The Red Cloud chief., 1912-05-16
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNlGSC[lOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR MAY 19.
THE OLD LAW AND THE NEW
LIFE.
CBy r.. o. SELLERS. Director of Ever-
ing Department. The Moody Bible In
stituto OF ChicaGo)

THE OLD LAW AND THE NEW
LIFE.
LESSON TExT-Mavt. 6.f7-cs
GOLDEN TEXT-"He that 1oveth his
hath fulfilled the law.'-Rom.
has.
II there II any one thing we as
Americans delight In. II is in enacting
laws. We seem to have an insane
idea that all the Ills Of human life
Can be cured by legislation. There
seems to be correspondingly great.
er carelessness in the matter Of law
enforcement. Jesus did not found his
Kingdom upon a multiplied number OF
"Thou shalt not's." Of merely negative
enactments. He took the old Divine
law ard fulfilled" 1. e., filled II full
with life. He put purpose, life and VI.
tality into that law. He transformed
It from an outward formal observance
to an inward heart motive. At the
outset Of this lesson Jesus not only
says that he will obey the law Of
Moses and the admonitions Of the
prophets. but that those same princi.
pies shall apply In the hearts Of the
citizens Of his new kingdom. That
moral order which Is in accordance
with the Divine standard is still to be
observed. Christianity gives no II.
cense to its followers. The righteous.
ness which Is Of Christ does not les
Gen our moral obligations. Jesus says
that not the least "jot or tittle." the
smallest part Of q Hebrew letter, the
'dotting Of an or the crossing Of .
T" shall be set aside. They must all
be realized In the lives of his follow.
ers.
Responsible for Teachings.
In order to emphasize this still f.ir-
ther. no tells those whom he calls and
appoints to his service that they shall
be held responsible for what they
teach. as we'll a. what they practice.
with. regards these commands. To
teach men to break one Of the very
least is to become least in his new
kingdom. To obey and to teach 9TH
ers to obey Is to become great in this
new kingdom. Such is the Importance
he places upon the Old Testament
teachings and his statement as to its
authors. Let US beware reading into
his words any meaning that shall set
inside this portion Of Holy Writ. or
that shall suggest any question rs to
their accepted authorship or author.
ity. But Jesus was also aware OF tho
danger of outward obedience or mere
perfunctory fulfllment Of that law to.
gether with the myriads Of traditions
that had grown up with It. Hence It
Is that he SO specifically warns his
followers that their righteousness, l..
O.. right relations. must exceed that
of the Pharisees whose loyalty to the
law and to tradition is 80 famous. His
followers must keep not only the form
but tho spirit also. and so he goes on
to illustrate. Beginning with an old
commandment. "Thou shalt not kill"
he shows us that the outward final
act of murder ia but an outgrowth OF
the spirit OF a mans heart. hence he
who hates his brother man is In dan
ger Of, 1. O.. already In the power Of.
those forces that in their elimination
will bring him before the tribunal.
I'm danger Of hell" Jesus clearly
indicates in all Of his teaching a fu.
ture state of punishment az we'll az
one of bliss. and granting that these
words are only symbolical. Of which
We are not convinced. We must pray
to be delivered from the reality. These
words are Of the merest nonsense II
they be not true. and certainly va
cannot accuse Jesus OF TESTING nor
suggest him to be . fool (lacking in
knowledge) a. he speaks upon 20 seri'
Gus q subject
jesus Philosophy Simple.
"Rememberest thy brother hath
Aught against thee" The philosophy
Of Jesus II perfectly simple. II an
ger II criminal then he who 10 guilty
must Of necessity become reconciled
70 that one whom he has offended
Not merely that We are to forgive
those who have wronged us. for thai
u not such q hard matter. But We
must get right with our brother who
has augit against us before our gift
win be acceptable unto God. Some
one has said. 1T II far easier to givt
up q coin than to give up q quarrel
It ID easier to lay down generouI
offering than to lay down grudge.
This requires haste, We must agree
with eur adversary quickly or else h
will turn upon us and presenting hi
righteous cause before tho tribuna
bring upon us judgment for our an
ger, our consciousness, or our con
demnation. Once thus brought befor'
the Judge. be It an earthly tribunal
public opinion. or loving God. ou
opportunity is past and We shall b
obliged to pay to the uttsrmost, eve
10 small q part as . farthing-abou
two-flfths Of cent.
True reformation ID not wholly d.
structive. SO our Lord began his ne'
kingdom by grating It as 1t wer
upon the strong root of the past LAY