The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-26
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE LESSON.
SECOND QuARrER. LESSON v. May 9.


/ ODedience. Ephes1ans VI, LID.
GOLDEN TExT-Children obey your parents in the
Lord; for this right Eph. vi, l.
/ HOME READINGS.
| Obedience Recommended. Prov. iv, lib.
Elaboration to Obedience .Deut. viii, u.s.
Gods Favor forfeited by Disobedi-
/ ence-. L Sam. kin, TIA
| Obedience tthe Lesson). -----..--.E vi, lib.
| Faithfuness in Serving Matt. XIV, 1880
Tribute to whom tribute is DUE Luke XXX, 1920
| SPIRIT or ADJUST Ruler SAM xxiii, ~.
| While Paul was imprisoned at Rome, the
church at Philippi sent Epaphroditus, and the
church at Colosse sent Epaphras, to inquire
after his welfare and to convey gifts necessary
for his comfort. In return for their kindness.
the apostle wrote to them the epistles which
bear their names. About the time the epistle 20
the Ephesians was written, some one had given
Paul particular account of their condition.
especially .of their faith and love-" This per-
son must have been Tychicns. The news which
he brought filed the apostle with joy; but, at
the same time, hearing from him how persist
ent were the Judaizing teachers in Ephesus,
he wrote to the disciples there to establish
| them in the doctrines and profession OF the
| gospel.
| The Epistle TO the Ephesians, says Bishop
Ellicott. is zone of the most sublime and con-
solatory outpourings of the Spirit of God to the
children of men," The former portion is
doctrinal the latter practical. After giving
counsel to the church to remain steadfast in their
faith, he lays down. in chapter 5, the duties of
! Christians to each other, of husbands to their
| wives and Of wives to their husbands. and then
proceeds, in chapter 6, to instruct children and
servants in their duties to their parents and mas
| tiers. and believers in their duties to the Lord.
/ l. HOME LIrE.-The duty of children to obey
their parents is emphasized in both the Old and
New Testaments. 1t is essential in the plan or
saving the world that we somehow get a genera
| ton OF obedent children Ours is an age when
| the children seem to be restless under home re-
straints, and when they make or else break the
laws Of the household. Bold, pert impudent,
disrespectful children are very common, and
| parents are often mortified by their open dis
obedience. One of the first evidences of
conversion will be seen in the new
/ habits of obedience on the part of the child.
But children have their rights as we'll as the par
| ents. The requirement is to bring them up in
| the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But
| this can only be done when one or both of the
parents are Christians, and when the homes are
| pervaded with the spirit of Christ. Parents
must make themselves worthy of honor if they
would receive it from their children. Real
| obedience must have genuine respect for its
| foundation, and when this is lacking there Will
| be an unwilling obedience. Sometimes parents
4
make themselves worthy of love and service.
! This lesson sets forth the mutual obligations of
both parents and children IN making Christian
| home.
/ 2 BUSINESS LIFE.--We find in the lesson
some very clear principles as to the proper rela
tons between workmen and their employers.
These Christian principles contain the true
solution of the social and labor troubles of to-
| day. The servants in Palestine were slaves,
but the principle would apply even better to our
own hired servants, aud to any who serve
others for pay. Paul urges all servants to obey
their masters from high motives, and the putting
| of high motives into our work eleyates and dig
| nifes all service They masters according
to the flesh in distinction from Christ the
| spiritual master. The very word flesh" indi
| Gates temporary service and one that
has to do with the hands and feet,
| with the body rather than the soul. But let it
be with fear and trembling, with such desire
to please, and with such singleness of heart, with
| such q simple, straightforward, honest service,
| that it may form perfect contrast to that eye
service, that men pleasing habit which does well
only so long watched, and that seeks to please
the master only without regard to the approval
| of God Let the work be done as though it
were for Christ, as though the Lord was eyer
! looking on; let it be done with hearty good
| WILL with the feeling that our motive makes 1t
honorable service. And we may well remember
| that whatsoever good thing man doeth he
| shall have reward. His master according to
| the flesh may not appreciate the SERVICE but the
|
| as well the free. he will repay him again
| But masters, employers, have duties. Chris
| tianity puts upon them as masters the feeling
| that they are held responsible to the one great
| Master oyer all. They are never to forget that
| the eye Of God is upon Them and that with him
there is no respect or distinction of persons
| How easily men forget that they have once been
servants. But Gods sympathies are evidently
| with the weak and those who bear the burdens.
| Bad masters make bad servants. We make
frh l.nr1fy vpafy irl ham To ho I'd
masters who look for truth and honesty will be
| likely to find it, and if servants are treated as
deceptive and treacherous they will be very
| likely to justify the estimate. Some masters
| are always having trouble, and others seem to
| be always on the best of terms with their en-
| ployes.
| s. HEART L1FE.-After all, the outward life de-
| ponds upon the state of the heart. Our strength
moral conflict. Finally, my brethren, be strong
| in the Lord; be strong by laying hold upon His
mighty arm, in the power OF His might. The
| kingdom of Satan has its ranks and orders of in
telligence and power, as has the kingdom Of God.
The kingdom of Satan is filed with fallen spir-
| its who have strange and mighty influence in
this lower world. They belong to higher realms
| and orders, to the high Places or to heavenly
| places, to a spiritual in distinction from ma
| terial world. Measuring the greatness of our
| need spiritual armor. And this God has provid-
ed so that it Is called the armor of God The full
armor was made up of a shield, helmet, breast
plate greaves, sword and lance Part of the
| armor was for aggressive war, and part for
| defensive. The verses that follow describe the
| weapons and their uses. verses 14-17. Take the
whole armor, for you know not the evil day
when Satan will let loose Lis forces upon you.
| But if you have made suitable preparations you
| will be able to stand Sometimes it is great
| victory to simply stand. Satan comes sharp
/ and strong and carries men down by the power
| of swift, sudden unexpected temptations But
| the common language Of the New Testament is
one of victory, triumph rejoicing over con-
quests We are not to be satified with barely
| entering heaven, but we are to expect IAN
| abundant entrance"-a full, complete success.
| To aim at less than this is to dshonor our
| Saviour and to distrust the weapons of our
warfare. Let us seek to be good soldiers of
| Jesus Christ"