The Red Cloud chief., 1905-01-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LEssoN v, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 20.

@Nf'f
BY REV. -. NJ. stenrns.
tCop,riyht. 1905, by American Press Association.
IL we take the last sentence Of chap
ter II and tine first sentence Of chapter
Ill from the revised version we read,
SIIc Himself knew what was in man.;
now. there was Il man." thus bringing
before rs this Nicodcmus as u sample
man representing Il very large class Of
well TO do. moral, religious, dcvout
men, who are found in all churches as
members i'm good standing. but In the
sigh of Him who reads the heart, and
before whom us their judge they must
appear. lacking the one essential to tt
them for the kingdon-viZ, the birth
from above Verse 3, margin). The
subsequent history of Nicodcmus would
indicate that his eyes had been opened
and that he became q true child OF
God.
Incidents knew and acknowledged
Jesus To be u teacher come from God
and that God was with Him. but such
knowledge could not save him. And
yet that is more than some of His pro
fesscd friends, who think they are
saved. know or acknowledge today,
counting Him to be ignorant Of many
things which they think they know bet.
ter than lie did. Notwithstanding all
say and teach, we must accept the
opening statements Of John concerning
Him-~that lie was God, that lie made
nh things, that He made the world,
that He Is the only revealcr of God the
Father John !, 1, 3, 10, 49,.
The Lord Jesus seemed not to notice
what Nicodemus said; but, reading his
heart and seeing his real need, Ho
said, "Verily, verify, l say unto thee,
except u man be born again margin,
''from above'l he caislot see the king
dom of God" This is the second OF
the twenty-five double "verilys" or
'amens" Of this gospel, and the next
two are found in verses 8 and IL. We
have In all these sayings the most
abundant possible testimony to the i'm.
portance Of the truths enunclated. the
hrst referring to the kingdom and glory
and the next to the only way to see
that glory.
Eicodemus. being only a natural man,
although SO very religious, could not
understand this new birth, for the nat.
ural man receiveth not the things Of
the Spirit Of God. because they are
foolishness unto him Il Cor. II. ~.
and lie therefore asks what seems like
q very foolish question. Not many
people consider that the foolish ques.
lions they often ask concerning spir
ftual things may indicate that they are
only natural people, not born again,
not spiritual. The natural birth by
which all come into this world can only
produce natural people, for that which
- born of the flesh is flesh"
When our Lord replied to Nicodemus'
frst question He said, Except II man
be born of water and of the Spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom Of God"
What does this signify and just how
- this new birth accomplished? Jas.
4 Is, says, "Of His own will begat He
M with the word of truth" l Pet. II.
q, says, Being born again by the
word Of God" But II Lord said we
must he born of water" Now turn
to Eph. v, 20, and read, ''That He
might sanctify and cleanse 1t with the
washing Of water by the word" Al
though this refers to an experiences
which follows the new birth, yet II
tells us that water Is q symbol Of the
word and that "born Of water" means
'1born Of the word" as James and Pc
tsr plainly state. But u Lord said,
Born Of water and Of the Spirit" Now
turn to John vi. 63, and read, THE
words that l speak unto you are Spirit
and are life." And Is 1t not conclusive
that the new birth is accomplished by
the word Of God and the Spirit Of Godl
And by this means God does all His
work. In Gen. 1, 2, 8. the Spirit Of God
moved. and God said. and the work
was done. "By the word Of the Lord
were the heavens made, and all the
host Of them by the breath Tor Spirit
Of His mouth" FPS. xxxiii, 81.
Only by the word Of God In the pow
or of the Spirit of God can we know
anything Of the things Of God, but un
Jsm we meekly receive the testimony
Of God we cannot know the things Of
0od. Not only was Jesus a teacher
sent BY God. AZ Nicodemus confessed
<verpe y, but He came down fron
heaven. and. though visibly on earth
He was at the same time in HEAVIER
<vesse 49,. II this sounds foolish 4
any consider what we have alrcad!
written. To understand more fully le