p. 15 | THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 11, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 24.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

LESSON 12.—JUNE 22.—TEMPERANCE LESSON.

Lesson Scripture, Rom. 13:8-14, R.V.

8 “Owe no man anything, save to love one another; for he that 9 loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love 10 thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.

11 “And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep; for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, 12 and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in revelling or drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Golden Text.—“Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:12.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What admonition does Paul give us in regard to debt? What debt only is it permissible for a Christian to owe? What does the man do who loves his neighbor? V. 8. Note 1. (2) What separate commands of the Decalogue does the apostle enumerate? In what command does he sum up our whole duty to mankind? V. 9. Note 2. (3) In what work has love no part? What is the relation existing between love and the law? V. 10. (4) What is it now time for every professed Christian to do? What is it that makes this time especially important to us? V. 11. (5) What is said of this long night of sin? What good news should the Christian be telling to the world now? As the night is far spent, what should be laid aside? As the day is at hand, what should we put on? V. 12. Note 3. (6) How must we walk in this present time? What must be avoided by every child of God? V. 13. Note 4. (7) What great shield is it possible and necessary that we should put on? Against what work are we specially warned? What sort of mind do we have when we are making provisions for the flesh? What kind of mind must we have in order to please God? V. 14. Note 5.

NOTES.

1. Hath fulfilled the law.—God’s law is a law of love. It is an expression of His character. It was given to man because He loved man and would have him build a character in harmony with the life of his Maker, in harmony with the spirit that pervades heaven. So in truly loving God and man we are fulfilling the law, which is based on, and established in love. So, too, unless God changes His character of love, He can not change His law of love; for it is based on His character. “God is love;” and “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” 1 John 5:3. It is also the test whether we know God or not. 1 John 2:3-6.

2. If there be any other commandment.—It is perfectly evident that Paul is not attempting here to enumerate all the commandments of the Decalogue. The whole burden of the lesson is on our attitude toward our neighbor. This is shown from both the preceding and the following verse. His summing up also has to do only with our love toward our neighbor, whereas when Christ summed up the whole law, it included love to God as well as love to man. The unchanging God did not change the foundation of His government when Christ died upon the cross.

3. The night is far spent.—Earth’s long night of sin is nearing its close; the day of redemption is about to burst upon us in all its glory. The signs which Christ gave His disciples (Matt. 24), the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars, have been fulfilled, and earth is waiting for her Lord.

4. Honestly, as in the day.—Dishonesty is one of the works of darkness, of the night. The Christian is a child of light. He can have no fellowship with anything that will not bear the scrutiny of God. The professed Christian who works wickedness is like the professional robber who attempts to rob in plain view of the officers of the law. His deeds are open and manifest to the One who will pass judgment upon him.

5. Make not provision for the flesh.—The idea is not that we should not provide for the necessities of life, but that we should not make provision for the gratification of the lusts of the flesh. The curse of the world at the present time is making provision for selfish pleasure. It is seen on every hand; it is filling the lives of the children of this world. God warns us against it.