and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of God ." 2 Corinthians 7:1 . And with the fruits of the Spirit-- " love , joy , peace , longsuffering , gentleness , goodness , faith , meekness " --he classes " temperance ." Galatians 5:22 , 23 .
Notwithstanding these inspired declarations , how many professed Christians are enfeebling their powers in the pursuit of gain or the worship of fashion ; how many are debasing their godlike manhood by gluttony , by wine drinking , by forbidden pleasure . And the church , instead of rebuking , too often encourages the evil by appealing to appetite , to desire for gain or love of pleasure , to replenish her treasury , which love for Christ is too feeble to supply . Were Jesus to enter the churches of today and behold the feasting and unholy traffic there conducted in the name of religion , would He not drive out those desecrators , as He banished the money-changers from the temple ?
The apostle James declares that the wisdom from above is " first pure ." Had he encountered those who take the precious name of Jesus upon lips defiled by tobacco , those whose breath and person are contaminated by its foul odor , and who pollute the air of heaven and force all about them to inhale the poison--had the apostle come in contact with a practice so opposed to the purity of the gospel , would he not have denounced it as " earthly , sensual , devilish "? Slaves of tobacco , claiming the blessing of entire sanctification , talk of their hope of heaven ; but God ' s word plainly declares that " there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth ." Revelation 21:27 .
" Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you , which ye have of God , and ye are not your own ? for ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body , and in your spirit , which are God ' s ." 1 Corinthians 6:19 , 20 . He whose body is the temple of the Holy Spirit will not be enslaved by a pernicious habit . His powers belong to Christ , who has bought him with the price of blood . His property is the Lord ' s . How could he be guiltless in squandering this entrusted capital ? Professed Christians yearly expend an immense sum upon useless and pernicious indulgences , while souls are perishing for the word of life . God is robbed in tithes and offerings , while they consume upon the altar of destroying lust more than they give to relieve the poor or for the support of the gospel . If all who profess to be followers of Christ were truly sanctified , their means , instead of being spent for needless and even hurtful indulgences , would be turned into the Lord ' s treasury , and Christians would set an example of temperance , self-denial , and self-sacrifice . Then they would be the light of the world .
329