St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1936-02-07

; TOPIC-Overcoming Our Faults.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
i TOPIC-The Test of Our Religion.
In verses 20-26 Jesus sets forth
! the inner spiritual condition OF
those who are members Of his king
dom. In the lesson text for today
he sets forth the principles govern
ing the life of his followers.
| 1, Love Your Enemies ". 29).
Love here is not mere natural af-
lection. Love is not sentiment but
is the sincere desire for the welfare
of another, and the willingness to
! do all in ones power to accomplish
that which is good for the indi-
! vidual. To love friends Is easy, but
| to love enemies is only possible to
those who have been born again and
have been made partakers Of the
divine nature.
, u. Do Good to Them Which Hate
! You ". 2D.
! Love is positive in its nature. The
disciple of Christ will not merely
refrain from doing injury to the one
) who hates him, but will be con-
cerned with and engaged in doing
good to him.
III. Bless Them That Curse You
". 2s).
To bless means to speak well Of,
to invoke a blessing upon. Injury
by words is hard to let go unchal-
lenged. The disciple Of Christ will
express the spirit Of his Lord and
will, therefore, return blessing for
cursing.
w. Pray for Them Which De-
spitefuIIy Use You ". 28).
It is obligatory upon the Chris
tan to pray for those who heap
abuses upon him. The best COM
mentary on this is Christ's own
example. Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do"
(Luke % :24). When Christ was re-
viled he reviled not again; when
he suffered, he threatened not; but
committed himself to him that judg-
eth righteously" Il Pet. 2:23).
! v. Patiently Endure Wrong and
! Injury ". 29).
The Christian is not to bristle In
defense Of his rights, but rather to
suffer insult, injury, and even loss.
This expresses the law which gov
ems the individuals action and
should not be pressed so far that
evildoers go unchecked. Rightly
constituted government has been Or
! dained Of God for the protection Of
the innocent and punishment Of evil
doors (Rom. 1919.
vi. Give to Every Man That
Asketh Of Thee ". 30).
!! This text does not authorize pro-
miscuous giving, neither does 1t
mean that any request made by the
idle, greedy, and selfish should be
granted. There is giving which
Injuries the one to whom the gift is
made. It would not be proper to
give a man money to buy whisky.
The principle enjoined is to give the
thing needed to the one asking. The
supreme need Of every able-bodied
person is to be given a way to earn
his living.
VII. Do to Others as You Wish
Others to Do to You wv. 31-35).
|, This is called the Golden Rule. It
is the sum total Of Christian duty
as it pertains to human inter-rela-
lions. If this rule were lived up to,
the problem Of capital and labor
would be solved, war would cease,
international relations would be
peaceably adjusted, and all prof.
teering in business would end.
! VIII. Be MercifuI ". 36).
This means to be filed with pity
and compassion; to enter into SYM
pathy with every need Of others.
Our supreme example is the Heav.
emily Father.
/ TX. censorious Judgments Con.
demned ". 37).
This means that the evil or false
in others should not be sought out.
We should not sit In critical judg-
ment upon the action of others. This
does not, however, prohibit the esti-
nation of others by their deeds.