Evening star., 1921-04-02
Sunday School Lesson

''oSi AHS0, HoI ny giving IneH 10 DC
burnt. as were the slain carcasses of
the Jewish offerings. but by living a
self-denying life because of the mer-
, cies Of God. Our union with Christ
Jesus ought 10 make US willing and
able to consecrate our bodies. volun-
| tarily present them to God so that we
may walk in the spirit and not fulfill
the lusts of the flesh The inner
spiritual life expresses itself through
personality, so We sought to adjust
| our lives automatically to do His will
and work, which is our reasonable
service
The one who is consecrated to the
Lord Jesus will live q life that sepa-
rates from the course and current of
this worlds affairs. especially that
which is evil We are not to fashion
our lives by the standards of our
former evil manner of living. The
| distinction between Christians and
those who are not is not so great
here today, because all men have
been more or less Influenced by the
teachings of Christianity. When the
apostle called for the Romans not to
be conformed to the spirit of the pa
gan world the difference was more
marked. The unconverted was char
acterized then. as now, by his sinful
outward life. They walked then in
lasciviousness. lusts. excess of wine.
revelings. banQuetings and abomi-
nable idolatries, SO that the conse-
Grated Christian would live a life holy
and acceptable unto Cod
Every one who presented their bod
| les living sacrifice for the Masters
service would prove it by being trans
formed daily by the renewing of their
minds. Here Paul points out the fact
that the main spring and source of a
correct social and ethical life de-
pends upon ones living in continuous
and daily life with the Lord Jesus
/ Our relations with others depends
upon our relations with Christ Jesus.
The one who sees nothing in this
world but what he can get for his own
selfish, sordid and sinful purposes
needs to be transformed so that he
can see the great privilege of service
for the glory Of Christ Jesus and the
welfare Of humanity. Christ has
saved us SO that through US He could
manifest His life to men. It is only
through our Christian experience we
learn and are able to prove the good
| and beautiful and perfect" will of
| God in our relation with Others.
| Christianity differs from other re-
ligions. in that it adds to the rela-
ton that man holds to God his
obligation to others. Just as Paul
1
practice. so he makes in the closing
section of the lesson a distinction
between the relations one holds to
another Christian and those who are
not followers OF Christ Jesus. Just
as the Master summed up the law
into one command. Thou shalt
love- SO the apostle places the OBJ
legation to love as the keynote of
an ideal Christians life in his rela-
tion to his fellows If one loves
l with A ra21ifv ho vui
perform every obligation mentioned
J in the duties of a Christian. The
| love or Christian brotherhood is sin
| cere, springing out of the spiritual
| fellowship and life in Christ Jesus.
| The outstanding characteristic of
! Christianity is revealed by our at
titude toward evil and good. The
| one who loves God will hate evil
| and cleave to that which is good.
His first thought is how by seIf-de-
nial and sacrificial service he can
prove His love. sincerely seeking to
promote the happiness of others and
doing those things which will make
them happy. By love for the
ity Of his religion. This makes it
easy for him to defer to the leader
ship of others
Possibly the most difficult thing for
a man to do is combine business and
religion by recognizing that God has
called him to a business career as
| much as He has called the preacher.
priest or pastor to enter His service.
II one is true disciple of the Christ
| and lives deep in the affections of
the Master. then that mans life en-
braces every form of service. He
will not put religion on for a show
| upon Sunday and dismiss it until the
next Lords day, SO that he can carry
| on his business in his own way. He
Will recognize that he is in that trade
to serve his fellows for the glory
of God. Statesman. soldier student,
poet, painter, physician, realtor, mer-
chant, mechanic. farmer-men of
: every craft and profession-may
while discharsing the duties Of their
calling be at the same time perform
ing their Christian duty both to God
and their fellow man. II all our la
Dor was marked by moral earnest
| ness and love, then society would be
reborn and new era dawn upon
the world.
The attitude that one takes toward
the trials Of life is determined by his
/ spiritual life. The ideal Christian
sees beyond the dark trial and re-
joicing in the privilege of service
,, hopes for better and brighter DAY.
II is only by life of prayer. that is
constant and regular. that one can be
patient In tribulation, for through
prayer he is aided to endure the
afflfctions and sorrows of life. 1t