light of the content, it is evident that the passage means simply this : We, brethren, translated now into the king- dom of God'e dear Son, have certain liberties as to our food, etc. , which we had not as Jews under the law (verse 14); yet let us rather not use this liberty if it cause breth- ren who do not yet realize it to stumble and* violate their consciences. Let us not, by our liberty as to our food, ruin our brother for whom Christ died ; but let us remember that the privileges of the kingdom, both now and in the future, consist of much greater blessings than liberty as to food ; namely, in our liberty as to right-doing, our peace toward God through Christ, and our joy in participating in the Holy Spirit of God. These liberties of the kingdom (now and ever) are so great that the minor liberty as to food may well be sacrificed, for the present, for our brother's good.
Thus, no matter from what Scripture standpoint we look, the idea that the kingdom promises are mythical decep- tions, or that our present conditions fulfil these promises, is contradicted.
With the early Church, the promises of kingdom honor and joint-heirship with the Master were strong incentives to faithfulness under present trials and persecutions, which they had been forewarned to expe<t ; and in all the words of comfort and encouragement in the Apocalypse, given to the seven churches, none shine out more clearly and forcibly than those which declare, " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne j" and, " To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations,"
These are promises which could not reasonably be mis- construed to apply to a present work of grace in the heart, nor yet to a reign over the nations in the present life ; since they who would overcome must do so by death in the ser- vice, and thus gain the kingdom honors. Rev. 20 : 6.
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