The Coolidge examiner., 1938-02-03
NN~NNONNNN(~
ImPrOped n STTNDAY
Uniform o~-~~
-:-LESSON = -
BY REV. HAROLD l.. LUNDQUIST,
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago
q Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for February 6
CHALLENGING THE SOCIAL
ORDER

INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
1C-Helping by Being Friendly.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP.
IC-Crusading for a Christian Society.
"CruSading for Christian Socie-
ty," is one Of the topics assigned for
consideration today. Everyone who
is right thinking would be glad il
the social order of which we are all
a part might be made Christian, for
1t is far from it now. But fore
doomed to failure are the attempts
to Christianize society by some
great program Of social regenera-
ton" Gods way is to save the in
dividual who makes up the social
order. When a man is right with
God he will be right with his fell
low man. When a man is clean
inside he will be clean outside, and
that is true mentally and physical
ly, as well as spiritually.
The Scripture lesson for today is
full of outstanding spiritual princi-
pies of the greatest practical i'm
port to both Christians and the un-
converted. It should be studied by
the guidance Of the Holy Spirit and
taught in his power.
1. One Sinner Becomes a Servant
(vv. 13, l4.
Capernaum was so situated that
it provided an excellent location for
the collection Of the Roman taxes
which the Jews so hated. There
at the receipt Of custom" sat
Jew named Levi, who was no doubt
despised by his neighbors because
he had joined in this distasteful
business. To him came the gra-
cious Lord with the invitation, Fol
low me-" How different would be
the history of the cause of Christ
on earth if every other man who
thus was called had done likewise.
To follow the Master means sacri-
fee and breaking with the old life,
but it also means peace and glory.
ii. Many Sinners Meet the Lord
". 15).
Levi, who now becomes Matthew,
showed his love for the Lord by de-
string that his friends might also
meet him. So he prepared din
ner for them in his own house, to
which he also invited Jesus.
It is always dangerous for
Christian to maintain social con-
tact with his former companions in
sin, if ne does so for his own en-
joyment or advantage. But to be
their friends that one may win them
to Christ. that is most desirable.
iii. Some Righteous Folk Miss the
Lord (vv. Is, III.
Sin is an unspeakably horrible
thing that separates men from God.
but it is not an insuperable bar
rier, for the moment a man con-
fesses his sin and calls on the
Saviour he is saved. But self
righteousness-that is the impaSsa-
BILE barrier. God can do nothing for
the man who rests his hope Of sal
walton on his own good character,
high morality, and respectable po-
sition in society.
Nv. Fasting and Feasting-When
and Why (vv. 1920.
God established one fast day for
Israel. They established many, es-
pecially the Pharisees. Religion
that loses its spiritual life and pow
er clings with tenacity to outward
observances and symbols.
Should one never fast? Yes, to the
true follower of Jesus there come
times when the urgency of soul
concerning the problems of ones
own life, the lives of others, the
needs of the world, shuts the door
of interest to anything as ordinary
as food for the body.
Feasting and rejoicing-are these
spiritual and uplifting? Christianity
is a joyful faith. 1t is not to be
hidden in damp, dark cloisters; it
thrives in the sunshine. in the happy
laughter of a child, in the cheerful
shout of the saint. The Church is
the Bride of Christ. If the friends
of the bridegroom were to rejoice
". 19), should not the Bride shout
for joy?
". New Things versus Old Things
(vv. 21, 22).
The Pharisees wanted the gospel
Of grace to conform to the narrow
channels of their Interpretation Of
the law. Was not the law good?
Yes. Jesus said he came not to de-
stroy it, but to fulfill it (Matt. SID.
He bore the curse of the law that
we might be free (GaL. 3:l3. Ia.
But he also brought in the new
covenant of assurance and grace.
The mixing of grace and law. or
the effort to do so, has continued
even to our day. Let US be clear on
that point-we are saved by grace,
not by the works of the law (Eph.
2:8, 81. We work because we are
saved, not in order to be saved.
The striking figure of the foolish
one who attempted to patch an old
garment with new cloth, thus spoil
ing his new material and failing to
mend the old, is also warning to
us that there is utterly no use at
tempting to fix up the old man who
lives in sin by turning over new
1aof,, (whera ara the "reSolutiOnSn