Passaic City record., 1893-10-14
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
OCTOBER 10.
Lesson Text: Classification by Faith"
Romans ", 1-1f-Gclden
Text: Romans ", S.
Commentary.

I. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord
! Jesus Christi Ifthere is foundation truth
that needs to be fully received firmly held,
| daily enjoyed and joyously passed on, it is
| this-that all who receive Christ are justified
and actually have peace with God, for
J Christ Himself is our peace, through the fin
| ished work of Christ without any work of
ours. Commit Rom. iv, s.; Eph. H., 5, 9;
Titus ill.,, 5, as notable proof texts. Christ
made the peace by the blood of His cross,
and it is our privilege to receive it (Col.
j., 20).
g. ''By whom also we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God" 1t is by grace,
without a single work OF ours, that we are
saved, and in that grace it is our privilege to
live, fer our High Priest within the veil rep
resents us before God in all His perfec.-
ness. and we may come boldly for mercy and
grace in every time of need (Heb. iv., 15, 16).
This covers all our life from the moment OF
our acceptance until we are taken home
The last clause of this verse calls attention
to the blessed hope of Titus H., Is, when we
shall be like Him q John ill.,, 2, 81.
8 Sand not only 50, but we glory in tribu-
lations also, knowing that tribulation work.
eth patience" The sufferings of this pres-
ent time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us,
and all our Affections are working out for us
glory (Rom. viii, 10; II Cor. iv., 17). By
His grace we may learn to count trials a joy,
knowing that when patiently borne they
bring glory to Him and great good to us,
conforming US to His image (Jas /, 2, 3, IL,
III Cor. xiii. 9, 10; Rom. viii, 2S, 29).
4. stAnd patience, experience, and expert
ence, hope" Patience under trial is very
glorifying to God and very confusing TO sa-
tan. and is one of the most convincing proofs
of the reality of Christianity Gil Thess ill.,,
margin Jas. ", 10 Rev. xiii, 10; xiv, 12).
The word translated experience is IN III
Cor. H., 9; Kill, 8, Phil. IL. %, translated
'sproof" 1t is the evidence that we are the
the joys set before us and the glory to be
brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus
Christ q Pet. t.. 6, 7, 13; iv ], IL, 1S).
5. sAnd hope maketh not ashamed, be-
cause the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
u.s." The Holy Spirit Is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the pur-
chased possession (Eph. j., IS. 14). He
makes known the love of God to us, and that
He loved US even when we were dead in sins
(Eph. H., 4, 5) that, knowing all about us,
He loved us and will love us even to the end
(Deut. vii, z, 8 ;.Jer. XXI, 8 John xiii, u;
that, having loved us enough to seek us out
and make us his own, He will not cease till
he has finished the work and made US just
like Himself in that bright morning (Phil. L.,
6; ill.,, 20, 21). His people shall never be
ashamed (Joel H., 26, 27).
6. sFor when we were yet without strength
in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
without strength means that we are as
helpless to better ourselves spiritually as the
young man at the Gate Beautiful OF the tenn
pie was to walk of his own accord, for the
word s.impotent applied to him (Acts iv., 81
is the very word here used. .Ungodlyh is
said by Young to signify in some places
worthless or without value We are apt
to think that there must have been something
about US to cause God to love US, but from
this verse it is not SC. Ask the missionary in
Alaska or in Central Africa what there is to
love in the most degraded they have ever
seen, and from the dark picture see yourself
in the sight of GOD.
7. "For scarcely for righteous man will
one die, yet peradventure for a GOOD man
some would even dare to die" 1t seems
strange, yet we all know it to be true, that
there are righteous persons who are not much
given to good works. They have accepted
Christ and are outwardly biameless in their
lives and very religious in the way of church.
going, but as to helping the poor and making
the widows heart to sing for Joy, that is not
their way. 1t would be very hard to find a
substitute for such person In the matter OF
death, but for one who has lived to do good
and scatter his substance among the needy it
would not be so difficult
8. ''But God commendeth His love toward
us, in that while We were yet sinners Christ
died for u.s. Here is love beyond all that
earth ever witnessed. The objects of this
love are not only felt negatively impotent and
worthless, but positively sinful transgressions
against Him who loved them and died for
them. Hereby perceive we the love of God"
''Behold what manner of love- U. John ill.,.
16 ill.,, q. That this love can be slighted
and despised shows how hardened is the heart
of man.
g. ssMuch more then being now justified by
His blood we shall be saved from wrath
through Him.. In the first verse it was justi-
fed by faith and now by blood. In chapter
ill.,, "a, it was by grace, and in Jas. H., 26, it
is by works. There is no conflict nor contra
diction in these statements. We are justified
meritoriously by the blood of Christ, instru-
mentally by faith in Him, freely by His grace,
and the evidence OF our Justification before
men is our good works. Being justified, we
are delivered from the wrath to come I.
Thess. l., 10.)
10. '.For If when we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
saved by His life" The work of reconcilia-
tion is entirely of God /; the need is wholly
ours God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto Himself (II Cor. ", 19). The
cry through the ambassador is that because
of such love on the part of God, who seeks
the welfare of the impotent and worthless,
the sinner and enemy, and has provided
righteousness for such, the rebel should be
willing to believe and receive such love. The
further joy is that having saved US, He lives
to keep us. He is our life (Heb. vii, Is; Rev.
l., II, 18 Col. ill.,, A.
H. .'And not only SO, but we also Joy in
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have now received the atonement." The
God Of hope fills us with all JOY and peace in
believing and makes us to abound in hope
through the power OF the Holy Ghost (Rom
XIV, 49, By more intimate acquaintance
with and knowledge Of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit we learn that the kingdom of
God is righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost Rom. xvi, 49, So the recon-
ciliation (see margin) provided by God
wrought out by Christ and brought to us by
the Spirit makes us new creiSlres in Christ
Jesus. Lesson Helper.