McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-05-25
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlGSQlOOL
LESSON
(By e. o. SELLERS Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute)
LESSON FOR MAY Fl
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORK
--(PENTEcosTAL LEssoN).

LESSON TExT-John 1882; 1874
GOLDEN TEXT-He shall teach you all
things.-John H:26.
This lesson follows chapter 15:1-4.
The emphasis Jesus placed upon the
new and deeper intimacy into which
the disciples were about to enter, and
which involved participation in per-
secutions ". 20). However, as gar
rison and helper when this persecution
should come, the believers are to have
In their lives the Holy Spirit.
!. The Believer and the Spirit wv.
26-27). The "paraclete" (helper) was
to proceed from the Father, but Jesus
was to send him. He is called the
spirit of Truth" because 1t is his
work to reveal the truth, and 1t Is
through his teachings only that any
one may know the truth. Jesus Is the
truth Och. 14:6), and the Spirit of
Truth Is to enable believers to testify
concerning Jesus. 1t qualities them for
such testimony. The disciples also
had the added qualification of expe-
rience for I'VE have been with me
from the beginning" The disciples
were eye witnesses Of what he did
and what he was, and heard and knew
all that he claimed for himself and
what his life proved itself to be.
II. The Believer and Persecution
(16:1-6). This section has not been Sc
lected by the committee. but as a part
of the lesson we cannot overlook 1t.
In it the Master enumerates specif-
cally things that were to come to the
disciples and that they might "remem-,
ber." He also mentions the fact that
these things are to come after he has!
gone away. AS relief from sorrow
". g., the Master goes on to show the
relation of the Spirit to the world.
~. The Holy Spirit In the World
wv. 7-1D. 1t was profitable for the
disciples that Jesus should go, that an
other Divine friend was to take his
place. This is the best section in all
the Bible to teach the personality Of
the Holy Spirit. The personal pro-
nouns in this section are very signlf-
cant, there being seven In the thir-
teenth verse alone. The word "Com-
forter" here used means that and much
more. 1t Is the same word translated
advocate" In John 2:1, 1t means
one who is called upon to stand be-
side another as helper, counselor,
guide and friend. Jesus had been this
to his disciples thus far, but he was
going away, and another Friend was
coming, who should not only be with
them, but should dwell in them och.
14:16, 10. The Comforter has come,
and without him we can do nothing. He
is the one who convicts the world
'of sin, of righteousness and of judg-
ment." OF sin, not because they have
broken the moral code, but because
they do not accept Jesus Christ as the
Messiah (Hebrews 1923. See oh.
3:1S-2O). In the second place, he Is
to convict the world Of righteousness.
The Holy Spirit has no other channel
through which he can get at the world
except through those who are already
saved. He shows the world its error
about righteousness; also that Jesus Is
the only righteous one, and righteous
ness is only possible to us in him
(Phil. 80 R. W. Because he has
lived the right life, having fulfilled all
righteousness, and gone on high, he
therefore convicts men, but the Spirit
does his work through the agency OF
the word. Man needs to know first
Of all that he Is sinner; second. that
Jesus 1.-THE righteousness Of Cod" has
provided for us, and 1t is the Holy
Spirit who alone can show these two
things to men. In the third place, he
convicts the world Of judgment be-
cause "the prince Of this world Is
judged" This judgment is past (see
John Il BY, for Jesus has conquered
Satan. Certainly this is truth that
needs to be emphasized in this day.
The Judgment of sin and punishment
for sin, due to unbelief or rejection of
Jesus Christ, is seldom preached in
our day.
Iv.-The Spirit and Truth wv.
12-15). There was much more that
the Master might say to the discl-
pies, but they were not ready to bear
1t ". 12). He, however, looks for
ward to the day when the Spirit shall
come, and they will be ready to re-
ceive these things. The Spirit will
guide them into truth, all truth, for he
shall not speak of himself Che will not
bear witness unto or speak "from"
himself) but the things that he will
speak of will be concerning Jesus. The
real evidence of the presence of the
Holy Spirit in believer or In con-
gregation is the degree Of exaltation
given to Jesus Christ.
There is a progressive intimacy In
John. Jesus first calls those who are
at his side, servants (Ch. 13:13N. He
next calls them friends (Ch. 1919.
and lastly he calls them brethren
(Ch. 20:17). This is the law OF
Christian experience.
Sunday school teachers should GER
tainly take advantage of this lesson
to bring out the work of the Spirit
wv. s, 8, 10) the gifts of the Spirit
Il Cor. 12); and tie fruits of the
Spirit Zeal. s %, go. Let us be sure
that our scholars know what 1t means
to have a definite, intimate, personal
ra1otian with tho all nowarfrll ana