The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-02-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VII.-First Quarter, For
Feb. 10, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES

(. text OF rho Lesson, Luxe ILL., I.f
Memory Verses. 10, 1-Goldsn Text
Matt. iii, documentary Prepared
by Rev. o. m. stearns.
The first two verses Of our lesson In
troduce us to seven men who were, In
a certain sense. great men, but only
one was truly great. Caesar, PLATE
Herod and Philip were great In the
eyes Of the world Of politics as earth
rulers. Annas and Caiaphas as high
priests were great in the eyes of re
igious people, but only of John could
it be truly said great in the eyes OF
the Lord" mot greater prophet than
John the Baptist" duke 1. Is; vii, 28)
He was also filed with the Holy Spirit
from his birth. so he must have spent
his time in the wilderness with God In
q very special way.
We read seven times in Mum. iy
that the priests began their ministry
when about thirty years Of age, so we
judge from verse % Of our lesson chap
ter that John, as well as Jesus, began
their public ministry at that age. He
knew when to come forth and begiL
because 1.-The word of God came unto
him." So the word of the Lord came
unto him in whose spirit and power
he went forth q Kings xvii, q, g.
From Gen. XIV, 1, where we read that
"the word Of the Lord came unto
Abram," how many times we find this
statement and how much it means Of
definite commission from heaven. How
very strong it Is in Eek. /, 3, where
we read, "The word Of the Lord came
expressly unto Ezekiel, the priest"
Unless we each for ourselves hear His
voice in His word His book is not to
us what 1t might be. This gospel may
be said to begin and end with repent
ance and remission Of sins" (verse 8.
1, II; xiv, 40. The gospel that does not
proclaim the remission of sins by the
blood Of Jesus is not the gospel Of the
grace Of God, but perversion Of the
gospel Of Christ gal. 1, 6, y. Every
truly penitent soul, having received the
Lord Jesus Christ and thus having
been made a child Of God and received
the forgiveness Of sins, is commission
ed to say to every unsaved person.
Through this man Is proclaimed unto
you the forgiveness Of sins' q John II.
II; John i, II; Rev. xii, 16; Acts xiii.
SO, 3Y.
The herald of the Messiah was pre-
dicted in lisa. xl, 8; Nal. iii, I, but in
both places in connection with great
blessing upon Israel. John said OF
himself that he was neither the Mes,
siah nor Elijah, but just the voice OF
which Isaiah had spoken to prepare
the way of the Lord John 1, 1929
Both John and Jesus Christ suffered at
the hands Of those who should have
received them (Matt. xvii, lib, sc
the kingdom that was at hand and
would have come If the Messiah had
been received did not come and still
awaits the return Of the King to bless
Israel, and not till then shall all flesh
see the salvation Of God. 1t is aftel
the Lord shall have comforted Jerusa.
lem, when He shall be reigning in
Zion, that all the ends Of the earth
shall see the salvation of our God Qsa
xix, 6; Lii, 7-1O). This is the age OF
worldwide evangelization that from all
nations the elect church may be gath.
cred and prepared to administer with
Him as joint heirs the affairs of the
kingdom. In every age true repent
ance must be followed by fruits meet
for repentance. We must prove to PEG
pie by our works the reality of oul
faith. God reads the heart, but PEG.
pie read the illustrations in our lives
The illustrations in some books are SC
poor that they do not help the story
1t Is even so in our lives. mot every
one that saith, " = . but he that
doeth," our Lord said. And elsewhere
it is written that faith without works
Is dead Matt vii, FL; Jas. II. 20)
We are delivered from the wrath tC
come without any works Of ours, but
wholly through Jesus, the Son Of God
raised from the dead q Thess. 1, 10).
Yet, as tree is known by its fruit, sc
the believer should be known by his
actions. II We are new creatures in
Christ we should walk In newness OF
life, manifesting the fruit Of the Spirit
Rom. vi. %; Gal. v, 22). The ques.
tons Of verses 10, IL and IA, what
shall we doT remind us Of the ques.
ton in John vi, %. what shall we dc
that we might work the works OF
God" Our Lord replied, This is the
work Of God, that ye believe on Him
whom He hath sent" Thus only can
salvation coma fo anv one Reinp
saved. what then2 do Justly, love
mercy and humble thyself to walk
with God" Cdic. vi, 8, margin). Show
sincerity by love to others as opportu.
nifty offers and as God gives the abili.
ty. To the people. the publicans. the
soldiers, He gave separate answer
suited to their circumstances. We are
not to look around and consider what
others are doing, but each for himself