The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 347

Ver. 31.-The great rule of life. I. WHAT IT IS. To seek the glory of God. There- ha,c been and are many life-rules; this alone is flawless. Many have themselves as life-ends. Some enjoin us to make the welfare of others our life-object, and preach to .is "the greatest happiness of the greatest number," which would prove a very hiah and excellent object to aim at were it- a. little less obscure and a. little more practicab~; but it would not be high enough even then. God must be the Sun of our system, not ourseh·cs or others. Then order a.nd well-being result, but otherwise confusion, con- tradiction, chaos. ,vhen we truly seek God's glory, neither our own interest nor that of others will be prejudiced, but the reverse. This life-rule is: 1. Reasonable. As. creatures, we should live to our Creator. All we have, and all we are, belong to God; it is intensely reasonable that they should be used for his plea.sure. 2. Beneficial. It fulfils the object of our creation. If that object be frustrated, God is robbed, others are injured, and we cannot profit. Our life must be according to the Divine intent, or it will bec,,1112 pernicious all round. 3. Joy-bringing. We are "out of gear" until our lives are thus ordered. We may gain excitement, but we shall lack solid satisfaction. The joy of heaven arises from the fact that those in it live for God; heavenly joy comes to earth where heavenly life comes. II. To WHAT IT APPLIES. The answer is brief-to everything. It is a rule for all life, for every part of life. Xote particularly that it applies to small things as well as great, to so-called secular things as to sacred. But the distinction is deRtroyed-it makes all things sacred. It saves anything from becoming insignificant by giving it this supreme significance, "the glory of God." It makes everything interesting and useful. The apostle particularizes such acts as eating and drinking-the most familiar and commonplace. .A man should eat and <lriak so as to be fitted for serving God. How many by gluttony and wine-bibbing are unfitted! "Sunday religion" is a flagrant. violation of the apostolic precept. Obedience will make our piety continuous, and them is no piety which is not so. How different our lives would be if this commandment were ever in our thoughts! What a check it would prove to self-seeking and to sin- generally ! How much we should have to discontinue because such things could not possibly be done to the Divine glory! How strangely beautiful our lives would become if we yielded a full obedience! III. WHAT IT INVOLVES. 1. Conversion. However it may be with others, we to whom the gospel has come cannot live to the glory of God if we reject Christ. Apart from Christ we are the enemies of God. Our lives may be moral, but the rejection of Christ is like poison mixed with good food-resulting in a poisonous mass. We must come to God in the appointed way before we can serve him. There is a parallel passage to the text : " Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lorri Jesus" (Col. iii. 17). We must start at Calvary. We must be converted to God before- we can glorify him. " They that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. viii. 8). 2. Direct service offered to God. In worship. In Christian enterprise and labour. U we use the smaller opportunities of bringing glory to God, we shall not neglect the greater. The man who serves God in his home and business will seek to serve him also in the Church and in spheres of Christian usefulness. The man who professes to serve God on one day out of seven is more than open to suspicion, and so is the man who professes to serve God on six. 3. Duties to ourselves. Our duties to ourselves are our duties to God. We. cannot glorify God unless we observe his laws, and many of these are directed towards our personal well-being. By self-improvement, by growth in grace, by increase in physical, menta.1, and spiritual health, we may glorify our Father who is in heaven. 4. Duties to others. '!'he first and second commandments (Matt. xxii. 37-39) are indissolubly united. When we truly serve men we serve God. \Ve may glorify God by seeking to advance the true interests of our fellow-creatures. Under the guidance of this principle, we shall: (1) Not offend men's consciences (vcr. 28). (2) Not hinder them in their spiritual life or cause them to sin (ver. 32). (3) Earnestly seek their salvation (ver. 33). (4) Be willing to practise much sell- deuial (vcr. 33).-H. on. x. 1-33.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 3Gl: