The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-12-14

ss ss Not much pront
can be received
If there is wanting desire to know
what God teaches. There should BIO
the spirit which characterized Cor
nelius when he sent for Peter to come
to him in order that Peter might tell
him the truth of God. His readiness
to hear moved the Holy Spirit to move
Peter to respond to the call. Cornelius
had no claim other than his eagerness
to know the truth.
II. Patience in Listening TO What
God Has to Say.
In verse three we are told that Ezra
read to the people from the Book OF
God from morning until midday, and
the people were attentive to the words
of the book. 1t cannot be understood
in moment or an hour. If we would
master it we must give to it's study
more than a few odd moments; and
patience is required to gain, little by
little, an understanding of the truth
which it teaches.
Ill. Reverence in Our Treatment Of
the Book.
In verses four to six we are told that
when Ezra stood up to read all the
people stood and bowed their heads and
worshiped the Lord with faces to the
ground. There must be no fiippancy
in handling the Word of God if we
would come to a good understanding
of it's truth. Too often we make the
Book common by our much handling.
We must guard against all ill-chosen
jokes and riddles which tend to steals
away our reverence for the Holy
Scriptures. We must approach it with
bowed heads and with the worshipful
spirit If we would have it speak to us.
w. Intelligent Listening.
Tn verses seven and eight we see
how their minds were exercised and
thought awakened. They began to ask
questions and the men appointed to
read spoke the word distinctly, gave
the sense and caused the people to I'M
derstand. If we will think as we read
and question when we do not under
stand the Spirit himself will cause
us to understand. We should pray
that ministers everywhere would read
the Word to the people distinctly and
give the sense Of what is read, and
then not stop until by restatement
and illustration and by all means
they have caused the people to under
stand.
v. Sorrow Because of Conviction.
In verses nine to eleven we see how
with their openness Of mind they gave
conscience a chance to do its work.
They became convicted and a Cody
sorrow sprang up. They felt God had
right to condemn them and they
were exercised in conscience. We
read the Word of God in vain If we
do not allow it to point out our evil
and its consequences. But when we
do so allow it we come to the next
step.
vi. Faith In Its Promises.
In verse twelve we are told that
when the rulers told them of the truth
and how they could rejoice because of
what God had done even in spite of
their sin, they believed the Word and
put away the sorrow. When we read
of how the Lord has forever blotted
out our sin and covered it with his
own blood we are to believe the Word
and rejoice, in spite of our sin, that
God has put it away to be remembered
no more against us forever.
VII. Obedience to What Is Learned.
The faith is proven by the degree
OF obedience which we render to the
light we receive. Indeed obedience
is after all the only proof that we do
know the Bible. The eagerness, pa
tience, reverence, intelligent listening,
sorrow and faith will all be useless
without the obedience to what is
taught. James says faith without
works is dead-it never was alive.
Fulfilling these seven conditions will
bring us to the place where the Holy |
Spirit himself will. delight to be our |
daily teacher revealing the things OF |
Christ to our hearts and giving us that
joy of the Lord which will be a tower
of strength in all the trying experi-
ences of life.
A signboard stands at crossing
where two roads meet. Children spell
out the words for amusement, young
people read 1t from curiosity, the old
pass by too hurried to notice 1t. An |
Did man comes and tries to read. He
is real traveller and we are ready to
help him find the right way. So the
Holy Spirit gives the truth only to the
one who is ready to travel the right
road.