The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-09-01
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ESSON xI-SEPT. 9-JESUS
AND NICODEMUS.

Golden Text: God so Loved the World,
That He Gave His Only Ees0tten Son.
That WhOSOcver Helicvcth in Him
Should Not Perish. But Have Ever
lasting Life. John III:llG.
Introductory. The lesson which
we are to study to-day is one of the
greatest practical Importance. 1t
gives us in the plaincst possible Ian
guagt the teaching Of our Lord him
self concerning the new birth. As
this teaching has personal applica-
ton to each one of us, as truly as it
had to NicodcmuS, we ought to give
it our most careful and prayerful at
tentiOn. No one has ever been born
into the world that did not need to
be born again. There is no other
process by which our evil natures can
be subducd, and we be brought into
fricndl y relations with God.
|. The New Birth. verses l-l3. |.
a man of the Phurisees. One of the
few members of that sect that was
friendly to Jesus. "A ruler of the
Jews" This probably means that he
belonged to the Sanhcdrin.
.. by night" Because he was not
bold enough to come by day. 1--WE
know We are altogether without
doubt "A teacher from cod. \ poor
confession. 1t does not recognize
Jesus as the Messiah. nor even as
a prophet. But it is good as far as it
goes. "No man can do these miracles,
except God be with him. a
| fair conclusion.
g. Except he be born again he can
not enter the kingdom of Cod" See
ing is knowing. Jesus means to say,
! therefore, that q man cannot absO-
lutely know anything about the
kingdom of tod till he is born into it.
4. GLOW can a man be born when he
is old? Nicodemus took our Lord S
words in literal sense, and was con-
sequently puzzled by them
5. Born of water and Of the Spirit. .
The expression born of water" re-
fers to water baptism, which is the
outward sign of the inner baptism of
the Holy Ghost. by water baptism
men are brought into the visible
kingdom: by the baptism of the Holy
Ghost they are brought into the i'll
visible kingdom. They may have
either without the other; but to be-
come citizens of the kingdom, visible
and invisible, they must have both.
6. "That which is borne of the flesh
is flesh" That is to say, it has feshly
tendencies, it is of the earth earthly.
That which is born of the Spirit is
spirit" Has spiritual longings
faculties and capacities.
:. Marvel not" Do not be surprised
S. The wind bloweth where it
listeth: . . SO is every one that IS
born of the Spirit" The wind makes
itself felt, though it cannot he seen
and the laws which regulate it:
movements may not be understood
even SO the Spirit of God operates IL
our hearts
10. cart thou master of Israel
and knowest not these things? The
word "master" is here used in the
sense of teacher; and the idea is tina
man who sets up as religious in
structor of other people ought t.
know the simplest truths Of religion
lib. The meaning of these three
verses is: "If you do not understand
thing like the new birth which
takes place on earth, how could yo'
understand if I were to go on and tel
you the still stranger things that talk
place in heaven?"
IA. The Love of God, verses 14-1(
II. Gas Moses lifted up the serpent.
See Numbers xxi: 40. $50 must tn
Son of man be lifted up" On tn
cross.
Is. "Whosoever." Without any cs
ception. "Believeth." This is tn
only essential condition. s'Shoul
not perish" Be eternally lost "Bu
have eternal life" Everlasting ez
istence in Gods favor.
16. "God so loved the world" Thi
was the source and starting point
redemption. "That he gave his onl
bepotten Son." This was the measur
of his love; he gave the dearest OF a
gifts.