The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 371

wo.y to tho demo.nd of p11tric,tism and of duty. And shall not the Christian soldier encrifico o.11 oarthly affections rather than be unfaithful to Ghrist? Shall he rnt hear the voice of Jesus o.bove all e11rthly voices? Of such complete self-denial Christ him- eolf has gi~en ~ls ~he best em~ple. "~~ pie~ not himself." Not merely in his death, but ID his hfo, he gave himself a hvrng sacnfice. When we thiuk of hr,w much we owe to Christ, any sacrifice that we can make will seem but a poor and feeble effort to show our gratitude and our love. Yet we are encouraged to present even our poor so.orifice by the assurance that it will be " acceptable unto God." -C. H. I. Ver. 2.-The two likenesses. The exhortation contained in this verse re7ards the human mind as impressiouable, pliable, sU8Ceptible. It is especially add-;.essed to Christians. There are two forms which seek to impress themselves upon the Christian and the image of which every Christian bears in greater or less degree. The one i~ likeness to the world ; the other is likeness to God. I. LIKENESS TO THE WORLD. Against this the apostle warns the Christian: "Be not conformed to this world." 1. The exhortation is mwh needed. The ambition of many Christians is to be as like the world as possible. They talk of the extreme of Puritanism, and speak of being too strict. The danger now is from the extrem- of worldliness. If I nm to choose, let me have the extreme of being too scrupdom rather than too careless, ultra-conscientious rather than having a conscience that sees no harm in anything. Let me be like Abraham, who would not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet from the King of Sodom, rather than like worldly minded Lot, who pitched bis tent toward Sodom, and by-and-by came and dwelt in Sodom, though he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with the filthy conversation and unlawful deeds of the people among whom be bad chosen to d we!L Let me be like Elisha rather than Gehazi, like Daniel rather than Belshazzar. 2. OonfOTmity to the world is injurious to the Church. When the Jewish people came in contact with the heathen nations, they began to imitate them, to conform to their customs. The result was disastrous to the spiritual life, aud ultimately to the temporal prosperity of Israel. So it was with the Churches of Asia. Their worldliness proved their ruin. Sardis had a name to live, but it was dead. Laodicea was lukewarm, and neither cold nor bot. We may try as Christians to please the world by conforming to it, but in proportion as we do so we are unfaithful to our Master, and we are displeasing him. "The friendship of this world is enmity against God." 3. The conformity of Christians to the world is in}urious to the world. Some Christians imagine that they will have more influence on the world by becoming more like it. It is a great mistake. If we want to teach children to write, we don't set them imperfect copies. The world was never made better by low ideals. The deities of pa..,cra.n.ism did not elevate humanity. It is not the half-and-half Christian, the worldly minded Christian, whose influence will tell for good upon those around him. If we are to make the world better, it can only be by keeping before us as Christians a high idea.I of what the Christian life ought to be, and by striviug faithfully, and with the help of Divine grace, to live np to it. Christians are living epistles, known and read of all men. What kind of copy are we setting to the world? 4. We are not to imitate the wOTld in its estimate of religion. 'l'be world's idea. of religion is that it is a thing of gloom, an irksome restraint, a we:ll'y bondage, something that it would be desirable to have wheu death is sppl'L'..'\Ching, but which it would be well to live without as long as possible. Too often Uhristi:ms gi,tl encourngement to this idea. Their religion has too little relation to their daily lifo, or a relation of routine form rather than of living and pleasaut association. 5. We a,,, not to imitate the world in its estimate of tlie soul. In the popular estirustion, and in everyday life, the soul is thrust into the background. The chief couceru is how to provide comfort and luxury for thti body. No expense is grudged for these ol~~>cts. Uodily health is scrupulously guMded, nnd rightly so. Educatiou is carefully stteuded to. How anxious parents aro, and rightly so, to secure a i:oo<l educatiou for their children I But how little trouble is taken to instruct them or have them instructed in etornril things I How little care, cronerally, is dovoted to the concerus of the immort:u eo. ul I In this rospoot professing 6hristians aro too linble to be conformed to the world. ']'hoy become too muoh absorbed in the world's busiuess to thiuk ,\$ mu.:h ns they 11ugl1t of thoir own spiritu1111. lifo n11l\ Q' t4o svujs of vthtJrs. Christinu p:\M1ts :\re often U0¥ANB, 2Q 370 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [oR, xn.1-21,