The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-24
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
F ~9@m
Lesson N~-First Quarter, For
Jan. &c, 1918. !
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

love Of God to sinners manifested in
His seeking and finding and saving Els
erring ones and revealing to them His
plan Of redemption by the shedding Of
blood Of an innocent substitute, typify-
ing the sacrifice to be offered in due
time on Golgotha, eve the sacrifice OF
Himself, "the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world" (Rev. xiii, 81,
we nov see in Cain and Abel samples
Of all disobedient and obedient people
the ungodly, who listen to and follow
the devil, and the cody, who believe
and obey God. Our Lord Himself
spoke Of Abel as q righteous man,
whereas Cain is said to be "of that
wicked one," and a woe is pronounced
upon such as go in the way Of Cain
CMatt. xiii, 35; I John III, II; Jude III.
All religions and religious people are
either of Cain or Abel. The devil Ia
very religious and will tolerate and
eve encourage every kind Of religion
that does not stand upon the great
~atonement the precious blood of the
substitute, the Lamb Of God. -
It is impossible to know God or to-
approach Him or to worship Him ex-
cept through Jesus Christ, even as he
said, mo man cometh unto the Father
but by me-" and again, Neither know
eth any man the Father SAVE the, Son
and he to whomsoever the Son Will re-
veal Him" John xiv, G.; Matt. II, ~
All religions are either a worship OF
demons or Of God, according 10 Deut.
xxxti, IT; I Cor. K, 20, and it is certain
ly startling to think OF the muItitudes
who think that they are worshiping
God, while in truth it is the way Of
Cain, because Jesus fs not accepted as
God, and Gods way of salvation is ig-
nored. The only way OF approach to
God is plainly taught in Gen. ii 21, as
stated in last weeks lesson. Both
Cain and Abel and all the other CHI
dren and grandchildren Of Adam and
Eve knew the way for Adam would
not fail to teach them, but some, like
Abel, accepted Gods way, while 9th
ers, like Cain, listened to the adver-
sary and rejected the sacrifice and
were therefore rejected by God. Cain.
and Abel are used as illustrations OF
all the rest. The Pharlsee and publ
can Of Luke Xviii, 1914, show the same
contrast. All who think that they r
good enough and moral and honest
and good citizens and not sinners, like
some others, and thus 60 about to es-
tablish their own righteousness ana
will not submit to the righteousness of
God Rom. I, - are on the line Of
Cain. -sb,
Those who confess their sims and
plead for mercy because Of redemp-
ton are sure to get it. The presence
Of the Lord was manifest in the fam
ing sword at the east OF the garden Of
Eden. There, or as near as possible
to It, these brothers came, like others,
to worship God. Abel came IN Gods
appointed way with the sacrifice for.
sin, for eft is the blood that maketh.
an atonement'' and without shedding
Of blood Is no remission Uev. xvii,
IL; Heb. *, 20. Cain brought q more
beautiful Offering than Abel, but there
was no sacrifice for sin, no shedding
OF blood, no submission or obedience
to God. The N was accepted the
other rejected, but how could they tell7
AS we search the Scriptures to see how
God accepted sacrifice we learn from
Lev. tx, "A; Judg. vi, 81; I Kings xviii,
80; II Chron. VII, /, that His method
was to send fire from heaven b con-
sumo the Offering. -
As we see these two me ana their
offerings In the presence Of the dam
ing sword we must conclude that the
Ore touched Abefs Offering and con
sumed 1t, while Gains offering re-
NAMED untouched. The sword Of d.
vine justice demanding a sacrifice for
sin Is no doubt referred to in Zech. Kill
z, illustrated In Abraham with the IRE
and the knife, and in the four passages
Just referred TO, and fulfilled on Gui4
gotha. .ss
In the Lords word to Cain I'm verse
z the words ''Sin Meth &C the door are
by Young translated "a yin Offering is
c~rouchinR." He could easily have OBJ
tanned a lamb for an offering, but that
would have been an acknowledgment
that his younger brother wa right, and
his pride and hds rebeElious heart would
not suffer him so to do. See him BY
bis lie to God In verse o still further
c~onfesstng himself a child Of the devil,
the father OF lies John viii, ~. BY
his further word "Am I my brothers
keepers" he represents all who care
not for the welfare of others, bud self
ishly seek only their Owl 7
In Elk. xii, 4, our neighbor is the one
with whom we can share the lamb;
In the good Samaritan story It is the
one In distress Of any kind whom we
may help. Note In verse 10 how the
voice OF his brothers. blood cried unto
the Lord, and what shall be said Of
the blood shed on Golgotha, which u
ever crying In salvation for those who
hear, but In vengeance for those who
refuse? Q Thess.i 4, !, 81 May the twh
questions Of Gen. III, 8; iv, 9, hold re
In the power OF the Holy Spirit. WHARF
art thou7' Where Is thy brotheE9s'
The only way ia which Cain could
go out from the presence Of tho
Lord verse 18l was by going away
from the place OF His manifested yrN
ence in the garden OF Eden.