The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-12-03
THE SUNDAY ScHOl
Lesson x.- Fourth Quarter, /
Dec. 5, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIs>


Ing for Christ's sake and denial Of sci
that His life may be manifest and tina
we In His stead may plead With mar
TO be reconciled to God. We canno
thus plead unless we are showins
something of God in our own lives
So when Paul speaks OF and makes
manifest the comfort which he hai
found in Christ and is heard say
Ing, Thanks be unto God. who always
causeth us to triumph in Christ
(d. l4), we feel like listening to one VIII,
can thus testify. Then when he tell,
as that this sufficiency is wholly from
God and in no sense from us (iii, 5, w,
are encouraged. for we know that He
is no respecter of persons. But whei
we hear him say that to manifest the
life of sons and daughters of the Lord
Almighty we must be separate from
all unbelief and unrighteousness and
darkness and cleanse ourselves from
all f1lthiness of the flesh and spirit wi.
14-1S; vii. II we begin to wonder if we
really mean to give ourselves to such q
life.
The lesson today on 1.-THE Grace of
Giving" includes chapters viii and TX,
though we have but few verses as
signed us In the former The heart of
1t seems tc be in the memory verse
viii. 9, with which we should put tx, is.
''Thanks be unto God for His unspeak-
able gift" Nothing can win us to a life
of self DENIAL and cheerful submission
or work in us :he grace of giving but
the grace OF cur Lord Jesus Christ.
who, though He was rich. for our
sakes became poor. that we, through
His poverty, might be rich. How few
consider that the familiar benediction.
'"The grace Cf our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you" Is really prayer that we
may be as willing to become poor for
the becefit of Others as He was to
humble Himself even unto death for
us. Beloved. IL God so loved us we
ought also to love one another q John
iv, III.
It is written Of certain Macedonian
believers that they "first gave their
own selves unro the Lord" and then.
though very poor and greatly tried, the
abundance OF their joy caused them to
abound in liberality (verses 1-5l. No
giving cousts in the sight Of God that
is not frGm those who have FIRST given
themselves 10 Htn. He may respect
the gifts OF those who are seeking
Him, as Cornelius did, but He will
surely send tu such somehow increased
light that ttey may truly know Him.
Paul w0uld srImuIate the Corinthians
by the exaapie OF the Macedonians,
and yet he comforts them by the as
surarsce that IL they have willing
mind God viii give them credit for all
that tn Ay wuuld do IL they had the
ability (verSe 12l. am often comforted
by the assurance that what He expects
us to do or to give He will not fail to
give the ability for the service, so 1t is
ever an application of / Sam. x, Z.
ssDo as occasion serve thee" or as in
the margin, "Do as thine hand shall
fnd" But there is a word in Eccles.
tx. 10, which is also pertinent, ''Whatso-
ever thy hand hndeth to do. do it with
thy might" In the matter OF giving
we have the same principle In III Cor.
TX, z. "Every man according as he pur-
poseth In his heart, so let him give not
grudgingly or of necessity, for God
loveth a cheerful (hilariousl giver."
When we remember that whatever
we are able to give to God we are CIV
ing Him only that which He first gave
TO us we can readily see THAI there is no
room to boast of our giving. Listen to
David as be gave his millions to the
temple and saw his people offer so
willingly: "Who am and what is my
people that we should be able to offer
SO willingly after this sort, for all
things come OF Thee. and OF Thine own |
have we given thee?" Il Chron. XXX. |
14.l Ask him why and how he did 1t |
and hear his reply: Because have |
set my affection to the house OF my |
God; have prepared with all my |
might for the house of my God" Il |
Chron. xxx. 2, 81. See the Israelites |
giving for the building Of the taberna-
Gle until Moses had to restrain them |
from bringing. for the stuff they had
brought was sufficient and too much.
How great an illustration there is |
everywhere of sowing sparingly and |
reaping sparingiy. but how few seem /
TO understand the sowing bountifully |
and the reaping bountifully Ok, 81.
have for many years associated In my |
mind viii, 0. aud TX. 8. the one telling
OF His grace that saves IT'S and makes |
MS rich to al eternity and the other OF
the ali erase that He will make to
abound toWxsd 1s. tnat we may have i
MI sutficierey IN ali things for every
good work In Cor. xvi. ., there is n
good plan suggested In reference TO
giving, "I5p0n slse drht day OF tue week
let every one OF yOu lay by him In
store as saod hpth prospered him. but
| have found Se much blessing for over
twenty years IN giving ii> the Lord at
least ane@teRth 0f nit He sends me that
| must commend Nal. iis. 10. to all whn
viii receive 1t. Rrt che githe might be
considered oEly our duty arc only thar
which is above the tithe our real offer
ing. Yet there nrtlaf hw nc twsaAve. L
Enest be dose cheegSniays rass wfsh any
grudge. whatever Is lofse. Let II as
hilarious. with glad Praise sfc F.orS
for tho frifi'e.e Sfnd i hearty 80
Thi',a