Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-01-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson N.-First Quarter, For
ian. %, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Rom. viii, 1880.
Memory Verses, 16, 17-Golden Text,
Rom. viii. 14-commentary Prepared
BY Rev. o. N. Stearns.

by Rev. o. N. Stearns.
After a lesson on Pentecost and Pc
ter's first sermon such chapter as
Romans viii seems to be an appropr-
ate study, for in it the Spirit Is men
toned nineteen times in connection
with conversion. the daily life OF the
believer and the redemption OF our
bodies at the resurrection of the just
The epistle begins with statement
nv the apostle. as a servant Of Jesus
Christ. that he was separated into the
gospel of God concerning His Son. Je-
sus Christ our Lord. who was with
power declared TO be the Son OF God
by His resurrection from the dead Il.
la. He said that this gospel was the
power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth. that it made him
debtor to all who had not heard II.
that he was ready to give 1t to all and
that he was not ashamed of 1t q. II
16,. In the following chapters he de
clares plainly that all. without excep-
ton. are guilty before God and cannot
be saved by trying to be good or do
good, but may be justified freely by
grace through the redemption that Is
In Christ Jesus Oil. 1924: ". II, 1925;
v, Ill: vi. 81. Then in our lesson
chapter. beginning with mo con-
domination" and ending with mo sep
aration'' because of the love Of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. be
sets forth more fully the benefits of
this great redemption to every believer
and to the whole creation. The whole
chapter should be studied. omiting
none OF it.
The phrase lin Christ Jesus" oversees
/. 2. 39) seems to me to be the key
to the whole chapter. Nothing more
Is necessary. nothing less viii suffice.
for salvation or for the daily life Of
those who are saved. tGal v. 6; vi
Is; Eph. ii. 10, IS; ill. 49,. The carnal
mind, the flesh, the natural man. can
never be improved so as to be it for
the presence of God. and. although II
remains in us after we become in
Christ we are under no obligation to
1t and should have no confidence In
1t, but continually. prayerfully and per
sistently reckon 1t dead in the power
Of the Holy Spirit Chapter vi. IL; VII.
"a, Is; wifi. LA: / Cor TX. 81; ii Cor.
Nv, 10. IL: Phil Ill. 81. By the Spirit
and the Word we are born again just
as In the beginning of the Bible record
the light shone In the darkness Gen.
l. 2 3: ii Cor. ". g.. and only by the
same Spirit and Word can we live
the life of child Of God John vi. 63:
xvii. ID. The Spirit always works by
the Word and thus bears witness to
the believer. The witness Of the Spirit
is not feeling. an emotion. an expert
ence. but is simply a resting unwaver-
ingly on what the Spirit says 10 Us In
His word. Compare lesson verse 10
and John /. IL. and see my tract on
The Witness of the Spirit"
Having received the Lord Jesus II
Is our privilege to know. on the author
ity Of the infallible word Of God. that
we have become children Of God. heirs
Of God and joint heirs with Jesus
Christ. have now eternal life and can
never perish verses ID IT: John <.
-. While this as6urance - not es-
sential to salvation. Il = necessary In
order to live the life Of victory that
win glorify God Az the redeemed Of
the Lord we have become soldiers OF
Jesus Christ and are ever In a great
conflict with the world. the nesh and
the devil. so there win be much to en-
dure In the way Of trial rs well as much
to do In the way Of service, but the
way Is all prepared for Us and also the
works we are to do. QI Tim. II, 3, 4;
Eph. vi. 1918: II. 10; Rev. Il, 10: Phil.
|, 29) God the Father. Son and Spirit
are all for US (verses 26. 81. 34). All
things are working together for our
good. to make US more like Him whose
witnesses we are. and we are assured
that all we can possibly need is freely
given to us in Christ oversees %. %. 81
We shall not be the overcomers that
We should be in the process Of being
killed all the day long verse SO: Pa.
xiv. % unless we lay to heart our
essen verses Is to Is. There Ia real
mffering with Christ. not for our sal
ration. but In service and fellowship.
Tor every believer. and we will not
triumph In the conflict nor endure
patiently unless we have ever before
is the glory Of His kingdom. which
We are to share with Him. The whole
Teation is groaning. and never be
sore so severely as now MAY. 1915.
Ind there will be no permanent deliv-
rance until the time OF the NANTES
htion of the sons of God-that Is. the
lime Of our coming with Christ in His
flory to set up on earth His kingdom
II Righteousness and peace 1t II true
hat II we are I'm Christ" we are now
children Of God. but not until we meet
Him In the air shall we know the full
meaning Of adoption. the redemption
II our body verse q and l John III, 1.
}: see also Col. iii. 4; Rev. III, n; '. o.
IO. We groan while we wait for the