The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH ".

Subject: The Slavery of Sin, John WILL,
31-4O-Golden Text, John Will. 3D.
Memory Verses, 81, 32-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
I. The test and blessings of discipleship
Tvs. 81, 32);; 81; Then said Jesus" Bet
cause many had believed on Him after His
declaration that He was the Light of the
world, and after His answers to the Phari-
sees, and now Jesus directed His remarks
to these, new disciples. Which believed"
The term "believed' applies here to the
d5ispoeiti S2,, ., openly t5a N expressed, 1 to "a ack sP!gs!;
(R. W Not 4 ftful, intermittent rela-
ton, but thorough. intense and continuous.
I'm My word" If We obey My command
ments and follow My teachings carefully.
Our spirits must drink in Christ's words
as our bodies inhale the atmosphere. Nc
man is worth listening to on questions of
faith and doctrine who is not himself a
reverent listener to Christ. Abiding in
Gods word must become the permanent
ciple is q learner; one who accepts and fol-
lows another as teacher and master. True
disciples are real representatives of Christ,
who live a holy life before the world.
so. "Shall know the truth" Shall know
it doctrinally, spiritually, experimentally,
not as a mere theory, but as a living pow.
err; shall know the reality of things, and
shall know Christ Himself, the embodi:
ment of truth John l4:D. The rulers had
Of knowing the truth. This is a species
of learning infinitely transcending all the
guesses OF doubling scientists and sneering
philosophers. Make you free" .Intelli-
gence is not sufficient. A learned man is
still a wicked man under the bondage OF
sin unless he has been made free. Knowl-
edge appears as the fruit of faith, and free.
dom as the fruit of knowledge. Christ as
s~ociates liberty always with the truth,
which He is Himself; and so presents the
II. Freedom offered from the slavery of
sin Tvs. 1885. SO. They answered"
Many commentators refer this they" not
to the many who believed ". 30), but to
the other Jews who had not believed. The
little episode of verses 1892 is thus held as
q pleasant parenthesis, and the believers
are all allowed to be genuine and perhaps
permanent. The words cannot be spoken
of the simple people who had already be-
lieved, but to the carping, caviling Phari.
sees; "Abrsham's seed" They had Abra-
faith in their hearts. Never in bondage"
This answer was not more true than the
language of pride ordinarily. Politically,
the seed of Abraham had been in bondage
to Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome.
Spiritually, they had been in bondage to,
ido}atries in past times. were DOW to the
rabbis, who were literalists in i~nterpreta.
ton, and without spirituality or sympathy
Matt. 23:4l. How sayest Thou" Upon
what possible principle dost Thou promise
- 80. AlnA .,L.al ,ra o1,ooly, - maud NJ
possessing. viz, glorious liberty? We al.
ready possess as our birthright what Thou
art Offering to US as the full result of dis
81. Verify, verify" A solemn declara:
ton enforced BY these words. Whose
ever committeth sim" In these words
Jesus utterly expels the political question
from His scope. He states first the p:inci:
PIE and then the application. He spoke OF
a more degrading bondage and a higher
freedom than they imagined. He whose
tendency and habit is to commit sin. He
who makes choice of sin; prefers the way
of wickedness before the way of holiness;
who makes a covenant with sin, enters into
leacue; who makes q custom of sin; who
walks after the flesh and makes a trade of
sin. + us the servant of sin" Is the slave,
the bond-servant of sin. He does the work
of sin, supports its interests and accepts
it's wages. He cannot dismiss sin at pleas.
ure; the moment he attempts it he nds
freedom while under the mastery Of your
desires.
Temperance instruction may be brought
in at this point. No bondage is greater
than the bondage to strong drink. Servi-
tude il repulsive to all men. In our land
of freedom men demand their rights in
business, yet there are hundreds of men
and boys and sometimes women who put
themselves under the bondage of the drink
habit.
IS. The servant abideth not" The
reference may be to Hagar and Ishmael
and lsaac-the bond and the free. They
had spoken of themselves as the seed OF
Abraham. Jesus shows them that there
may be Of that seed two kinds: the son,
properly 80 call, and the slave. These
Jews might be the seed of Abraham, and
yet, not being his spiritual children, might
not abide in his household of faith. Not
many years after this their capital and ma.
ton were destroyed, and the Gentiles took
their place in the kingdom of God. Think
not to be made free from sin by the rites
and ceremonies of the law of Moses, for
Moses, was but a servant and had not that
parental authority in the church which the
Son had. The Son abideth"" (R. W The
comparison here is between any son and a
bond servant, and son should not begin
with a capital. Sinners, are slaves, Chris.
tians are sons and heirs. 80. IF the Son."
Christ now refers to Himself. The Son of
God alone has power to iberate those who
are saves to sin. Jesus Christ is the head
and has full authority and ability. The
Father hath given all things into His hand
Ejohn l7:2). Free indeed" The Jews
boosted Of an imaginary freedom, but the
liberty which Christ offered was real and
lasting in it's effects. 1t would have saved
the nation from the bondage of captivity
to Babylon centuries before; it would
save them from bondage to the Romans.
What freedom they had under the Romans
was due to what they had learned and
aeliverance from the Roman yoke was the
great work expected from the Messiah.
He therefore spirituaiiZed this hope.
III. Jesus shows the character of the
wicked Jews Tvs. 37-40(. 81. +"Abraham's
seed" Christ admits their claim: that they
are the natural descendants of Abraham,
but denies that they are his children ".
39) in the highest and best sense. Seek
to XIII" That they desired the death of
Abraham's truest Son IS proof that they
are not true sons of Abraham. Their mur.
derous intent proves that they are children
of the devil ". AZ instead of Abraham.
NO place in you" You do not allow My
word to enter your hearts and lives. SO.
Il speak," etc. The Son existed with the
Father during past eternity and He reports
the things He had seen. ''Ye do" etc.
Their father was Satan ". ~, and they
were instructed and led by him. 80, 40.
The argument here is that they were not
true children of Abraham because they
were not like Abraham in character and
actions. .Abraham's life was wholly unlike
their.
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