The Brinkley argus., 1914-02-20
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 22.

LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 22.
 FAITH DESTROYING FEAR.
 LESSON TExT-L1ke 12:1-12.
 GOLDEN TExT-"Every one who shall confess me before men. him shall the 5on of Man also confe3s before the angels of od."-Luke n:6.
 The first verse of this lesson indi- cates the character of this period In the life of our Lord which we are now studying. It was time of thrilling interest and of intense excitement. A time when the crowds were so great that they "trode one upon another" This may have resulted from the preaching of the seventy; but we of today can see what Jesus then saw, that this interest was only superficial and transitory. So it was that the Master turned first of all" to his dis ciples lest they be deceived by this seeming popularity.
 Hiding the Truth.
 1. The fear of losing reputation, w. 2, 8. The Pharisees made great, pompous claims at their being re- ligious. A hypocrite is one who hides behind a mask, one who IS a play actor. It is pretence instead of reali- ty. Therefore. if one is not real his fear of losing his reputation is increas- ed in direct ratio to the extent of his deceit. The principal error of these Pharisees was that they hid the truth and at the same time refused to be ruled by 1t themselves. Jesus de- mands a new publicity (v. p of serv- ice and in the presence of this vast crowd denounces this hypocrisy as be- ing sin. He also says plainly that what they had been saying in darkness will be proclaimed from the housetops.
 Our Lord compares hypocrisy with leaven in that it is the product of cor ruption, 1t works secretly, 1t infects the whole mass (So hypocrisy will effect our whole life and conduct.) This leaven is a sour spreading cor ruption that changes the whole charac- ter of man. It cannot be hid. No amount of care can effectually cover our deceit We may. for time, hide our sin from men, but God knows and in due time will publish 1t abroad (v. 3); l. Tim 5:24.
 Warned by Jesus.
 II. The fear of death, w. 4, z. Such publicity will and always has led to persecution, and so Jesus calls his disciples to courage. charging them that they fear not those who have power over the body, but rather to fear him whose power is over the soul Notice the manner of address, "my friends, fear not" Intimacy and courage are suggested. Look up the many times the Scriptures admonish us not to fear, l. John 4:18. Satan and man (v. 5 have power over the body, but they cannot touch the soul. The Christian. however. needs not to fear man or Satan. Isa. 51:12, Rom. 8:31, for the angel of Jehovah (the Lord Jesus) encamps about them that fear Jehovah CPS. 34:D. Paul tells us that to depart from this life is again, Phil 1:21; II. Cor. 5:8. We have, therefore, no cause to fear the death of the body. One only, God, has the power after death, to cast the soul into hell (v. 5. He it is who gives us a suggestion of awful consciousness of the soul, and of the body as well. when they are in hell, Matt 10:28. Jesus has warned us and we are to warn others that they avoid that which was prepared, not for man, but off the devil and his angels. Matt 25:41. Is there hell? Yes! Else Jesus was deceived or has de- liberately deceived us. Thank God, however. that as a man IS of more value than a sparrow, so God has pre- pared better things for those who place their faith in his son.
 III. The fear of making an open con- fession, w. s-t2. With such tender, beautiful assurance of Gods care over us 1t would seem unnecessary for Jesus to admonish his followers about confessing him before the world. Yet such is the persistent hardness and the natural timidity of the human heart that the Master. in mercy, warns his followers, Rom. 10:9, 10. Our Lord looks beyond his disciples to the dispensation of the Spirit and de clared that men. speaking against him would be forgiven, but that those who islander. detract and heap vituperation upon the Spirit would commit a sin. a blasphemy, which could not be for given. Moreover. in that dispensa- ton of the Spirit. no matter how much men might suffer. or be in danger, they would be taught by that Spirit what they ought to say, w. II, 12.
 The one who commits this sin, de liberately attributes to the Devil what he knows to be the work of the Spirit, Matt. 12:22-32. It Is deliberate choice of darkness and the heart is so hardened as to preclude repentance. There is no desire for repentance.
 Those whom Jesus calls to proclaim the truth concerning the Kingdom of God may depend upon cooperation of the Holy Spirit which win make them fearless of all opposition. The death of the body is but an incident. AS we receive the Comforter and come to know the God of all comfort we begin to sense our value to him in carrying out his enterprises and the mystery of his condescending grace. <~x H.