The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson W.--@SeOond Quarter, For
May IL, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

a --@-- .
Text Of che Lesson, Luke vi, 27.aaI
Rom. xiii, s.1o-Mernory Verses, "a,
2s--GoIdsn Text, Rom. xiii, Com.
mentary Prepared by Rev. o. m.
9tsarns. ,
The topic of this lesson 10 Love-"
and the pattern is "the love Of Cod"
At first sight the teaching Is most
extraordinary and the practice seem
ingly impossible and beyond all reason.
Great grace might enable US to love I'LL
enemies, do good to those who hate US,
bless those who curse us and pray for
such "a despitefully use US, but when ID
comes 30 lending without hoping TOR q
return, giving to every n that asks
and letting the man that takes your
cloak have your coat also it does look
like q good time for tramps, impostors,
thieves ana robbers. We know that
the righteous Lord loveth righteous
ness, and anything unrighteous He
would not do nor ask us to do, 90 we
must p~Eayerfuily wait upon Him for
clearer Light upon this teaching. Ac-
cording to verse IS and Matt. Y, 45,
the object is that we may be mani
3estly ''the children Of the Highest"
"the ~children-Of our Father which Is
in heaven" 10 Is therefore not a
matter OF what is expedient or &C.
cording to reason, but how can we
as the children of Godvmake people to
know our Father, God. He was teach
ing His disciples Cverse 90, those who
had received Him as the Christ, the
Son Of God, and had left all to follow
Him, those whom He was to leave in
the world in BIs stead, that because
Of them the world might believe and
know the only living and true God
ana Jesus Christ, whom He sent into
the world TO manifest Him John xvii,
8, IL, 81, 23). It is truly a high, holy,
heavenly calling to represent GOD and
Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit
and be SO alive to their interests that
we shall be wholly dead to our own. .
The love Of God and Of Jesus Christ
as the greatest thing we ever heard Of,
and there are no more wonderful state
ments concerning it than John fiji, 10;
I John fiji, 10.
Put with these God commendeth His
love toward us in that while we were
yet sinners Christ died for u.s." 'In
this was manifested the love Of God
toward us because that God sent His
only begotten Son into the world. that
we might live through Him" HE
spared not His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all" ''Christ loved the
church and gave Himself for it."
1.-THE church Of God which He hath
purchased with His own blood" 1.-THE
Son of God loved me and gave Him.
self for me" (Rom. v, 8; viii, 80; I
John iv, 0, 10; Eph. v, IS; Acts XIX,
2S; Gal. II, S0l. In the light Of such
tremendous statements consider the
treatment that He received when here
in humiliation and even as He taught
our lesson Of today. He was An the
world which He had made, but it
knew Him not; He came unto His own
special. people Israel. butfthey received
Him not Their rulers had no kind
words or thoughts for Him. They
said that He had devil and was mad
and that He deceived the people, and
in their hatred they finally killed Him,
accusing Him falsely and giving Him
nOzsemblanceto OF a,fair trial (JohnA, 10.
II; vii ~, &c; viii, 81; x, 2o). Yet He
bore 10 ali patiently and did not talk
back nor strike bach, though He might
49, 1900 Ahnpo ~ApFkbn ov&A, 1871 N
look or a word, as he Will do at His
coming in glory to set up His king
dom and share IL with His own gre
deemed ones lisa. Il, a., u.Thess. AkS;
Col. i'll, 4; Rev. fiji, s21). t =
Now, considering that by such Hove
and by the sacrifice Of Himself He
has at such infinite cost ana by such
suffering, bearing our sins In. His own
body, made all who receive Him chill
dren OF God and joint heirs with Him.
self, partakers Of His Kingdom and
glory, does tt not look a good bit
easier to love, to bless, to help others
for His sake, to give, to lend, to do
good, hoping for nothing again. to
serves&hose who cannot serve us inEe.
turn? Do we not feel like saying as
Mephibosheth said OF Ziba, "Yea, Lei
him take all, forasmuch as my Lord
the King Is come again" Gil Sam. xix,
30.
Our Lord never encouraged wrong.
doing, and we may be sure that He
would not have US do anything to en-.
courage injustice and oppression, theft
or robbery or idleness or anything
OF the spirit that would wrongfully
take the property Of another. But Hi
would have us show in our daily life
that we have such treasure In Himself
and In His kingdom that we are ready
to use all present things for the good
of others IL only we may win them K
Him, bearing meekly any loss or cross
for His sake. The love OF Christ con
~straineth us to live no longer unto our
. selves, but unto Elm who died for u:
ana rose again q Cor. v, IA, 16. Since
Paul could take pleasure In i~nlirTnities
in the bearing OF insults, In distress
In prosecutions, In grievous difficulties
gor ChrRsEs sake (T Cor. xii, 10, Way
mouthl, the same grace is at our dis
pogaI, to enable us to reckon all loss III
mere refuse because OF the priceless
privilege OF knowing Christ Jesus a.
orr Lord. Does 1t not seem as Ii WI
could lend or give or go or bear any
loss because OF such love and becauss
Of Iris kingdonn2 Let our one question
be aLord, wHas wilt Thou have ms Ii
t3s - 80 kfRI.AAE