The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-05

Having so many verses assigned for
this lesson, we will not quote them, but
trust you to study with the open bible.
1. This chapter illustrates the last
words Of chapter ii, and we might read
this way: He knew what was in man.
Now, there was a man. See r. V. SO
this ruler Nicodemus is introduced as a
specimen, and Jesus proceeds to read to
him his thoughts and deal with
him. In the next chapter He takes the
woman Of Samaria as a specimen, and
from the rich religious ruler and the
poor ungodly woman. He shows us the
best and the worst in man and that each
must and may be born anew.
?. Better TO come to Jesus by night
than not at ALL The great thing is TO
come. and the great assurance is him
that cometh unto Me 1 will in no wise
cast OUT John vi, 80.
3. All the verities in John are double
ones, and there are twenty-five of them,
this being the second one. The first is
chapter /, 81, and the third and fourth
are in verses and II of our lesson. It
is just the word amen, and might be
read amen, amen. Jesus calls Himself
The Amen in Rev. ill, IA
4. Nicodemus, though so religious, was
only a natural man and understood not
spiritual things, therefore asked so fool
ish a question The preaching of the
cross is to them that perish foolishness,
and the things Of the Spirit of God are
fOOlishness to the natural man q Cor. j,
IS: il. 1D.
8. Jesus ehiarges upon His first state
ment as to the necessity OF the birth
from above, and now emphasizes that
necessity and says that it is accomplished
by water and the Spirit. Both James ana
Peter testify that we are born again by
the word Of God Games !, Is; /. Pet. /,
23). Paul says that the water signifies
the word QEph. V, 26, with which COM
pare John XIV, 3, and PS. cXiX, -.
s. The flesh or natural man can only
produce the flesh or natural man. 1t
may be cultivated and educated and be-
come very talented and refined but II
is only flesh and cannot please God
(Rom. viii, 81. When we are born anew
or from above by receiving a life we
never had before. even Jesus Himself,
then we are said TO be i'm the spirit, not
in the flesh (ROm. viii, 81.
Z. When Jesus says Must" that set
ties everything for the mind that is
meek and submissive. There is another
in verse IA, and as truly as the Son Of
Man had to be crucifed so surely must
every refined, talented, educated, relig-
iouS man or woman be born from above
by receiving Jesus, or he never can see
or enter the kingdom of God. One may
be very near the kingdom and not enter
in, like the scribe Of Mark xii, "a, Of
whom Jesus said. Thou are not far
from the kingdom of God"
8. The work of the Spirit i'm the heart
OF man is at first secret work, ''as II
a man should cast seed into the ground
and should sleeD. and rise nighf
and the seed should spring and grow
up, he knoweth not how" Mark iy,
26. 20.
3. The natural man continues to ask.
"HowY The man in whom the Spirit
works simply believes and receives with
meel<ness the enBrafted word CJas. 1. 2D
THE entrance Of Thy words g-lveth light
1t giveth understanding unto the sim
pie" ops. cXiX. 1900, but as long as we
simply receiving. Rather let us say
Lord. / believe" or like Mary, "Be IL
unto me according 10 Thy word"
10. a teacher In Israel might have
known that at the word of the Lord, i'm
the vision Of Ezekiel, the dry bones came
together bone TO his bone. and were
covered with flesh. and by the Spirit of
the Lord they stood up an exceeding
great army Geek. XXXVH. 1-10). The tes-
timOny OF every spirit filled man in the
old testament history, cOnfessing MS s.n
and helplessness and giving God the
glory. as Joseph, Isaiah, Daniel and others
(Gen. xii, 10; lisa. vi. Us; Dan. X, s, 10;
Mic iii, 81 taught the helplessness Of the
flesh and the necessity of the Spirit and
word of God.
H. Notice that Il say unto YOU Of
Christ i'm the gospels is equivalent 70
Thus saith the LORD i'm the old testa-
ment, for the Lord, or Lord of Hosts Of
the old testament, is none other than
the Christ OF the new. For simple
proof see Rev, xiii, 6, 10, or perhaps Isa.
vi, 8, with John xii, Al, would be more
plain to some. One who knows because
he has seen is surely a good witness, yet
how often a false witness is believed
rather than a true one! Compare chapter
V AZ
IL. The one only thing TO do with the
testimony Of true witness Is 10 believe,
as otherwise we make the witness liar,
and those who believe not Cod are guilty
Of making Him a liar q John Y, 100.
Unbelief keeps unsaved souls in a lost
condition, and even those who believe TO
the saving of the soul are kept from en-
joying the rest and peace and joy which
is their privilege by not believing fully.
The last half of John in, IS, proves the
first, and Heb. iii, is, TO iv, 3, the second.
BE not afraid; only believe"
13. Very often in this gospel we have
the testimony of Jesus that He came
down from heaven. came forth from the
Father, was sent from COO, but mere lie
testifies that even while He was on earth
He was still in heaven The other view
Of this great fact is that now in heaven
at the right hand of God He is stlll with
us always, and wherever two or three
are gathered in His name He is in the
midst CMath xxviii.s 20; xviii. 20)
IA. Jesus now axes Nicodemus back
to something he must have been familiar
with-the story Of the SHINING and bitten
Israelites and the wondrous healing by
the brazen serpent lifted up upon pole
in sight of all The brazen serpent was
the likeness of that which 10y its poison
Gus bite was Staying the thousands of
Israel.
Is. The bitten Israelite who looked
upon the brazen serpent lived. when he
beheld the serpent of brass, he lived"
(Num. xxi, 81. Looking is equal TO be-
lieving or receiving. The sinner when
convinced of his sin and helplessness and
led to see Jesus made a sin offering on
the cross for him, dying in his stead the
just for the unjust, receives Him as his
substitute, and believing that Christ was
made a curse for him he. through the
atonement of Christ, is instantly saved.
16 Let sinner convinced of his sin
take this verse and write it out, putting
his own name in full instead of "the
world" and whatsoever" and let him look
up to God and say sincerely. 20 God, 1
do most heartily believe that" then he
can go on and say. And / thank Thee
that, receiving Jesus as my own Savior,
have Thy word for it that ] now have
everlasting life and shall never DeriSh