The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-17
"t 9 " --A-&l
SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
Lesson IlIs--Seeond Quarter, Fol
April 10, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES,

by Rev. o. ~. stearas. NJ.
The topic Of this lesson. 'oThe Cost
Of DiscipleShip," Is an all important
one. inasunuch as few seem to see the
difference between being a Christian
and being a disciple. One great point
OF difference is that the cost Of our
salvation fell wholly upon the Lord
Jesus, while the cost Of discipleship
falls upon us. In our last lesson in
this chapter we saw salvation repre-
scented az a prepared feast to which
all were invited. In lisa. ", /, the In
vitatdon Ia, "Ho, every that thirst
eth. ome " " " without money and
without price," This Is In accord with
the record OF the coats Of skins pro-
vtded for Adam and Eve in Gen: Ill,
Fl, 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 Ex. xii safety depended
wholly upon their being under the
shelter of the blood Of the Lamb.
In the sacrifices, If the Offering WAS
perfect IL was accepted for the of.
ferer, and the priest did all Oev. L
Il: ~, 27-31). Our Lord Jesus Christ
who was both priest and sacrifice.
having offered Himself without spot
to God, has by His own blood obtain
ed eternal redemption for us Heb. TX.
11-14a, and therefore eternal life is the
free gift Of God since He has PAID
such a price for it Rom. iii, d; vi, %:
John ", 10l. II will give unto him
that is athirat of the fountain of the
water Of life freely" 'FWhosoever will
let him take the water Of life freely,S
CRev. x1. 6; xxi, 10. Since our LORD
Jesus has finished the work Of provid-
ing eternal redemption the only thing
for the sinner to do Ia to plead guilty,
receive Him as his own personal
Saviour and then take Him at His
word concerning his acceptance in
Christ, the forgiveness OF sins and the
possession Of eternal life Rom. Ill, 10;
John /, II: lii, 1913; v, "a; vi, 81; x,
81, d; Bph 1, 8, z; I John II, 12). He
who would put anything as necessary
TO salvation between the sinner and
the Saviour, such as reform. good
works, a changed life, money or aught
else, does not understand the grace Of
God and illustrates the same. accord
eng to Gal. ii, q.
With this made plain we are now
ready to consider the matter of dis
cipleship and its difficulties or what 1t
costs to be a whole hearted follower
Of the Lord Jesus Christ The priv
Glege is as open to all as is the gift OF
eternal life to any penitent sinner.
This is indicated by the words, IF
any man come to me" (verse 26).
Whether for salvation or disciple
ship 1t must be according to Lev. i, 8,
"of his w voluntary will. Notice
the three times repeated Cannot be
my disciple" of our lesson oversees 20,
81, 49, 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? T
said preGerr1ng Christ to our dearest
loved ones, because In Matt. K, 81, is
is written, "He that loveEh father OF
mother, . o . 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-emk
nenE There is q way today of maxi
ing religion $50 called) easy and aIIur4
ing to ordinary people. Even cards
and the dance and the theaSer ara, noE
prohibited IL only people can be per-
guaded to join a church. This is as
far below our Lords meth0d az earfh
or hell Is below heaven. It is un-
thinkable that He would at such in&
finite cost to Himself deliver US from
the wrath to come that VIE might live
as we please here and yet expect ta
share His glory. 80. j
Ia 1t not also almost as unthinkabl@
that one who has been delivered bY
such a sacrifice should be unwilling to- 7
follow fully such a deliverer no mat
ter how great the cost? Paul saw 10
correctly when he said, "T even reckon
all things as pure loss because Of the
priceless privilege of knowing Christ.
Jesus my Lord, for the sake OF whom
I have suffered the loss Of everything
and reckon It ali al mere refuse Phil.
iii, 8, Weymouth. God forbid that Il
should glory ave in the cross OF our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world Is cructied unto me and I unto
the world" (GaL vi. 14). Our LORD
to His Father In His prayer that
last night, "T am no more In the v
weird. but these are in the world
and He also said to His disciples that.
evening. '"The world seeth me no more.
but ye see me" John xvii, IL; xiv, 19l,
implying that we are here In His
stead and that He expects the world
to zee Him in us. He never pleased
Himself nor sought His w will or
His WI glory (Rom. XIV, s: John v,
80; viii, 50), and we. are here to mani
fest Els life in these mortal bodies.
The life that does not SAVIOR Of
Christ Is good for nothing in the light
Of His kingdom and glory oversees 81.
35: Matt. v. 13>. This life Of disciple
ship is spoken of as serving the living
and true God" denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts," and while it can
only be by the love Of Christ con-
straining us the attitude thar controls
Ia always waiting for our Lords re-
q Thess. 1, 8. 10; Tit. Ii. 11-i3).
Scandal.
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