Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-11-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR NOV. 5
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Commentary Prepared In An Inter-
csting Way by Rev. ID. M
Stearns

soever "A man soweth that shall he
also reap" We have recently seen In
our studies Judas lscariat reaping \
soIpething OF the reward of iniquity
But we have also seen Jacob doing
some bad sowing In the way of deceiv-
ing his father. and we have seen him
suffering for over twenty years by
reaping OF the same kind through the
deceit OF his own sons
The reaping Is generally more than
we SOW, as II Is written in Hos viii.
I, They have sown the wind. and they
shall reap the whiriwind" Again, In
Hos. X. l3. "Ye have plowed wicked
ness. We have reaped iniquity; ye have
eaten the fruit Of lies because thou
didst trust In thy way" Again. in
PROV. xxi. 3. we read. "He that soweth
iniquity shall reap vanity" But there
is n sowing to the Spirit and reaping
to life everlasting verse y.
| The two aspects are seen in Jer. xvfi
). Z, Cursed he the man that trusteth
in man and maketh flesh his arm and
whose heart departeth from the Lord"
Blessed Is the man that trusteth in
! the Lord and whose hope the Lord is.
/ From beginning 10 end OF the Bible
| story Ii IL God or the devil-God's way
or mans way The one is life; the 9th
| or Is death.
According to the epistle in which we
find our lesson, the age Is evil. The
devil, who is the god Of this age, has
a GOSPEL OF his own and enough reli-
gion to satisfy most people. But all
mere good works Of men leave all I'M
der the curse. for the law requires alb
solute perfection in every detail ana Is
| intended TO turn us from ourselves to
Christ. Nothing that man can do
| avails anything Men must become
new creatures in Christ chapters !. 4,
3, 8. 13. Il; iii. 10. "a; vi. l5J. In the
| fullness OF time God sent forth His
Son to redeem them that were under
the law. hope!essly trying to save
themselves by doing the best they
could. listening to the devils gospel or
good works and character and aiming
to be like Christ without being born
Pagsin chapter ~, 4, 81
Not until we see Christ crucihed for
us, made curse for us, bearing our
sins In His own body and, receiving
! Him, see ourselves as crucitied with
| Him. are we new creatures (chapter ii.
20: ill., 13; John |, ~. Then we will
gladly say. Cod forbid that should
glory save in the cross OF our Lord
Jesus Christ. whereby the world Is
cruciied unto me and unto the world
! lot n nf ii
have been our speciality as listed In
chapter V. 1921. the sin that is greater
than all others and greater than all
put together. the sin that causes eter-
nal loss il the rejection Of Jesus Christ
as the Son OF God and the only Saviour
Of sinners John iii, 49,.
When we are made free from the
curse and have become children Of
God by faith in Christ Jesus then 1t Is
our privilege to walk In the Spirit. be
led OF the Spirit. stand fast In the lib
erty wherewith Christ hath made us
free and not do the things which the
flesh that is still in us would have us
do (chapter iii. -, 20: V, /. 10. IL,
Is, 90. Those who are in the flesh
live unto themselves; self Is their cen
ter; they mind earthly things Phil. ill.
l9. The new creature In Christ lives
no longer unto himself, but is able to
say. "To me to live is Christ" mot l..
but Christ. who liyeth I'm me" Ql Cor.
V, Is; Phil. /, 81; Gal. II, 20).
When we see others overtaken in a
fault, as all are apt to be ut one time
or another, Ii Is not for us TO condemn
them, but meekly restore them, re-
Numbering that we might some day
need similar Kindness and restoration.
Thus we would manifest the Spirit or
Christ. who freely forgave and said:
Neither do | condemn thee. Go and
sin no more" desson verses 1, y.
When Noah became drunken Ii was
more Christlike to cover up his shame,
as Shem and Japhet did. than to tell
IL, as Ham did. We have 10 right or
reason to think anything of ourselves
or to think that we know anything as
: we should verse 3; l Cor viii, p. A
= proper attitude Is that OF Rom. VII, Is,
IL know that In me Chat Is, in my
fiesh) dwelleth no good thing"
III There IS n sense In which we must
bear our own burden Verse 81, Every
one OF us shall give account OF himself
to God" (Rom. xiv, 12}. If we have
been redeemed from the curse OF the
law we are here to do good unto all
as we have opportunity. having refer
ence first to believers the household
; of faith; never weary in well doing
knowing that the reaping time is sure
!: and that our labor is never in vain In
the Lord verses q. 10; | Cor. XIV. 5Sl
We may not see nor do the reaping
for we may SOW for another to reap
or we may reap from another's sow
Ing But both sower and reaper shall
rejoice together and gather fruit unto
life eternal (John ~. 3G-3s) Whoever
may plant or water, God alone car
give the increase. but what an honor
TO be iaborers together with God q
II Cor fl 5-Ql Another verse comes &c