The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 29.

LESSON v, FiRSl QUaRIER, IN Ef-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 2e.
Text Of the Lesson, John iii, lilo.
Memory Verses, II, 15-Golden Text,
John Iii, 16-Commentary Prepared
I by Rev. y. NJ. Steazns.
Copyright, 1905, by American Press Assoclat1oa-l
If we take the last sentence Of chap
ter Ii and the first sentence OF chapter
Il; from the revised version we read,
ssue Himself knew what was in man;
now, there was man." thus bringing
before us this Nicodenus as q sample
man representing a very large class Of
well to do, moral, religious, deTout
men, who are found in all churches as
members in good standing, but in the
sight Of Him who reads the heart, and
before whom as their judge they must
appear, lacking the one essential to fit
them for the kingdom-viz, the birth
from above (verse 3, margin). The
subsequent history Of Nicodemus would
indicate that his eyes had been opened
and that be became true child OF
Goo.
Nicodemus knew and acknowledged
Jesus to be a. 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-
fessed 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 He did. Notwithstanding all
that so called wise and learned men
say and teach, we must accept the
opening statements Of John concerning
Him-that He was God, that He made
all things, that He made the world,
that BE is the only revealer of God the
Father John I, /, 8, 10, 49,.
The Lord Jesus seemed not to notice
what Nicodemus said; but, reading his
heart and seeing-hi real need, He
said, "Verily, verify, say unto thee,
except man be born again [margin,
''from above"l ne cannot 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 and II. We
have in all these. sayings the most
abundant possible testimony to the I'M
portance Of the truths enunclated, the
first referring to the kingdom and glory
and the next to the only way to see
that glory.
Nicodemus, being only 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 q Cor. ii, l4),
and he therefore asks what seems like
very foolish question. Not many
people consider that the foolish ques-
tlons they often ask concerning spir-
itual 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
Is born Of the flesh IS flesh"
! When our Lord replied to Nicodemus'
first question he said. Except q man
be born Of water and Of the Spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom Of God"
What does this signify and just low
is this new birth accomplished? Jas.
l. Is, says, "Of His own will begat he
US with the word Of truth" l Pet. Il,
q, says, Being born again by the
word Of God" But orc Lord said we
must be "born Of water" Now turn
| to Eph. V, 26, and read, 'That he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing Of water by the word Al
though this refers to an experience
which follows the new birth, yet 1t
tells US that water IS a symbol Of the
word and that "born Of water" means
"born Of the word" as James and Pc
ter plainly state. But our Lord said,
'Born of water and Of the Spirit" Now
! turn to Joha Vi, g. and read, "The
words that speak unto you are Spirit
and are life" And Is it not conclusive
that the new birth Is accomplished BY
the word Of God and the Spirit Of God?
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" CPs xxiii, g..
Only by the word Of God In the pow
er Of the Spirit Of God can we know
anything Of the things Of God, but un-
less we meekly receive the testimony
Of God we cannot know the things OF
God. Not only was Jesus teacher
sent by God, as Nicodemus confessed
tverse q, but He came down. from
heaven, and, though visibly on earth,
he was at the same time In heaven
(yerse 13). # this sounds foolish to
any consider what We have already
written. To understand more fully let
| Us 60 with our Lord to the wilderness
story OF Mum. xxi, 40. The people
did not like Gods way nor Gods pro-.
vision, so they spake against Him, and
the, Lord sent fiery serpents among
them, which bit them, and many died
In answer to Moses prayer be was in
structed to put upon pole, so that all
might see 1t, a brass likeness OF. that
which had bitten the people, and every
bitten one who looked upon the ser
pent Of brass lived.
That old serpent, the devil, has Bit
ten the whole race Of mankind and in
stilled bis poison Of unbelief into US,
bringing upon US death and the curse,
and man cannot provide a remedy.
But the serpent upon the pole suggests
sin, that which has bitten US nailed to
the cross, and when the helpless, dying
sinner sees Jesus Christ made sin
Offering for him on Calvary and looks
believingly upon Him instantly be lives