The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-04
INTERNATIONAL
S(lNDHYS0DnOL
LESSON
{By E. O. SELLERS. Director Of Evening
Department, the Moody Bible Institute,
Chicago.)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 8.


Cheago)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 8.
DARKNESS AND LIGHT.
LESSON TExT-Luke Lilies. ss-a
GOLDEN TEXT - Look Therefore
whether the light that Is In thee ee not
darkness" Luke u:8-
l. The Accusation wv. 1f16.) Tho
fact OF demonology as revealed In the
New Testament records is here
strongly emphasized. Their existence,
their malgnity. their evil powers'
their relation to the devil. and yet
their subjection to our Lord, is all
clearly set before US. The devil had
so taken possession Of this man that
be could not speak, yet word from
Jesus. and the dumb speke. That he
should have such power caused the
people to wonder" ". ~. His mir
acles were for one principal reason
John $3.50. Matthew tells US (12:z3)
that In this case they asked the ques-
ton: rs this the Son Of David" g. e.,
the promised Messiah? The record
does not, however, indicate that they
believed on him-were converted.
They knew what had been prophesied
about the Coming One (Isa- zs:1S,
1878. y. yet they hesitated to come
out on his side. Into the midst Of
their controversy ". Is. Matt. 12:24s
Mark 3:22) the Scribes and Phartsees
projected themselves. They had
come down from Jerusalem seeking,
that they might accuse him" (john
1885, 3e). It is ever thus that the
devil seeks to divert
Convincing Logic.
II. The Defense wv. 1890. But
he, knowing their thoughts" Evident
ly they dared not openly to make their
accusations. They would not accept
the natural and true explanation.
Jesus endured this contradttion and
these charges for us Elsa. 1878. o.
and must not his disciples expect q
like treatment? (Matt- 1925. With
convincing logic Jesus reveals taeir
motive (V. 16) and demonstrates the
untenable position and conclusion
which resulted from their own charge.
Satan is not fighting himself A king
never sends an army against his own
soldiers, but against those OF his en-
envy. Therefore, out Of their own 90
knowledgement that the devils were
cast out, he proves that the kingdom
OF God has come upon them. Such an
accusation v.-l5) was to Jesus an eV.
idenee Of the deDravity OF their hearts.
There Is keen sarcasm in the answer
hs demanded from them ". 49,. ETt-
IDENTITY they. too. had had power over
demons, and 1t Is easy to see the di-
lemma into which he led them. This
Is not the only time that Jesus con-
yieted men out Of their own testt
mony (Aatt. 21:25).
III. The Application tvv. s1-2e).
With a true teachers skill Jesus
drives home the truth brought out IN
the preceding paragraph. Satan is q
strong man." but he, Jesus. Is strong
er. He has power to overcome and to
take from the strong man his armor
(defense). and his spoil. and to bind
him fast (v. %; Mark SGT: Rev.
20:2}. Those bound by chains OF sin
are the spoil Of Satan. and Jesus ID
the only one powerful enough to-
break the power Of cancelled ain
And set the prisoner free
cieanse the "Pa!aee.S
With Christ there must be entire
possession; there can be no neutrality
". 20. We cannot belong to Christ
and be a slave to Satan. to rsammon.
to sell, OF even to others whom we
may love- The persistence OF evil Ia
here indicated. Unclean spirits are
ever seeking a hahtation. Therefore
It Is not enough for man to be
cleansed, hts dwelling must be occu-
pied, and II the Holy Spirit does not
take possession. the evil one Will. The
parable that follows wv. 24-26)
teaches this truth negatively. In one
case Satan is dislodged by Christ. he
finds the palace" ". 22) (man) toI
be pre-occupied. In this case the pal
ace Is empty (Matt- 12:44). The alb
sence Of positive attachment, too, or
possession by, Jesus Christ, involves
hostility to him. This picture Is that
Of the reformed man. not Of the re-
generated man. This latter has his
place pre-occupied. and the returning
spirit can ind no place OF abode On
less. however. such be the case. the
latter end Of that man is fa7 worse
than his first state: witness the gold
cured tntemperaee men who return to
their cups e Pet. 2:22): they return
because they have no strong defender
to drive of the returning enemy.
This application ana principle here
2ropounded may. and does, account
for most Of the back-s!.dins after many
OF the so-ca.ied conversions, viz. that
the germ Of character has not been
generated John SD. It is by far
the most difficult proposition IN
Christian work to reach oae who ts
thus gospel hardened.
~. The Illustration wv. 1856. In
his teaching. Jesus constantly used ia
niliar objects as illustrations. The
ineonsruity OF placing candle under
q bushel measure rather than In its
righttul place that it may conspicu-
ously perform It's proper function Is at
once apparent. Jesus Is the Light