Ellsworth American., 1918-01-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson 4.-First Quarter, Janu-
AIRY II, 1918.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of the Lesson, Mark 2:1-12-
Memory Verse, Mark 2:5-Goiden
Text, Mark 2;1o-commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. M. Stearns.

pared by Rev. Q. M. stearns.
This lesson on the forgiveness of sins
lis found in Matt. and Luke 8, as well
as in Mark. The necessity of the for
igiveness of our sins Is seen In Christs
commission that repentance and re-
mission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations; in Peters
exhortation at Pentecost that they
should repent and be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission
iof sins, and in Paul's declaration at
Antioch that through this Man is
preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins, and by him all that believe are
justified from all things (Luke "a :47 /;
Acts 2 :3S; 13 :3S, 39). On the occasion
Iof the incident of our lesson he was
teaching in house in Capernaum. and
there were Pharisees and doctors OF
the law sitting by which were come
out of every town of Galilee, and Ju-
idea, and Jerusalem: and the power OF
the Lord was present to heal them
nuke SID. The meeting was dis
turbed by men uncovering the roof to
let down through 1t man sick of the
palsy, lying on a bed, whom four of
his friends had brought to Jesus, be-
neving that he would heal him. When
they could not reach Jesus with their
sick friend because of the multitude
about the house, their faith and perse-
verance took this method of accom-
plishing their object. The Pharisees
and the doctors were probably dis
turbed by this unusual proceeding, but
the Prince Of Peace was surely calm
as usual. He had been preaching the
Word to all who could hear him, open
ling to them the Scriptures, as was his
custom Uuke "a :27. Az, but now he
turns to the sick man with the wonder
ful words, "Son, be of good cheer, thy
sins be forgiven thee" He was
brought that his body might be healed,
and many are thinking more of that
even now, than of the forgiveness of
their sins, but the healing of the soul
is the first and all-important thing.
''Ye must be born again" is the essen
tial word for even Nieodemus, and
the new birth includes the forgiveness
of sins. When we as sinners plead
guilty, and truly receive the Lord Je-
sus, putting all our trust in his great
sacrifice of himself for our sins, be
lieving that his own self bore our sins
in his own body on the cross, wounded
for our transgressions, bruised for'our
liniquities, then we can rejoice that
we have been made children of God,
accepted in the Beloved, and in him
have redemption, the forgiveness of
our sins, with the assurance that they
shall never be mentioned to US (Rom.
3 10, "a; lisa. So SO; Peter 2 :24; John
j :12; John 2:12; Eph. 1 :6, Z; lisa.
'43 :25). 1t is written that Jesus saw
their faith Tvs. %, which may have in
lcluded the faith of the sick man, but
we know from the story Of the Roman
centurion, the Syro-Phoenician woman
and the Capernaum nobleman that our
faith can bring blessing to others
(Matt. 8:13; Is :2S; John :50). Moth
ing seems to please our Lord like great
faith, a simple childlike confidence in
him, just taking him at his word and
counting on him to do as he has said ;
land without faith 1t is impossible to
please him (Heb. IL 81, yet how often
he had to say to his disciples, 20 ye of
little faith" Matt. S:26; $50; IA 81 ;
16 :S). The Scri5es said truly when
they said, ''Who can forgive sins but
God onlyf" Tvs. y. And IL they had add
ed: This man must be God, they would
have reasoned correctly, but seeing
him only as man they accused him
of blasphemy. No mortal man can for
give sins. whether he be priest, or
bishop, or archbishop, or pope, but
the humblest believer Is authorized to
lead sinner to Christ and show him
in the Word the way of forgiveness,
and the Spirit by his Word will give
assurance Of forgiveness to every true
Ipenitent.
Jesus perceives all our reasonings
Tvs. 81 and knows every thought of
our hearts and by his Spirit and his
Word will cast down all reasonings
and bring all our thoughts into subjec-
ltion to himself (Ezek. II :5; Ps. 139 IA ;
III Cor. 10:4, 8 margin).
Having given the man forgiveness of
his sins, and health of soul, he also
gave him health for his body, and he
went forth before them all carrying
that which had carried him, and his
-four friends, as well as himself, must
have been filed with joy. Such faith
Jas theirs is never disappointed. The
same great sacrifice of Christ, by which
we obtain forgiveness of our sins, in
Isures to us at the resurrection of the
just a perfect body just like his glori-
fed body (Phil. 800, 21; l John 8 Il,
p. Between our salvation and that
bright morning of his coming again he
win see to it that these mortal bodies
shall have all the health that will glo-
rify him provided that we are fully
yielded to him, living sacrifice, ever