Evening star., 1924-08-23
Sunday School Lesson

the Messiah would baptize with the
gift of the Holy Spirit The Baptist
demanded evidence Of repentance;
Jesus required more than a religious
improvement as an evidence of ones
fitness to share the kingdom of God.
Christ demanded more than radical
reformation; He insisted upon new
birth, for that which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit
'The metaphor of a new birth in
n religious sense was familiar to the
Jews, for they spoke of the Gentiles
as babes, and Abraham's call was re-
garded as having made of him new
creature" Nicodemus was familiar
with these facts, yet he was unable to
grasp the Masters demand that he,
holding prominent place in the Jew
ish religious life, should be required
to experience a spiritual change. BY
His reference to the mystery of the
physical universe, citing the wind,
Christ emphasized that the forces
that produce spiritual life, like those
of the world in which we live and
have our being, cannot be traced to
their origin or their final issues, al
though they may be recognized by
their operations and effects, even
when they are unseen powers.
The Miniature Gospel.
Christ compressed the gospel into
sentence in His efforts to win
Nicodemus for His cause. He turned
the mind of the Jewish leader away
from himself by pointing out that
the source of spiritual life was God.
The Master did not question the mys-
terry of the new birth, but He in
sisted that there existed similarity
between the mysteries of the natural
do nd kat 1A
Transformations in both were due to
the working out of the unseen forces
that were regulated by Jehovah.
Jesus pointed out that il was possi-
BILE for any person to be saved by
grating from the Old Testament his
tory the story of how when the bit
ten and dying people looked to the
uplifted serpent they were saved.
The Master gave a new interpre
| tation to it when He cited it as teach
| ing the necessity of His own death
upon the cross to save the world
| or all who through faith would look
at the crucified One. He revealed the
| central place that the cross had in
His mission to save the world. Man
| as a sinner, must either die in his
sins, as the bitten Israelites died OF
| the serpent's poison, or he must be
| saved by the interposition of One
| who stands for him.
| Although regeneration is of God, II
| is easily obtainable. For God sc
| loved the world that He gave His
| only begotten Son, that whosoever
| believeth in Him should not perish
| but have eternal life" Our golden
text sums up the whole gospel mes
sage. 1t presents the fathomless love
of God in providing boundless sal.
walton. There is no restriction as tc
race or country for whosoever re.
| moves all limitations. Its condition
| is on faith. To as many as received
| Him there was given the new birth
This new life is a free gift to all who
| accept Christ Jesus. Through oul
| Willingness to let Gods loving will
be done in US God makes US alive
The deliberate, definite decision to dc
| the Fathers will as revealed il
! Christ Jesus results in n complete re.
| organization of ones character. HI
who has been born again" expert
| ences the joys of submissive fellow
ship with God.
, Just as Nicodemus revealed in lat
er life the influence of that evening!
conversation upon his life by takint
his position for the Master in tn,
| hour of trial and danger. SO we viii
prove by our efforts for human wei
fare that we have been with Jesu
and learned of Him. Each new caus
that needs assistance in the work o
lifting up the fallen, CORRECTING
abuses in the commercial, political
social or religious life of our day, will
find US ready to demonstrate the out
reach of the gospel. 1t will find u
by life and labor seeking to unite al
| in one great brotherhood in an effor
| to save not only souls, but the nations
| of the earth through the power o
ChriSt'S gospel