The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-24

Ew~h VI IBS @9SNUH, W&kG w oS~SfS
Jas. iii, 1-f2; ', 12-Menaory Verses
34-9e-GOldon Text, Eph. ~, 25. n. VI,
Commentary Prepared BY Rev. .. Nj
stsarns.
The topic Of today's lesson is Truth;
fulness," but from the nrst and last
Scripture selections It would seem to
be a warning against swearing or, TAX.
ing the three passages. a lesson on the
control OF the tongue. The essential
thing is a right relation to God, who ia
the God OF truth elsa. ky, 16), whose
throne fs heaven, His foctstool the
earth and Jerusalem His special city,
the city of the great King. That title
makes MS think OF Mai. 1. I2-14. where
he complains OF the deceit OF His PEG,
pie in bringing Him offerings they
would net bring 70 an earthly ruler, and
he said, Il am a great King, =
and my name is dreadful among the
nations. In hal. ii, 4. q. He said that
there would be q curse If they did not
lay it to heart to give glory to His
name. Sometimes men are so honored
by others that 1t is said OF such a one,
That mans word is as good as his
bond" How much more should the
word Of God suffice as the frmest pos
sidble foundation on which to rest
Forever, o Lord, thy word is settled
in heaven" Hath he said and shall
Re not do it?'' ''The Lord OF Hosts
hath worn saying, Surely as have
thought SO shall it come to pass, and
as l have purposed SO shall it stands
Cps. cxix, SO; Mum. xiii, 10; Isa-
xiv, 24). The more we mediate upon
Him and upon such words concerning
Him the nore we shall become like
Him In word and deed. Behclding aa
in a glass the glory OF the Lord, we
shall be changed into the same image
from glory to glory as by the Spirit of
the Lord ul Cor. Ill. 49, and thus be-
more m~anifestly children Of our Father
who is in heaven.
This cannot be till we have been born
from above and have thus become chill
dren Of God. standing before Him In
His righteousness, as we learned last
week. James in his epistle Is as clear
about the new birth and the manner of
it as is Peter or Paul or our Lord Him
self GAS. 4. Is. %; / Pet l. %; John
lib, but the Spirit through James lays
special emphasis on the need OF a man-
Hesitation OF such words and works ON
the part Of saved people that those who
cannot read the heart. as God does.
may see in daily life the reality OF the
faith that saves. II a company Of be-
levers are asked 70 repeat the verse
beginning. 'AThis ia a faithful saying
it would be an almost unheard Of oc-
currence for some one to ask. (which,
pleaseT' but with one consent all would
repeat l Tim. 1, IS, and not one in fifty
or q hundred would think OF nit. ia, g.
for it seems to be almost an unknowm
saying. bat it Is so important. James
great point in chapter Il Is that a mere
word Of mouth, a mere ''say So" does
not amount to anything necessarily: 10
must be a heart word. which will show.
itself In the life. for "with the heart
man belieyeth unto righteousness, and
with the mouth confession Is made
unto salvation (Rom. K, 1OD. In u
lesson ne speaks OF the power Of the
tongue for good or evil and uses as
illustrations a great creature like q
horse controlled and turned where the,
driver pleases by the bit ID his mouth
and also a great ship guided by a very
small helm. Even 80 the tongue,
though a very small member OF the
body. q accomplish a great deal of
good or evil, and, while many kinds OF
creatures car be tanned the tongue cam
no man tame or oma either. But
there 70 one who can subdue and con-
troll it. It lie not right that from the
same mouth there should Cow sweet
water and bitter, and IL the Lord HIM
self Is the fountain in as 1t win not be-
so, and He can stop the other fountain
from which the bitter comes. Saliva
ton liz wholly OF God, whether it bel
the gift OF eternal life or living out thaAl
life day by day. We are as utterly
helpless In the one as In the other. HaI
must do 1t ALL 1t is ours to receive
Him and be saved and then to let Him
rule in ua. As we yield fully to Him
we Will dnd that he Is able to subdue.
II Job. who is mentioned III connecs
ton with the last verse in oar lesson
could under very great trial reject his
wifes proposal that he curse God and
die Dob u, % there III equal grace for
every tried one. and God Is able tO
make all grace abound toward us than
we may have all suflciency in ali
things aI Cor. IL, 81. Our tongues wis
be used by God or the devil as we Yield
TO or the other, as ia the case oa
Simon Peter (Afatt. xvi, lie, IL. %. 23l.
@He that keepeth bis mouth keenefh
Ills life" And Whose keepeth hiNI
mouth and his tongue keepeth his souE
from troubles (Prov. xiii, 8; xxi. 2S).
tt is well to act often. according to ri.
xxxvin. 13, n as a deaf man heard noA
and was as d dumb man that oDeneth
not bis mouth" IT is well to pray ii.
ways Cps. xix, l4i cxli. 81. Self confs.
dence we must always avoid. bur when
weak and consciously SO we viii ana
His grace sufficient He win rot faiy
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