The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-11-07
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 8
SOWING AND REAPiNo.
Worlds Temperance Lesson.)

LESSON TEXT-Gal. CLIO.
TEXT-whatsoever a maj
soweth' that shall he also reap.-Gal. 81.
Nowhere do the Scriptures c
men from the results OF their owl
sins. The effects OF sins, and OF bless
ings alike, are into the succeeding
generations. France is still paying IL
the physical realm the cost of Ma
poleon's ambition. Europe will have
a greater debt to pay biologically than
any which will be charged against its
exchequers as the result of this in.
human and uncalled-for war.
l. Those Who Trespass, W.. is.
Jesus plainly instructs us that tres.
passes must needs come" Our prob
lem is (a) to avoid being the tres
passer and OBJ the manner of our con
duct towards those who do t~respass,
In this lesson the second question is
treated first. Though a mar be over
Ike In the very act of trespassing,
those who are taught and governed by
the Holy Spirit (see chapter 5:16-25)
are to prove to the world by their
conduct that they are thus taught and
Governed. They are to restore such
an one, considering at the same time
themselves lest they, too, stumble. To
restore is to replace, ito reduce a frac-
ture, to put a member of the body
into its proper place. Every believer
Is a member of the body of which
Christ is the head l Cor. 1912, IA, 81,
and one who falls (stumbles) into sin
Is a member ont of place. This work
is not a severe or brutal process. II
Is to be gently and meekly done. There
Is great danger of spiritual pride at
this point, as we see others down that
We IN our assumed holiness, no not
ALLEVIATE, or offend, those whom we are
seeking to restore, see l Cor. 1912.
Mans Duty to Man.
The first step is to help our erring
brother to bear his burdens (weights)
OF temptation, weakness, failure and
sin, and in so doing we fulfill the law
Of Christ" Oh. STA; John 1894; Rom.
1873. Jesus Christ not only gave us
this law, but he also lived it as well,
Phil. 1858. The true disciple. who is
really trying to help his brother bear
his burden, does so with the conscious
ness not of his own rectitude, but rath-
er that through the grace of God he
has been kept from a like fate. Other
wise the a who "thinketh himself
to be something" deceives himself, and
no n else. God knows, so does the
one whom we seek to help, if we are
animated by spiritual pride and boast
fulness. This is a measuring line
whereby we may judge ourselves
". A.. Pride and criticism of others
largely comes from a desire to glory
in ourselves, not SO much that we
condemn the acts of our neighbor. In
verse three We are admonished to zeal
the MISUNDERSTANDING others. In
verse five we are told that every man
must bear his own burden-"load," /.
e., the burden Of his own RESPONSE
bility. No man can bear that load
for another, whereas all men can share
the weights" of temptation, weak
ness, failure and sin. No man is held
responsible for the failure and weak
ness of others, Rom. 14:12, and every
man is urged to cast his burden of care
upon him, l Pet. SCI. No man can es-
cape the burden of his personal re-
sponsibility, and part of that respon-
sibility is the work of helping the
weaker brother to bear his burden.
III. Those Who Are Taught, w. 6-1o.
Paul clearly sets before US the re-
sponsibility of being enlightened. Being
taught, we must pass on the knowl-
edge we have been taught, share the
good things" ". g. we have re-
ceived, see Prov. 11:24; II Cor. 9;6.
Those who refrain from thus AIDING
their teachers gain no personal ad-
vantage. The word Knocked" mean
to sneer. Men may sheer at God and
think they escape the result of their
sin, but like still produces like. Sow
corn, reap corn; figs, reap figs; sin,
reap sin; Rom. 8:5, 6. In spite of the
contempt men have for God and in
the face of their acceptance of this
principle in other realms they con-
tinue in their sin with a strange IA
peIslSlehce'
Habits Bless or Curse.
This principle has a wide applica-
ton. Sow shame, rear dishonor; sow
hate. reap bitterness; SOW love, e a
the fruits Of love, kindness, affection
and esteem. Every act is a process Of
sowing. Every appetite fostered, graft
fed and pampered helps to produce
a crop Of habits either to bless or to
curse. This gives color and signih-
canoe to the words of verse eight. He
that soweth to his own flesh shall of
(his OWN the flesh reap corruption"
If, however, under the leading of the
Holy Spirit (cf.> John 6:63; II Cor. $3.50
we SOW to the Spirit, we will reap
life for this is eternal life
we may know him" To SOW to
the flesh is to reap moral and physical
decay and destruction. To SOW to the
Spirit is to reap life, eternal, endless
and like unto his divine life. Certain
ly these words are as practical" az
the most advanced pragmatist or man
Of business could ask for. 1t is doubt.
full If we can find anywhere in the
world any more convincing or impress
sive language.
Sow a thought. reap an act;
Sow an act. reap a habit;
Sow a habit. reap a destiny.
The practical application is in verse
nine. If there are such possibilities of
deVelopment, "let us not weary OF we'll