The Dolores star., 1923-02-02
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 4
THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

| LESSoS IENI-lsuke ltsll-S.
GOLDEN TENT-Enter into His gates
with Thanksgiving. and into His courts
| with praise; be thankful unto him. and
bless His name.-Psalm 1904
REFERENCE MATERIAL-I Chron.
es:io-s; Psalm n6l-li; Matt is:2i-S'
| Phil. 49,
PRIMARY ToPIc-A Man Who Was
| Thankful
JUNIOR TOPIC Remembering to
| Thank God.
| INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
| -1..e Grace OF Gratitude.
| YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-Culuvating the Habit OF Gratitude.
| Jesus is now on His way to Jerusa-
lem where He will be offered up for
the sins of the people. 1t was fitting
that He should lass through the coun-
try of the Samaritans. for He was the
Savior of all men. On this occasion
He came in touch with a colony of
ten lepers. and His healing of them ex-
hibits the condition OF human nature
and the workings of His divine grace.
!. Their Awful Atfiiction ". l2).
They were lepers. Leprosy is con
|
members of the body and eventuates
in death. 1t may be unnoticed in the
blood of the person for years. 1t is
| of such a foul nature that the one
thus afflicted is cast out from society.
This segregation was in accordance
with the Mosaic law Uev. 13 :46). II
was kind of Naaman quarantine
| p1U
regarded as a type of sin, even at
times visited upon people for some
sin. Examples, the leprosy of Gehazi
| Oh Kings 81 Miriam (Num. 12): Uz-
ziah UI Kings 10 :5). Sin has come into
| the world and flows from generation
| TO generation through the racial
stream, so that al, are sinners (Rom.
5:12). Though sin may be hidden. it
eventually breaks out and destroys the
body. Evidences of this are seen on
| every hand. There is no need of Bible
proof of its reality.
u. Their Cry for Mercy ". 13).
They were in great need. No hu.
| man help was available. They had
| somehow heard how Jesus had healed
| some lepers. Where there is real heal
| ing II is bound to be noised about This
| aroused faith in them. Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word
| of God" (Rom. 10:1D. As He came
their way they called for mercy. 1t is
the privilege of all sinners to call
upon Jesus Christ for mercy. Saliva
ton from the most awful sins will
surely come to all who cry unto Him
in sincerity.
| ". 14).
| Before the lepers were healed they
were to show themselves to the
priests, according to the Mosaic law
| uev. IA :1-32). AS they went in faith
they were healed While God goes be-
fore in the work Of salvation, vet He
demands of the sinner faith. Faith is
the cause of His action. Activity on
the sinners part is necessary so that
Gods grace can flow into him. Faith
expresses itself in action. BY this
means the divine power and human
need are united. The only faith need
ed is for the sinner to realize the heal
ing power of Christ, and as this is
acted upon there is the consequent in
crease which results in complete sal
walton. Cleansing is realized through
| obedience.
| ~. The Gratitude Of the One wv.
10, 16).
| Perceiving that he was healed of his
leprosy, the Samaritan turned back
and with loud voice glorified God
He even fell down on his face and
gave thanks. The one least expected
to show gratitude for this great mercy
was the one who sincerely expressed
| 1t.
v. The Gratitude Of the Nine wv.
17-19).
| Presumably they were Jews. The
very ones who should have been most
grateful did not show any aplrecia-
tion. They were content to get much
from Christ without giving Him any
thing. He expects those who expert
ence His salvation to give Him their
love and gratitude. The Lord is hurt
when saved sinners go off with the
blessing of salvation as though they
had stolen it. Many take all they can
get from Christ and give nothing in re-
turn. All the blessings of civilization
are ours through Christ, yet how few
thank Him for them. The proportion
of those who are ungrateful for the
blessings which Christ brought is per-
haps nine to one. The fact that graft
tuds was expressed by Samaritan
shows how often we are shamed by
the devotion of those less favored
than ourselves.
Finding God.
If we cannot find God in your house