Living for the Kingdom

Not Meat and Drink.

Living for Others Romans 14:14-23

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of; 17 for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Many errors arise from careless reading of the Bible, and from hasty conclusions from detached statements, as from wilful perversion of the word. Possibly many more are the result of lack of proper thought than of deliberate willfulness. Let us therefore always take heed how we read.

Clean and Unclean. If we consider well the subject under consideration, we shall not wrest this scripture from its connection. The thing presented from the beginning of the chapter is the case of a man with so little real knowledge of Christ that he thinks righteousness is to be obtained by the eating of certain kinds of food, or by not eating certain things. The idea clearly conveyed by the entire chapter is that it is by faith, and not by eating and drinking, that we are saved.

A little consideration of the question of clean and unclean food will help us much. There is a strange idea prevalent, to the effect that things that were at one time unfit for food are perfectly wholesome now. Many people seem to think that even unclean beasts are made clean by the gospel. They forget that Christ purifies men, not beasts and reptiles.

There were plants that were poisonous in the days of Moses, and those same plants are poisonous now. The very people who seem to think that the gospel makes everything fit to eat, would be as much disgusted at the thought of eating cats, dogs, caterpillars, spiders, flies, etc., as any Jew would have been in the days of Moses.  Instead of finding that a knowledge of Christ reconciles one to such a diet, we find, on the contrary, that it is only the most degraded savages who make use of them for food, and such a diet is both a sign and cause of degradation. Enlightenment brings carefulness in the selection of food.

Now there is no one who can imagine the apostle Paul or any other person of good sense and refinement eating everything that he could possibly find on earth. Although most people think themselves wiser than God in the matter of eating and drinking, there are, as there always have been, certain things universally held to be unfit for food. Therefore when the apostle says that nothing is unclean of itself, he evidently confines his remark to those things which God has provided for man's eating. There are people whose conscience is so poorly instructed that they fear to eat even of things which God has given to be eaten; just as there are some who forbid the eating of "food which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving." 1 Tim. 4:3.

So when the apostle says, "One believeth that he may eat all things," it is evident that the "all things" does not include filth. The idea evidently is that one believes that he may eat everything that is fit to be eaten. But another, having for instance the thought that some of those things may have been devoted to an idol, fears to eat of them lest he should thereby become an idolater. The eighth chapter of 1 Corinthians makes this whole subject plain, as it runs parallel with the fourteenth of Romans.

This throws light also upon the subject of days. Since the apostle evidently confines his remarks concerning food to that which it is allowable to eat, it is more clear that those days which may be considered as all alike are those days only which God has not sanctified to himself.

The Nature of the Kingdom. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Over that kingdom Christ has been set as King, for God has said, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Ps. 2:6. Now read further the words of the Father to the Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things: "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Heb. 1:8, 9.

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 14

We Are Servants.

 

Am I Thinking God's Way or Satan's?

 Am I thinking - true things?

Am I thinking - honest things?

Am I thinking - just things?

Am I thinking - pure things?

Am I thinking- lovely things?

Am I thinking- of good reports?

Am I thinking- of virtuous things?

Am I thinking- of praise worthy things?

Or Am I thinking - falsehoods, lies, unfair, filthy, ugly, evil, despicable, demeaning things?

Where are our thoughts focused?! We're thinking them, so where are they focused?! It is so easy to let the doom and gloom take over our every thought. Thinking the worst instantly becomes habitual to our nature, why? Does it have to be that way? If Satan has any say in the matter, yes, it has to be that way. It's the way we were conditioned by him. He groomed us in his school of angst, anxiety, anguish and heartache, and he's bent on perfecting our tendencies towards his ways. He offers great incentives and fills our lives with warped comfort, a mind numbing satisfaction in all things detrimental. He strokes our bizarre notions and keeps the flames of deceptive fires burning so we believe that proves we're alive and thriving through pure muck. We bathe ourselves in deep, warm sinking sand, fooling ourselves that we can touch the bottom and never go too far below. Satan doesn't care if we stand on the hidden precipice feeling safe there, he'll keep us there as long as we aren't inclined to turn from His evil swaying ways.  What horror for Satan when we dare to think about how unfair things are, but only for a moment! Just for a moment we dip our toes in the beckoning pool of self-pity and then pull those toes out and instead run and jump in the crystal clear, pure water of God focused, heavenly treasure filled life to come. God, please send us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to teach us to think on the things you would have us think on, and not let Satan's thoughts control us. Please teach us, help us learn the truth and leave the lies Satan has made our lives up with. Daily, hourly, minutely, keep us from the Evil.

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR! Now and forever!!! Amen!

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

A Burdened Rest.

 She walked through life seeking a relationship with Christ, the perfect, loving, savior- Christ. She heard his beckoning entreaty to come to Him - to Him, as she labored through life's many trials and extreme tribulations. As the weight of her world rested upon her heavily, she was told to come to Him for rest. Rest offered to her by her Savior. Rest from all the extreme burdens weighing her down until the exhaustion threatened her very existence. Rest.  But then her Savior said, to take His yoke. A yoke, a weight, a burden upon a beast, a yoke, a bondage of heaviness pressing down upon her. Her Savior wanted her to take His yoke. Her Savior wanted her to burden herself yet further, just after He offered her rest from being heavy ladened, spent through laboring and He wanted to place upon her another yoke, His yoke. Take it, He told her. Take this new weight upon you. Take my weight upon you. Take this shared weight the yoke was meant for two it was still His as He offered to let her take it with Him. Take my yoke on you, He told her, take it and learn of me, He said. He wanted her to learn of Him by taking His yoke with Him. The rest He offered was His rest. Shared burden. Knowledge of a true sharing of all the labor and heavy laden life bits that encumbered her. Shared by the knowledge of Him and ALL He represents. No false advertising. A clear truth that revealed the war and what it would mean to be on the side of the Savior. Knowledge that every single aching heart moment she experienced was shared with her Savior. Knowledge that all the heart ache, the worst of the worst she was going through, had  already gone through, and had yet to face was all temporary, all momentary. Knowledge that learning of her Savior meant learning of heaven, learning of heaven's true everlasting treasure, and knowledge of heaven being where all her treasures must truly reside. So much learning, relearning, studying, ever studying of Him. Knowing Him. Learning to keep the knowledge of Him. Learning of Him as we learn the greatest of life's lessons, those we never forget.  Learning of Him because He must be our breath, breathing Him. Learning of Him because He must be our heart beating, living Him. 

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'The School of Christ. The church of Christ is not composed of perfect men, but of those who are seeking perfection. He is the perfect One, and he sends out the invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." Mat. 11:28, 29. Having called all to come to him, he says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. As one has said, "God reaches for the hand of faith in man to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that man may attain to perfection of character."

The faith may be very weak, but God does not reject him on that account. Paul thanked God that the faith of the Thessalonian brethren grew exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:3), which shows that they did not have perfect faith at the first. It is true that God is so good that every person ought to trust him fully; but just because he is so good, he is very patient and forbearing with those who are not well acquainted with him, and he does not turn away from them because they are doubtful. It is this very goodness and forbearance of God that develops perfect faith.'

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 14

As Individuals We Find Christ's Path.

 We must live as God would have us live, each of us. My walk with Christ is not yours, and yours is not mine. Finding others whose walk with Christ compliments our own is truly a blessing, but that doesn't negate the fact we accept Christ as individuals and we must hold fast to the truths that He reveals to us.  We don't all have the same exact lives- it's impossible. We do all have many similarities in our lives. Yet why do two people living through the exact same circumstance experience it in different ways? That individuality will determine how we experience anything. A traumatic happenstance may affect one person severely and another less so. Why does one soldier get post-traumatic stress, while another doesn't?  Why does one rise above circumstances and another fall beneath them? We are individuals and because we are- we can't possibly ever judge another person in any way. We can judge right and wrong as given to us by our Lord, but we cannot judge people and their eternity, we just can't! I cannot condemn a single person based on their behavior being completely contrary to all I know of God. I can react by leaving a situation filled with those choosing not to follow the Lord's way, but I cannot take anyone of those I'm leaving and say they have no chance for eternity.  What I can do is pray that they will come to know the Lord and live the Lord's way. Then I have to leave them to God to judge. We are not to tell people they have to do this or that. We can reveal truth and they can decide to do this or that according as the Holy Spirit convicts them. To keep the truth without the love of God and conviction of the Holy Spirit, is truly meaningless because if we try to do that we are trying to work our way to eternity and there is absolutely no path to eternity that we can ever create on our own. The only way to eternity is through the path that Christ has forged before us, the narrow way. Love leads, love MUST lead. Heart conviction must prevail. Others who in all sincerity seek Christ will find Him as they are led. They may take many different detours getting to the narrow way, but their journey is theirs to make. We must live the truth as we've received it, and pray all would have their eyes opened to only the truth of God and not the deceptive lies of Satan.

God help us now and always! All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. All by the Holy Spirit! Amen!

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 14

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 Since the fourteenth chapter consists wholly of practical instruction in Christian living, and has no direct dependence upon the exhortations that have preceded it, we need not now take time to review the previous chapters, but will proceed at once with the text. Let it not be forgotten that this chapter, as well as those which precede, is addressed to the church, and not to those who do not profess to serve the Lord. In the sixth verse it is plainly shown that all who are spoken of in this chapter are those who acknowledge God as their Lord. The chapter therefore tells how we should regard one another as

Servants of One Common Master Romans 14:1-11

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith tye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth; for God hath received him. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up; for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himselhe Lord,  every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 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.

Put On The Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 13

The End Approaches. 

The remainder of the chapter is devoted to exhortations that need no comment. Their special force is derived from the fact that "the end of all things is at hand." Therefore we should "be sober, and watch unto prayer." 

Although living in the night, when darkness covers the earth (Isa. 60:2), Christians are children of the light and of the day, leaving off works of darkness.

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Joh 12:36  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Clothed with Christ. 

Those who put on the Lord Jesus Christ will not themselves be seen. 

Christ alone will appear. 

To make provision for the lusts of the flesh is most unnecessary, since the flesh ever seeks to have its lusts gratified. The Christian has need rather to take heed that it does not assert its own power, and assume control. 

Only in Christ can the flesh be subdued. 

He who is crucified with Christ, can say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,  and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20. And in that case he will conduct himself towards rulers and private persons just as Christ did, "because as he is, so are we in this world."

(The following comments on Romans 13 were spoken by E. J. Waggoner at the 1891 General Conference Session and are found in the Bulletin. They are added here for the convenience of the reader):

How far is it possible for the Christian to live at peace with all men? It is possible for him to be at peace with all men, so far as he himself is concerned, all the time. For he is dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Christ. Christ dwells in his heart by faith, and Christ is the Prince of peace. Then there are no circumstances under which the Christian is justified in losing his temper and declaring war either against an individual or a government. . . .

In Galatians 5:18 we are told that "if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." The works of the flesh are the works which are done by those who are under the law, and in the enumeration of these works we find the word "strife." Therefore a Christian cannot enter into strife, because he is not in the flesh. Strife can have no place in us: therefore so far as we are concerned it will be peace all the time.

But if those men with whom we have to do, steel their hearts against the truth of God, and will not be affected by the truth, they will make trouble, but the trouble will be on their part; with us there will be peace all the time. . . .

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"If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Pet. 3:14, 15.

Don't be afraid of the terror. Why? Because we have sanctified the Lord God in our hearts, and he is our fear.  God is with us, Christ is with us, and when men cast reproaches upon us, they cast them upon our Saviour. . . .

The most important thing for all of us who have this special truth which is bound to bring us into trouble with the powers that be, is to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts by the Spirit of God and his word. 

We must become students of the word of God, and followers of Christ and his gospel. . . . There are farmers and mechanics among us, who, although they have never been able to put texts together so as to preach a sermon, have nevertheless sanctified the Lord in their hearts by faithful study of his word. These people will be brought before courts for their faith, and they will preach the gospel there by way of their defense, because God in that day will give them a mouth and wisdom, that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. . . .

It is our duty to preach the gospel; to arise and let our light shine, and if we do that, God will hold the winds as long as they ought to be held. . . . The third angel's message is the greatest thing in all the earth. Men don't regard it as such; but the time will come in our lifetime when the third angel's message will be the theme and topic of conversation in every mouth. But it will never be brought to that position by people who keep quiet about it,  but by those who have their trust in God, and are not afraid to speak the words which he has given them.

In doing this, we will not take our lives in our hands, and I thank God for it. Our lives will be hid with Christ in God, and he will care for them. The truth will be brought to this high place simply by men and women going forth and preaching the gospel and obeying that which they preach. Let the people know the truth. If we have a peaceful time in which to spread it, we will be thankful for that. And if men make laws that would seem to cut off the channels through which it can go, we can be thankful that we worship a God who makes even the wrath of men to praise him; and he will do it, he will spread his gospel by means of those very laws which wicked men have enacted to crush out its life. God holds the winds, . . . and he commands us to carry the message. He will hold them as long as it is best for them to be held, and when they begin to blow, and we feel the first puffs in the beginning of persecution, they will do just what the Lord wants them to do. . . .

"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."  Rom. 13:7, 8. If you do this, you live peaceably with all men, as far as lies in you. If you love your neighbor as yourself, that is the fulfilling of the whole law; because to love one's neighbor one must love God, because there is no love but of God.

If I love my neighbor as myself, it is simply because the love of God is abiding in my heart. It is because God has taken up abode in my heart, and there is no one on earth who can take him away from me. It is for this reason that the apostle refers to the last table of the law, because if we do our duty toward our neighbor, it naturally follows that we love God.

Sometimes we are told that the first table points out our duty to God, and constitutes religion, and that the last table defines our duty to our neighbor, and constitutes morality. But the last table contains duties to God just as much as the first one. David, after he had broken two of the commandments contained in the last table when making his confession said: "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight." God must be first and last and all the time. . . .

All these lessons that we have had are to prepare us for the time of trouble.