The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-11-25
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Ix.-Fourth Quarter, For
Nov. 26, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


Text Of the Lesson, Rom. xii, ia.
Memory Verses, 6-8- Golden Text.
Rom. xii, 1-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. stsarns.
This Is our last study In the epistles
for some time to come, but the believer
who desires to grow in grace and walk
with the Lord viii study them con-
stantly. In our lesson Of two weeks
ago We gave some attention to the
whole Of this epistle, but little repeti-
ton will be helpful, with some addi-
tional thoughts. The epistles, as
rule. are for believers or saints or
saved sinners to build them ND and At
them for service, that God may be
glorifled in them and other sinners
saved to help complete the church and
bring the time Of the kingdom. The
first eight chapters Of this letter teach
most fully and clearly that all, with
out exception, Jews and gentiles, are
sinners and guilty before God and that
salvation is wholly Of grace, apart from
any works Of ours, and that, being
justified freely by His grace, we are
made children of God, joint heirs with
Jesus Christ, in the love from which
nothing can separate us; that, while
We wait for our redemption bodies and
the deliverance Of the whole creation
from it's bondage and groaning, we
have all things freely given US in
Christ and all things are working to-
gether for our highest good.
Chapters TX, K, II, may well be called
an epistle within an epistle concerning
Israel and her future. Then in our
lesson chapter and onward we are told
how we ought to live here to the glory
of God because Of all that He has done
for us through grace. II beseech you,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
Cod" because Of His great grace, His
great love, His great salvation, the
great glory Of the kingdom to which
He has called you, all that He has
done for you, Is doing now and will yet
do. Let Him have your body to live
in, to make a mansion of, while He Is
preparing your mansion in glory. In
Rom. viii, 26, 81, "a, we learn that the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all
for us, and in John xiv, II, %, we learn
that they will make their home in us
II we are willing, making. each Of us a
mansion for the indwelling Trinity
while our mansion in heaven is being
prepared. The words mansion" and
abode" in John xiv, %, are the same
word In the Greek, a little noun Of
only four letters, and used nowhere
else. p
The same truth is stated little DIFF
ferently In Eph. iii, II, shat Christ
may dwell or make His home in your
heart by faith" The living sacrifice
consists Of our being willing to die to
all that Is of self for His sake. 1t
cannot be self and Christ. 1t must be
mot I, but Christ" (Gal. Il, 20). 1--WE
who live are always delivered unto
death for Jesus sake that the life also
Of Jesus might be made manifest in
our mortal flesh" Oh Cor. ", 10, 1D.
As it is written in Rom. viii, SO; Ps.
Xiv, 20, For Thy sake we are kill
ed all the day long," Being made &C
copied in the Beloved at such infinite
cost, so great sacrifice on His part,
it is a reasonable service that we
should be willing to be sacrifice for
Him, both in word and deed, that He
may be seen in us and known through
US (Phil. ", IS; Heb. xiii, Is, ,18). We
have been called out Of the world to
continue in 1t, but not be Of 1t. The
whole world lieth in the wicked one 1t
is an evil world, and its ways and Gus
toms are all opposed to God, and the
only correct attitude for the believer is
crucified to it and it to us (Gal. t. A;
vi, IA; John v, 10.
The works Of God are beautiful, but
men at enmity with God are under the
control Of the devil, and the condition
Of things in Europe June, 1915 gives
US some idea Of what he can do. He is
a deceiver, liar, a destroyer, a MUIR
derer, and all who are not in Christ
and on his side are on the side Of the
devil. How can a child of God be
willing to be conformed to such a
world? The word that Is translated
transformed" Is used only four times
and twice in the account of our Lords
TRANSPORTATION (Matt. xvii and Mark
Ky. The other place besides here is
II Cor. iii, Is, where the translation Is
"are changed" Our lesson verse says
that the change must be inward, the
renewing of our mind. It begins
when we receive the Lord Jesus and
thus become new creatures in Christ;
then as we continue beholding Him we
are changed by the Spirit day by day,
proving more and more fully how good
and acceptable and perfect the will Of
God Is.
All that follows in our lesson chap
ter is the varied manifestation Of the
fruit of the Spirit, which He will work
in us If we are yielded to Him. Verses
3.16 tell Of a lowly mind and lowly
aim. not thinking anything Of ourselves
nor seeking great things for ourselves.
There is a place and a ministry for
each member Of the body, as the Spirit
may decide, and no room for envy or
jealousy oversees 49, In the service Of
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