Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-03-17
LESSON FOR MARCH Is
JESUS SAVES FROM SIN.


of our Lord (Scc any good harmony
and show that this lesson belongs 10
the period of the GaliIrau ministry of
Jesus when he had gone up 20 Joru>a-
/ lem to attend the feast of the taber-
nacIe Uohn T:1-52). Let Us he sure
to load our guns with temperance ann
munition. be familiar with facts take
careful aim. concentrate all We hay"
to say upon one definite aim, and then
pull the trigger e. Z. be sure to shoot
Il temperance charge and make a tenn
perance application.
|. The Slavery to Sin. Jesus previ-
Gus references to water (Chs. t and y
and to bread (Ch. g. were OCcaSioncd
+ by outward occurrences; so with this
reference 10 light. In the treasury ".
20) 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 pXClaimS: Il
am the light of the world" What is
more bene1Cent than light as il re-
veals, cheers and brings life, health
and happiness TO mankind? Without
light there is no vision. Without Jesus
there is no spiritual wisdom. Without
/ light we know not whittier we are 20
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
hess at all q John 1:1Jl. Some think
that these words were OCCaSiUued by
the onlOokers, seeing what Jesus had
written in the sand wv. 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.
I ! :22). Jesus was the incarnation Of
/ the light of God. We cannot CON
ceive of Jesus making such an asscr-
| ton as this. and being merely good
/ man.
| II. The Possibility Of Freedom (vv.
| 1880 These words We're spoken to
! those which had believed on him" and
az the result they We're to know the
| truth, and the truth should make them
free. knowledge and liberty come from
continuance (abding) in the word Of
| God John II :15; 16 1919. 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 :;
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 OBJ
| tect of the schooling Is to make per-
| feet men, unto the measure of the
| stature of the fulneSs of Christ" (Eph.
| 4 30 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 !;
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 from, 5:12), but being TN.
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.
Gated. AS contrasted to that we have
the slavery Of sin wv. a. 36). The
drunkard Is q 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 slave becnuSe he
Ia compelled to bear the consequences
of sin against his will. The way Of
escape ". 36l is through the son: "tf
the soh therefore shall make you free,
Sc shall be free indeed"
III. The Authority wv. Sc, $50. The
Jews took exception to the words Of
Jesus (33-55). When did Abraham see
1esrsf Read the 18th and 10Th chapters
of Genesis, and We find that one of the
three who visited Abraham was differ
eht from the other two, and remained
behind while two went on to SodOm.
The one who remained was the Lord
Jesus, Jehovah appearing in human
torm before his later incarnation as
Jesus of Nazareth.
II AM is the name Of Jehovah.
Iesus here takes that name to himself.
There was a time when Abraham came
10 be or was ". So, but there was
no time when our Lord ever came to
be for he Is the eternal IL Am" Being
thus one with God, he has the power
10 get men free.
We have In this chapter the picture
which Jesus draws of ths character Of
The devil as the enemy Of mankind un-
Ter two aspects First, he Is a MUIR
lerer ". 44),
No war has slain what intemperance
lone of his favorite Instruments has
slain. Second, he Is q liar.