The Green Forest tribune., 1917-03-16
INTERNATIONAL. SUNDESCHOOL
 LESSON (By D. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of Sunday School Course of Moody Bible Institute)
 (Conyrjpht 1917 Weatern Union. ]
LESSON FOR MARCH 18
JESUS SAVES FROM SIN.

bESSON IEAl-JOQ0 S.lI, 0l-oi, Oo-oo (Read entire chapter).
 GOLDEN TEXT-If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free in deed.-John S:36
 Teachers should sketch rapidly in a chronological way the events in the life of our Lord, (See any good harmony and show that this lesson belongs to the period of the Galilean ministry of Jesus when he had gone up to Jerusa- lem to attend the feast of the taber- nacle (John 7:1-52). Let us be sure to load our guns with temperance am- intuition, be familiar with facts, take careful aim, concentrate all we have to say upon one definite aim, and then pull the trigger e. g. be sure to shoot perance application.
 1. The Slavery to Sin. Jesus previ- ous references to water (Chs. and ? and to bread (ch. 6) were occasioned by outward occurrences; so with this reference to light. In the treasury (v. POD near to Jesus as he spake were two colossal, golden lamp stands around which when lighted the people gath cred with rejoicing Amid the blaze of this illumination, Jesus exclaims: 1 am the light of the world" What Is more beneficent than light as it re- veals, cheers and brings life, health and happiness to pankind? Without light there is no vision. Without Jesus there is no spiritual wisdom. Without light we know not whither we are go- ing. Without Jesus we grope in the darkness. Every ray of light, of truth, of holiness and love comes from him, for God is light, and in him is no dark ness at all q John :15). Some think that these words were occasioned by the onlookers, seeing what Jesus had written in the sand (vv. LID. The first step in the slavery of sin Is blind ness; the second is habit; and the third is that of absolute slavery (Prov. 5:22). Jesus was the incarnation of the light of God. We cannot con- ceive of Jesus making such an asser- tion as this, and being merely a good man. His is light, not of a single na- ton nor of a particular church or sec ton of the world. Being the light, 1t necessarily follows that everyone who follows him Shall not walk in dark ness." He enables us to see clearly the dividing line between the two ways of life. He clarifies our vision so that we make our choices knowingly.
 II. The Possibility of Freedom (vv. 31-36.) These words were spoken to 'those which had believed on him." and as the result they were to know the truth, and the truth should make them free. Knowledge and liberty come from continuance (abiding) in the word of God (John 14 :15; 16 :12-13). Many men reject Jesus Christ because they claim they wish to have their liberty, and by so doing they lose their liberty. A dis. ciple is learner; Jesus is the teacher i; the entrance examinations to the school of Christ are the simple and necessary condition of believing or ac. cepting him as Lord and teacher. The scholars are all the disciples who con. tinue under his instruction. The ob- tect of the schooling is to make per. feet men, unto the measure of the stature of the fitness of Christ" (Eph 4 :22; Col. 4:12). Christ's school is not only in the church and in the Sunday school and Young Peoples society, but it is everywhere, in the home, In the office, at work and play; wherever one is trying truly to live according to Christ's will, he is in his school, and that school is open both day and night 1; there are no vacations and no recesses, The text book Is the Book of books, We need not argue as to the necessity of sin, but realize the fact that all are under sin (Rom, 5:12), but being un- der sin does not necessitate our abid- ing there, nor is sin necessary to our being. This freedom here Is from sin and the love of sin and the curse and the penalty of sin and the bondage and corrOding care of sin. It is also mental freedom, freedom for Christian ac tivity. A knowledge of the English Bible is liberal education, and brings true liberty to those who are thus edu. cated. AS contrasted to that we have the slavery of sin (vv. 34, 3e). The drunkard is a slave because he is re- | strained from doing what he knows he | ought to do. He cannot even do wrong | freely for his conscience constantly up- | braids him. He is a slave because he is compelled to bear the consequences of sin against his will. The way of escape (y. 36) is through the son: 'If the son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" Any other freedom than the freedom granted by the grace of God Is temporary, and has no assurance of permanence whatever even in this life, and certainly not in the life which Is to come. The way of escape is, first, belief on the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 31); second, continu ance in his word (v. 31) third, abid ing in his teaching (v. 3D; fourth, re ceiving the knowledge which he alone can give (v. 32). This brings pardon
 freedom from punishment. To con tinue in his word brings freedom from the past and the burdens of the pres ent. His gospel brings freedom iron sin and the tyranny of habit. Tt boast of heredity or to attempt to full fill the rigors of the law is not free dom, for the only true freedom is tn, freedom which we have In Chris Jesus. When he sets us free, we ar, free indeed. The conditions are simple come to him (6:37 continue in hi, word (vv. 31, 32).
 III. The Authority (vv. 56, 5S). Tn, Jews took exception to the words O. Jesus (33-55). When did Abraham SC, Jesus? Read the 18th and 18th chapter