The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-10-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Il.--Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. 13, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


Memory Verses, 5. 6-eoIdsn Text
Rom. xiv, f-comunentary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. Stsarns.
Taking up the incidents between the
last lesson and this one we note that
because they did not consider His won
drous works, such as the feeding of
the thousands, they were amazed at
His stilling the storm and walking on
the sea. That WA Israel's trouble all
through, and 1t Is ours; we do not
consider, or IL we do 1t is ourselves
or our circumstances or people and not
Him who should occupy all our
thoughts Tvs. SO; Heb. iii, i; xii, 81. In.
chap. vi, $3.50, what &multitude Of
sick folks gather unto Him, see the
streets In the villages filed with them,
all hoping that He would pass near
enough for them to touch the border
of His garment; how beautiful to read
that "as many as touched Him were
made whole"
Then follows the great discourse on
the bread of life, the bread which
came down from Heaven, even Him
self; and His reply to the question,
what shall we do that we might work
the works of God?" In considering
His reply remember that believing
means receiving John /, 10y or commit
ting oneself unto Him John il, 20.
/ am continually helped by John vi,
81, "As the living Father hath sent
Me, and 1 live by the Father, so he
that eateth Me, even he shall live by
Me-" Also verse SO, '"The words that
/ speak unto you, they are spirit and
they are life" To many even among
true believers, He and His words are
still hidden mann Of which they have
not yet tasted the sweetness, or hav-
ing nj spiritual appetite they loathe
the heavenly food. They have life,
having Him, but not abundant life.
There were many in His day, as
there were also in the days Of the
prophets and as there are In our own
time, whose religion is wholly outward,
simply a matter of externals, of out
ward forms and ceremonies-they are
referred to In verse 6 Of our lesson in
a quotation from Isaiah. Let US hear
two quotations from the prophets con-
corning them, '"This people draw near
Me with their mouth and with their
lips do honor me, but have removed
their heart far from Me, and their
fear toward Ne is taught by the pre-
cept of men, 'EThey come unto thee
as the people cometh, and they sit be-
fore thee as my people, and they hear
thy words, but they will not do them,
for with their mouth they shew much
love, but their heart goeth after their
co~vetousness" Qsa. xxx, 10; Eek.
xxxiii, 81. In addition to what our
Lord said about them In this lesson
He said elsewhere, "Al their works
they do for to be seen Of men," Eye
make clean the outside of the cup and
OF the platter, but within are full Of
extortion and excess" eye outward
ly appear righteous unto men, but
within are full of hypocrisy and In
iquity" Matt. xiii, 5, 1928. These
are the men who, in the lesson for to-
day, find fault with Christ and His
disciples for not practicing the many
outward washings of their religion.
There are multitudes of such formal
lists still who are very religious, but
1t is all outward, and they know not
the true God. who searcheth hearts
Il Sam. xvi, q; I Chron. xviii, 9; Jer.
xvii, 10; Rev. ii, 23). In II Tim. iii,
1-5, we read that the end of this age
will be characterized by a form of god
liness without any power, and truly it
Is already visible enough and tending
to a greater manifestation Of the same.
Inasmuch as 1t was foretold that it
would be so, we are not surprised at
1t, and rejoice that He cannot fail nor
be discouraged Qsa. Kill, A., but the
question may well search us, Am I
real in my life, living before God
rather than men and studying to shew
myself approved unto God QI Tim. il,
15; III Cor. v, 81. Our Lord desires a
holy people, a people meet for His
use Il Pet /, ID, is; II Tim. ii, 21), but
the cleansing must be inward, by His
spirit and His word applying the
blood Cps. Ii, 10; Rom. XII, 2; John xvii,
IT; Eph. v. %, 26l. This matter of de-
Element by unWashed hands is briefly
and decidedly disposed Of by our Lord
in these words, tsTo eat with unwashen
hands defileth not a man. (Matt. XIV,
20. In Matt. XIV, IL, and verse 10 of
our lesson we learn that what cometh
out Of the mouth, not that which goeth
into the mouth, defleth a person, for
out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh, and out of the evil
heart ~proceedeth all evil deeds and
words (vss. 20-23; Matt. xii, 34).
No mere outward religion is of any
eternal value, but may be of some
benefit as far as this present world
is concerned. The great, cry Of today
about the uplift of the race, the Chris
tanizing of nations, making an end Of
war, etc, is all from the proud, fool
fish heart Of man, without any refer
ence to the great Prince of Peace, who
alone can bring peace. All mere hui
man effort as well as all people who
are not Gods planting must be rooted
up, overthrown, broken to pieces, and
He who created all things by His
word shall bring peace on earth by
His word. He will speak peace, His
word will do il, as It win also slay the
wicked CPS. lxxxv, g.; XVI, 9; lisa. H,
AZ. Only by His word and His spirit
revealing Himself can He give peace
to any individual, but to any n thus