Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-01
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERlES,i MARCH 6.

Text. John viii. 80 - Commentary
Prepared by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright. 1899. by d. NJ Stearnsl
l2. Then spake Jesus again unto them.
saying I am the light of the world. He
that followeth Me shall not walk In dark
ness, but shall have the light of life" BY
reading the first verse of this chapter with
the last one of the previous chapter we see
something of the homelessness of our Lord
many time. While all go to their own
homes He goes to the Mount of Olives.
probably to Gethsemane. for He Outlines
resorted thither with His disciples (chap-
ter xviii, 81. Early In the morning He
was again in the temple and teaching the
people. Now the self righteous Pharisees
bring to Him q woman, whom they say
was taken while committing sin, hoping
that He will condemn her or proving Him
to see what He will do. but He, by writing
on the ground, would tell them where
their names were written because they had
forsaken God (Jer. xviii, 49,
81. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on Him, If ye continue in
My word, then are ye My disciples in
deed" The evidence of true discipleship
Is continuance, patient continuance in
well doing (Rom. II, y. He is able to
keep us from falling and to present us
faultless, and He who hath begun a good
work In us will perform it until the day
Of Jesus Christ. No power can take US
out of His hand, but II we are truly there,
truly His, there will be the fruit of right
eousness manifest in our lives, there will
be outward evidence of the life within.
The light will shine unless it is only q
painted light dude Xxx, 81; Phil. 1, g.;
John x, "a, 2S). God will work In us
those things that are pleasing In His sight
(Heb. xiii, 20, 21). There are those who
have name to live, but are dead (Rev.
iii. D. There may be so little life that 1t
is scarcely manifest, but where there is
abundance of life John K, 10) it cannot
be hidden any more than you can keep q
bright, healthy child still.
80. "And ye shall know the truth. and
the truth shall make you free" Then
shall we know II we follow on to know
the Lord (Hos. vi, 81. BY nature we are
in bondage to sin, the world, the flesh and
the devil, and only He who is the Truth
can set us free, but He is able and as will
ing as He Is able He does it by His word.
by which we are not only born again (Jas.
1, 10; Pet. 1. 23), but by the same word
we are sanctifled, cleansed, built up John
xvii, II; Eph. v, 90; Acts Xxx, 3a). From
Gen. 1, IA, where the Spirit moved and
God spake and light came all that Is ac-
complished is done by the Spirit of God
and the Word Of God. From the new
birth, when we began to live until we
shall be made like Him, all is wrought by
the Spirit and the Word. Many Chris
tan is in bondage to some besetting sin
or weight, and only the Word of God can
set him free, even as it Is written, Where.
withal shall young man cleanse his wayp
BY taking heed thereto according to the
word FPS. cxix, o, III.
S3. "They answered Him, We be Abra
hams seed and were never in bondage to
any man. How sayest Thou ye shall be
made free?" Their statement will not
agree with Elk. !, 10, IA, where it Is said
that the Egyptians made their lives bitter
with hard bondage, nor with their con-
fession in John xix, 10, 'We have no king
but Caesar" After the flesh they were
children of Abraham-that Is, they were
descended from him-but If they were true
children of Abraham they would do the
works of Abraham and not go about seek
ing to kill Christ Their conduct made it
manifest that they were of their father,
the devil, who was both q liar and q MUIR
derer oversees 80, Az Cain and Abel were
brothers, both sons of Adam and Eve, but
Abel was q true son of Adam saved by
grace while Cain was of the wicked one
q John ill, 12).
"a. Jesus answered them, Verify, yeri-
ly, say unto you, Whosoever oommitteth
sin is the servant of SIM" In Rom. vi,
16, it Is written, know ye not that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom 20 obey,
whether of sin unto death or Of obedience
unto righteousness" The teaching of
John iii, $40, and similar passages seems
to be that the new nature In the believer,
that which is born of God, cannot sin, but
the old nature or carnal mind cannot but
sim II one protesting to be born of God
continues in sin, then 1t Is manifest that
he is not a child of God, but of the devil.
A Christian may, under temptation, stun
BILE into sin, but he will not continue In
IL, while O mere professor, one not born
again, though he may run well for awhile,
will turn again like dog to his vomit
and like sow that was washed to her
wallowing In the miro Oh Pet IL, 22). We
are slaves or servants to that which con.
trolls us, whether 1t be sin or innocent
pleasure or the life of righteousness. Our
Lord did nothing Of Himself. He only
spoke what the Father taught Him and
did only those things that pleased the Fa'
Their. He was perfect servant of God.
So "And the servant abideth not In the
house forever, but the Son abideth ever"
In chapter XIV, 10, He says to His disciples,
Henceforth call you not servants, but
have called you friends, for all things that
have heard of My Father have made
known unto you. In Rom. viii, 10, 10,
we read, Ye have not received the spirit OF
bondage again to fear. but ye have re-
ceived the spirit of adoption whereby we
cry, Abba, Father" The Spirit Himself
beareth witness with our spirit that we
are the children of God. 1t Is truly q
great thing to be a servant In the family
of God and to be able to say, Thy servants
are ready to do whatsoever my Lord the
King shall appoint Oh Sam. XIV, 49,
But to be child of God, an heir of God
and Joint heir with Christ-who can es-
Innate this? Behold what manner Of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us that we
should be called the sons Of God, and then
to think that we shall be like Him and sit
with Him on His throne and come with
Him In His glory.
80. "If the Son, therefore, shall make
you free, 20 shall be free indeed" No one
can make rs free but the Son, and He
does 1t thoroughly. The law OF the spirit