The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-04-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson IlI.-SeCond Quarter, For
April 19, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Memory Verses, rs, 27-GoIden Text,
Matt. xvi, 25-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. Q. NJ. Stearns.
The topic of this lesson. The Cost
Of DiSciplcShip," is an all important
one, inasmuch as few seem to see the
difference between being Christian
and being Il disciple One great point
of difference is that the cost of our
salvation fell wholly upon the Lord
Jesus, while the cost of diScplpship
falls upon us. In our last lesson in
this chapter we saw salvation repre-
scented as Il prepared feast to which
all We're invited. In lisa. ", |. the in
vitatiUn is, "HO, every one that thirst
eth. come = 80 + without money and
without price" This is in accord with
the record of the coats of skins pro
vided for Adam and Eve in Gen. iii,
81 in which the Lord did all, and they
had only to accept the clothing which
He provided by the shedding of the
blood of the substitute In the pass
over record in Elk. xii safety depended
wholly upon their being under the
shelter of the blood of the Lamb.
In the sacrifices, if the Offering was
perfect, it was accepted for the of
ferer, and the priest did all Lev. i.
IA; iv. 2I-3D. Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who WAS both priest and sacrifice
having offered Himself without spot
70 IL Ine. I..I =, IL II.
ed eternal redemption for us QIeb. tx.
114l, and therefore eternal life is the
free gift of God since lie has paid
such Il price for it (ROm ill., 24; vi, %;
John iv, l0l. II will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely" whatsoever will
let him take the water of life freely"
ReY. xxi 6; xxi, Ia. Since our Lord
Jesus has finished the work of provid-
ing eternal redemption the only thing
for the sinner to do is to plead guilty,
receive Him us his own personal
Saviour and then take Him at His
word concerning his acceptance in
Christ. the forgiveness of sins aud the
possession of eternal life (Rom. ill., 10:
John /. u; iii. lG-lS; V, n: vi. 81; Y,
-, IS; Eph i, q, /; | John ii. l2). He
who would put anything as necessary
to salvation between the sinner ana
the Saviour, such us reform, good
works. a changed life, money or aught
else, does not understand the grace of
God and illustrates the same, accord
ing to Gal. ii, n.
With this made plain we are now
ready to consider the matter Of dis
cipleship and its difficulties or what it
costs to be a whole hearted follower
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. The priv
iege is rs open to ali as is the gift of
eternal life to amy penitent sinner
This is indicated by the words, IF
any man come to me" verse 90
Whether for salvation or disciple
ship. it must be according to Lev. j. >.
of his own voluntary will Notice
the three times repeated Cannot be
my disciple Of our lesson oversees 20,
81, 33l and the conditions, preferring
Christ to father mother. wife, children.
brothers, sisters or ones own life;
bearing the cross and forsaking all
that We have. Well may we say,
Who is sufficient for these things?
said prefcrring Christ to our dearest
loved ones, because in Matt. y. 81, it
is written, He that loveth father or
mother, son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me-" The
greatest lover should have the great
est love and be in all things pre-emi-
nent. There is way today of max
ing religion $50 called easy and alur-
ing to ordinary people. Even cards
and the dance and the theater are not
prohibited if only people can be per-
suaded to join n church. This is as
far below our Lords method as earth
or hell is below heaven 1t is I'M
thinkable that He would at such in
finite cost TO Himself deliver us from
the wrath to come that we might live
as we please here and yet expect to
share His glory.
Is it not also almost as unthinkable
that one who has been delivered by
such a sacrifice should be unwilling to
follow fully such deliverer no mat
ter how great the cost? Paul saw it
correctly when he said. Il even reckon
all things rs pure loss because of the
priceless privilege OF knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom
| have suffered the loss of everything
and reckon it all as mere refuse" Phil
iii, s, Weymouth. God forbid that
should glory save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ. by whom the
world is crucitied unto me and | unto
the world Gal vi IA. Our Lord
said to His Father in His prayer that
last night. II am no more in the
world. but these are in the world"
and He also said to His disciples that
evening. The world seeth me no more,
but We see me" Gohn xvii, II; xiv, 49,,
implying that we are here in His
stead and that He expects the world
to see Him in us He never pleased
Himself nor sought His own will o.
His own glory Rom. XIV. 3: John V.
80; viii, j0), and we are here to mani,
fest His life in these mortal bodies.
The life that does not SAVIOR OF
Christ is good for nothing in the light
Of His KINGDOM and ~lOrV (varSaS n