The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-07-05
SCHOOL.
Lesson Third Quarter, For
July 7, 1912. asn /
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


John i'll, 1s--commentary Prepared
BY Rev. o. NJ. Stearns.
This lesson is found in Matt. xii aa
well as in Mark iii and is sample Of
their treatment OF Him whom they
should have welcomed as their Mes.
siah, but of whom it is written: "Ha
was in the world, and the world was
made by Him, and the world knew
Him not. He came unto His own, and
His own received Him not'' John l, 10,
I'D. In our lesson, verses 21, %, tits
written that they said: 'fHe is beside
Himself. He hath Beelzebub and by
the prince Of the devils casteth He out
devils" They frequently told Him
that He had a devil John vii, 20; viii,
80; K, 2O), and as early In the record az
Matt. xii, IA, it is written that ''the
Pharisees went out and held a council
against Him, how they might destroy
Him." 1t was the old story of Ps.
lxxx1, IL, "My people would not harken
to my voice, and Israel would none OF
me-" Even in the days Of Enoch, the
seventh from Adam, we read OF the
ungodly and their words and deeda
dude 15). 1t is also written that at
the end of this age, to which we are
fast Fastening, there shall be only q
form Of godliness without the power
and sound doctrine win not be endured
QI Tim. fiji, Is; iv, 81. The great adf
versary, the father Of lies, who to Eve
questioned the word OF God and made
God liar, will yet gather the nations
to make war with Gods people, Israel;
and the Lamb Of God Himself, but
beast and false prophet shall go alive
to the lake Of fire and the devil to the
bottomless pit (Rev. xvii, IA; xix, 10,
20; XIX, 1-3; Zech. xiv, 1, 2.
Like the multitudes who ciung to
Him when here in humiliation and
upon whom He always had compass
sion. there are multitudes now who
would listen to the gospel If they could
hear It, but many Of the religious lead
ers OF today are as much against the
gospel of God concerning His Son, Je,
sus Christ, as were the scribes and
Pharisees against Jesus Christ. Those
who today believe that Jesus Is God,
the Creator Of all things, who died for
us, bearing our sins In His own body
on the cross, rose from the dead, as.
cended to Heaven and is coming again
to set up His kingdom of righteousness
and peace on this earth, are accounted
unlearned, ignorant, behind the times,
narrow and all else that unbeHeytng
words can describe. But his approval
is everything. How utterly foolish
seemed their accusation In the light OF
his question, How can Satan cast out
EatanY (Yerse 23) How great and far
reaching His saying in verse q, ''No
man can enter into a strong mans
house and spoil his goods except he
frst bind the strong man." The devil
is the god Of this world, binding the
minds of all unbelievers. The whole
world lieth in the wicked one. And it
was not wholly an untruth when be
said to our Lord as he showed Him all
the kingdoms of this world and the
glory OF them, "All that is delivered
unto me, and to whomsoever I will
give It." QI Cor. iv, 4; John v, 10;
Matt iv, 8; Luke iv, 81. Those who
talk OF winning the world for Christ
do not seem to believe these truths nor
consider the necessity of getting rid OF
the devil, but ii stands, as our Lord
said--the strong one must be bound
before his goods can be taken.
The objectionable sin of verses %,
80, makes us think of John v, 16s
There is a sin unto death. do not
say that he shall pray for It." Let us
not forget verse % Of our lesson, IAN
sins shall be forgiven unto the sons Of
men and blasphemies wherewlth soc
ever they shall blaspheme," and also I
John 1, Z, 1.-THE blood of Jesus Christ
cieanseth from all SIM" What, then,
can this sin be that hath never forgive
ness, but the persistent refusal to listen
to the voice OF the Spirit. whose de-
light is to point TO Jesus Christ, who
alone can forgive sins? AS there b
''none other name" (Acts iv, 12l, II that
name is refused or dishonored there
can be no forgiveness, but only eternal
damnation lverse 30).
AS be was told that His mother and
His brethren were without, desiring 10
speak to Him, He stretched forth Els
hand toward bis disciples and said.
Behold my mother and my brethren.
Tor whoever shall do the will Of my ga
ther, which is In heaven, the same is my
brother and sister and mother" verses
31-35; Matt. XII, 1850. On another cc-
casion He said, my mother and my
brethren are these which hear the word
OF God and do it, Uuke viii, 21l.
When certain one spoke OF the bless
edness Of being His mother He said,
"Yea, rather blessed are they that hear
the word Of God and keep it. Iuke
XIV, 2sD. we cannot but think Of His
words on the last night concerning
such as keep His words becoming d
mansion In which both He and als
Father would dwell. At the same &ime
He told His Father that certain ones
had received the words which the Fa-1
ther had given Elm for them (John
xiv, %; xvii, 81. am greatly inn
pressed by the fact that receiving Els
words made Him 30 glad that He toll
His Father Of 1t. How 1t must griavs
Him to have His words treated aa
many OF His professed friends treat
them today. seemingly forgetting thnk
all His words were not His. but ETls
Fathers Gohn xii, 40; xiv, 10). sSNe