The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-01-31
Jesus the Saviour
of the World
Sunday School Lesson Tor Feb. 2. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper

GOLDEN TExT.-"For God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten
Son. that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but nave everlasting
iife."--John 3:16.
TIME.-Sometlme In April. A. ID. q,
during Jesus visit at Jerusalem for the
Passover. John was still preaching In the
wilderness. Early In the first year OF
Jesus ministry. he having Ave or xix
followers at STAT time.
PLACE.-Some room In Jerusalem at a
house where Jesus was a guest. Reached
by an outer stairway.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
What Is the Kingdom of Heaven
It is that condition or state where
God reigns as king, where he is the
supreme object of love and service.
where his will is the law, and men
obey it as naturally as they breathe,
and where all his subjects are formed
in his holy image and inspired with
his spiritual life. IL is that for which
we pray in the first petitions of the
Lords Prayer. He belongs to Gods
kingdom
Who recognizes God as his Father;
Who hallows his name;
Whose supreme desire and aim Is that
MS klngdOm snail come;
Who does Gods will on earth as it is
done in heaven.
And when all men have this SUI
preme choice of God, thea this world
will have been transformed into the
kingdom of heaven.
Paul expresses the essential e
ing when he places the fruits of the
Spirit" whose source and inspiration
are the Holy Spirit, in contrast with
the works of the flesh"
This kingdom naturally required
some form or organization to best ac-
complish its work But the two ideas,
however closely allied. are distinct, as
are body and soul. One may have the
form without the spirit; and n may
have the spirit without the organiza-
ton.
What Was Jesus Teaching About
Belonging to the Kingdom of God?-
! V. 8. Verify, verify" Repeated for
the sake of emphasis. 81" the teacher
sent from God. SAY unto thee" This
is my message. Except a man be born
again" Greek, another, again." or
anew" as in r. V. and Am. r.. from
above" Whosoever is born again is
born anew and born from above. Elk.
cept a man have a new spiritual life
impaired by the Holy Spirit, in addi-
ton to his natural life received
through his parents, The cannot .ee,"
understand, know the meaning of, feel
the motives, realize the presence Of,
the kingdom of God"
What Is 1t to Be Born Anew, from
Above?-We have a natural physical
life. We live in a world of sense Our
life, to make its pleasures and desirss
supreme, to possess the things that
minister to it, at any cost, at the ex-
pense Of other people, at the expense
of conscience and duty and love. This
is the life of the flesh, of this world.
A thousand good, lovely, and charming
things may come into this life. But
the test of the lie is what Is u
supreme choice"
This life is impaired by the spirit
of God, enabling one to choose God,
and gain the victory over the lower
nature. 1t is by this power, through
this inspiration, under this influence
that we are enabled to bear the fruits
of the spirit which are the virtues of
the kingdom of heaven.
V. 5. Except a nan be born of
water and of (the) Spirit."-(There is
no article in the Greek before
"Spirit.'') To understand this, tote
several things in the circumstances:
ID John was baptizing with water as
a symbol of repentance. (2) Baptism
symbolized the cleansing of the soul
from sin. (3) Baptism %symbolized the
outward profession, the entering into
the visible kingdom. (4) Nicodemus
was familiar with the rite with this
Specification.
Water may denote either or both Of
two allied meanings. "a The Lord
here declares that there are two ele
ments or factors in the new birth
putting away the old life and receiving
the new. Water was the natural and
familiar symbol of cleansing from sin
of putting away the sinful past, Of
confession of sin. This act the Phari
sees were not inclined to believe a.
applied to themselves. They refused
to be baptized by John, and thus con
fess their need of forgiveness.
What Was Jesus Authority for Thi:
Teaching?-It was, first, the authorit!
of the Scriptures. To Nicodemus' ex
clamation (9) How can these thing.
be-" Jesus refers him to the Scrip
lures.
". 10. "Art thou a Master"
teacher, "of israel" our business be
ing to study and explain the Scrip
lures. And knowest not thes
things?" You will find this truth il
the Scriptures you teach. as. for In
I stance, in Eek. 11:19; 1881; 1925
; Jer. 24:7; 1888.
: 1t was, secondly, the authority Q
. personal knowledge and experience.
= v. 16. God So Loved the World