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 offense. (21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
What a very precious Scripture this is, in conclusion of what had been said, concerning all the controversies of meat and drink? The Kingdom of God is not meal and drink. Here we have the decision. Meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse, 1 Corinthians 8:8. How everlastingly disposed the minds of men have been, in taking up with anything short of the change of heart! This throws to the ground every attempt of compromise with God. Nothing short of the work of God the Spirit in regeneration, can bring sinners to God. It is the special, and peculiar office of God the Holy Ghost, to effect this blissful change. He convinceth of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. And, by holding up to the sinner's view, the Person, work, and glory of Christ, and working in the sinner's heart, faith to believe the record God hath given of his Son; he gives grace, to possess an interest, in all the communicable rights of the Lord Jesus, which he wrought for his people; and thus renders the kingdom of grace here, leading to a kingdom of glory hereafter, the privilege of the whole Church. Reader! doth your experience correspond with the Apostle's, and is this kingdom in your esteem, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost? If so, sweet to the soul is the testimony of God the Spirit by the Apostle. For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, in the beloved, and approved of men!