him in the likeness of his death. (Rom. 6:3-5) We cannot, therefore, make provision for the flesh, provision which, while pleasing to the flesh, would be withdrawing from the privilege of dying with Christ.

One of the evidences of a mature Christian, one who is living up to all his privileges as a member of the body of Christ, is his sympathetic understanding of fellow-members in the body who possibly have not advanced to the same degree of maturity as he. They had these immature brethren in the Early Church. One of the evidences of their lack of growth in grace was their belief that it was a sin to eat meat which had been offered to idols.

In view of this situation the mature in Christ were confronted with two just obligations. One was not to judge these weaker brethren and condemn them. As Paul explains, they either stood or fell before the Lord. God had called them into the truth, and into the Christian way, and was dealing with them. To condemn them would be questioning the wisdom of God.

Another obligation was not to put temptation in their way by eating meat offered to idols in the presence of those who considered it wrong. This could stumble them in the sense of encouraging them to eat the meat—so as not to seem different from others—even though it was contrary to their conscience. The violation of conscience is a weakening of character.

“The kingdom of God,” Paul wrote, “is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Every follower of the Master is running for “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14) The glorious hope of joint-heirship with Christ in his kingdom is held out to all who make their calling and election sure. (II Pet. 1:10) To prove faithful to our calling is the all-important thing in life.

How trivial, then, are such incidentals as meat and drink! How glad we should be to forego an earthly advantage, or satisfaction, if by so doing we can be a help to a brother in Christ. Indeed, the spirit of sacrifice which makes it a delight to do this is the spirit of love which all must have who are to live and reign with Christ.

QUESTIONS

What are the “night” and “day” referred to by Paul?

What did Paul mean by living “as in the day”?

What are Christians to “put on”?

What is the all-important thing in a Christian’s life?

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