Middletown transcript., 1921-06-04
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
SunndaySchool
' Lesson '
(By REV. p B. FITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
e, 1921, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR june 5
MAKING THE NATION CHRISTIAN.

any people.-Prov. 14:34.
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Deut. &c.
q; Psalm 1851.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus' Love for His
Country.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Loving and Helping
Our Country.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Loyalty to Our Country.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Christian Principles in Law and Gov.
ernment.
Not Making the Nation Christian"
if the lesson committee please. Neither
of the passages chosen for today's
lesson has any bearing on the title
chosen by the committee. However,
they do set forth some important
teachings regarding the nation, and
the teacher should carefully bring out
their vital meaning. The New Testa-
ment nowhere teaches that any ma
ton will be made Christian in this
dispensatiOn; but rather that Christ
is gathering out from among the ma
tions the people who shall constitute
His church, showing that Gods pur-
pose is the salvation Of individuals.
1. "BIessed Is the Nation Whose
God Is the Lord" (Psa. 81 :12).
This verse shows IsraeIs peculiar
distinction. Israel is the only nation
Of which, in name even, it could be
said that Jehovah was its God. He
called this nation into being for pc
culiar purpose. It was not a case
where a nation chose God, but where
God chose nation for His own in.
heritance. It would be blessed to have
an inheritance in God, but how In
finitely more blessed to be Gods In
heritance! No nation can have
Israel's unique place, but the nation
which today gives God His rightful
place in it's affairs shall be singular.
" blessed. America has been signally
blessed in the times when she &C
knowledged God. In the recent awful
war when the national congress set
aside day of prayer, God heard the
cry of His people and victory was
given to the allies.
II. A Nations Glory (Prov. IA :34).
The only fame for which nation
may justly be proud is righteousness,
the rendering to all their dues. It Is
this that makes a nation strong and
influential. A nation that sins
counts it's sacred covenants as scraps
Of paper" becomes an outcast among
the nations and eventually goes down
to ignominious \'efeat. The nation
that has no righteo .sness as its stand
ard has no right to exist.
III. Christian Citizenship (Rom
13:1-1O). !.
The believer in Christ is citizen
as we'll as a church member. 1ntelli'
gent Christians will show loyalty to
the state as we'll as to the church. The
failure to recognize this has brought
Christianity into disrepute in many
quarters.
/. The Christians obligation to the
state wv. ~. This obligation IL
upon all Christians. The reason this
| obligation is universal is that civil
government is ordained of God, and
the rulers are His representatives. So
| ciety could not exist without govern
| ment. 1t is Gods purpose that man
should live under authority. To re-
| fuse obedience to civil authority is to
resist God. OF course, this does not
mean that Christian at the behest OF
| the state should do that which Is NOR
ally wrong; just as parental authority
does not imply that the child Is un'
der obligation to do that which Is NOR
ally wrong at the command of parents;
but It does demand submission as the
law of the believers life. This is the
law of the believers life not only be-
cause God is the S,.urce of civil au'
thority, but because it was ordained
for beneficient ends. The Christian
frequently has need to call upon rul'
ers for help and personal protection
(Acts 1S:12-17; 10:3541; % :25).
Laws were not made for the righteous.
but for the lawless.
(2) The spirit of such obedience
". 81. 1t is to be conscientious, that
is. it is to be regarded not merely as
serving a good purpose, but morally
right.
(3) The nature Of this obedience
wv. 6, y. (a) Payment Of personal
and property taxes. The citizens who
enjoy the benefits Of government are
morally bound to support it. (b) Pay.
ment Of duty upon merchandise and
license fees. The business exchange
between nations must be regulated.
For such regulations expense Is in
Cured, for which benefits the citizens
should pay. (c) veneration Of mag.
istrates. Fear to whom fear" Those
who fear God should venerate his rep.
resentatives, that Is, civil rulers. (d)
"Honor to whom honor" that is, honor
of civil servants because Of the minis
try they perform.
2. The Christians obligation to his
fellow citizens wv. 8-10). This II
summed up in the word "love" Love
is a perpetual obligation. The only
debt that is right to owe is that of
love This love forblds defrauding in
matters of property; it forbids going
into debt where there is no reason.
able certainty Of being able to meet
the obligation; it forbids defrauding
In matters of moral purity. Where
there is love, adultery cannot be COM
mitted: it forbids murder; it for
bids stealing; it forbids coveting, for
coveting means desire for that
which belongs to another; it forbids
the working Of any i'll to ones neigh
Dor.
Joy in Sacrifice.
We have wrongfully associated sac.
49, 18th on1v nain and eo,,o,,,