Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

FORGIVE SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN. Matthew xviii, 15-3 S —Dec. 15. “Be tie kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God. for Christ's sake, forgave you."—Eph. iv, 32. CO learn today’s lesson well means a blessing for life to every true Christian. The lesson relates to the consecrated, the members of the Body of Christ, the Church, of which He Is the Head. The Master’s rule for His followers is, If a brother injure you, go to him alone, striving to reach an understanding. The probability is that misunderstandimj is all that there is of it. But if tnis does not suffice and you consider the matter serious, ask two others to accompany you to the offender, without explaining -

the mission—leave their minds free to hear the case. The agreement of these brethren and their advice should be followed by both. If they disagree with you, you should acknowledge that you have erred. If they agree with you, and your opponent refuses to heed their counsel

and persists in doing you injury, and you still think it of sufficient importance to trouble the Church with the matter, you are then at liberty so to do. The Church’s decision, is to be final, binding upon both. The one refusing to hear the Church is to be treated as an outsider, hot in the sense of doing him injury, but abstaining from appointing him to any position, or honor iu the Church, until his course shall be changed. How simple the Divine direction; what a blessing would come from following it! Forgive “Seventy Times Seven.”

St. Peter put a hypothetical question. of how many times a brother might trespass and ask forgiveuess and yet be forgiven—would seven times be the limit? Tbe Master practically declared that there could be no limit, that any brother confessing bis fault and asking forgiveness must be forgiven, if it should recur 490 times. Forgiveness is obligatory when asked for. We must uot be afraid of following the Master’s direction. Then our Lord gave a parable, to illustrate this matter, A certain king had a reckoning with his servants One owed him ten thousand talents His master commauded him to be sold, and all that he had until the payment should be made But the servant fell down at his master’s feet and besought him to have compassiou on him aud he would pay the debt. And the master had compassion on him aud discontinued any further prosecution. The servant then went out and found a fellow-servant who owed him an hundred pence. He took his fe'lowservant by the throat, saying. “Pay me the hundred pence thou owest.” His fellow-servant besought for mercy, saying, "Have patience with me. and l will pay thee ail.” But he'would not. and cast him into prison till the debt should be paid. The matter reached the ears of the master, who called him and said, “ ‘Thou wicked servant! 1 released thee from the penalty of thy debt; thou., shouldst also have had mercy upon thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity upon thee.’ And he delivered him to punishment till he should pay all that was due.” An Important Lesson Here. What is the lesson? The lesson is well expressed in our text. We should

be kind to one another, tender-heart-ed, as God in Christ forgave us —a n d continues to forgive us day by day. The trespasses of others against us are trifling indeed in comparison to our obligations to the Lord. We should therefore be very willing to forgive all who ask us—“until sev-

enty times seven.” In thus exercising mercy we will be copying the Divine character.

As we remember our own weaknesses and blemishes, it will make us sympathetic with the brethren and with all mankind, and we will thereby be fitted and prepared to have a 6hare with Jesus in His Throne of glory, for that great Messianic Kingdom will be established fo)’ the very purpose of showing mercy uuto all mankind who will return to Divine favor and blessing under kuowledg< and with the assistance then afforded. We lire not to understand this parable to refer to Divine forgiveness of original £}in. The Sin of Adam is not forgiven except Id the v Divine waythrough Jesus—through faith in His blood. The parable refers to subsequent sins—sins referred to in our Lord’s prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.” This is shown by the fact that the parable speaks of these as servants, whereas the world, as sinners, are not God’s servants, but “aliens, strangers, foreigners.” The only ones whom God recognizes as servants are such as have come Into relationship with Him through Jesusthrough faith and consecration. These are servants of God and are to have mercy upon their fellow-servants.