For notice with what solemnity the Apostle gives the master His full, official, formal title here, ‘put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.’  Do we put Him on as Lord; bowing our whole wills to Him, and accepting Him, His commandments, promises, providences, with glad submission?  Do we put on Jesus, recognising in His manhood as our Brother not only the pattern of our lives, but the pledge that the pattern, by His help and love, is capable of reproduction in ourselves?  Do we put Him on as ‘the Lord Jesus Christ,’ who was anointed with the Divine Spirit, that from the head it might flow, even to the skirts of the garments, and every one of us might partake of that unction and be made pure and clean thereby?  ‘Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,’ and do it day by day, and then you have ‘put on the whole armour of God.’

And when the day that is dawning has risen to its full, then, not till then, may we put off the armour and put on the white robe, lay aside the helmet, and have our brows wreathed with the laurel, sheathe the sword, and grasp the palm, being ’more than conquerors through Him who loved us,’ and fights in us, as well as for us.

THE LIMITS OF LIBERTY

’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 stumblingblock, or an occasion to fall, in his brother’s way. 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 offence. 21.  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing 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.’—­ROMANS xiv. 12-23.

The special case in view, in the section of which this passage is part, is the difference of opinion as to the lawfulness of eating certain meats.  It is of little consequence, so far as the principles involved are concerned, whether these were the food which the Mosaic ordinances made unclean, or, as in