The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-06
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
DECEMBER 10.
Lesson Text: "The Heavenly. In~
heritance," 1 Peter t., 1-12-
Golden Text: Col. l., r.
Commentary.

aH & ! H. .. =
1. "Peter, an apostle OF Jesus Christ, to-
the STRANGERS scattered throughout Pontus,
Galstia. Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia."
The writers of the eptstles know but ono
master-they are either servants or apostles
OF Jesus Christ-and being controlled by tho
Spirit they glorify Him (Math uiii., Sc
John xvi, 14). Their aim is to, help their
fellow strangers to be holy In their lives and
full of good works that God may be gIorifed
(chapter H., II, 12. tF
2. ''Elect according to the foreknowledge
OF God the Father, through sancttfcation Of
the spirit, unto obedience and sprinklin2 Of
the blood ofJesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied" Scriptural cleo
tion is the choosing OF some to bless others,
these chosen ones being taken out from the
rest that they may be specially qualified for
special service (Epn l., A. Rom yiii., 29)
The exceeding abundance OF His grace and
peace is given to such that through them Ii
may be multiplied to others. If you have
received Him, you are one OF His elect. II
you have notreceived Him, you, may do so
at once John Vi. 81, ill.,, 49,: Rev. xxii,
1O. 80
g. blessed be the God and Father OF our
Lord Jesus Christ. which according to His
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto
lively hope by the resurrection OF Jesus
Christ from the dead" The significance of
the resurrection is fully stated In Cor. xy..
13, 23. he who was dead Is alive forever
more, and at the right hand OF God are the
evidence OF our justification and the assur-
ance Of our continued life Grew L, 10, ,Rom.
" 25 viii, 34). To be identified with q
risen, living Christ, who has all power In
heaven and on earth, andto be commissioned
as Fills ambassadors 10 proclaim His salvation
Is surely the highest honor that mortal man
can enjoy on this earth John XVII, l8 II
Cor. v. 20) y
4. To an Inheritance ineorruptible and
unde6led and that fadeth not away, reserved
In heaven for you Ali thing, here are
perishable. but the word of the Lord and the
glory Of the Lord endureth forever Oversees
"a. as. John H., II Heb. Kill, 2S). Jesus
ct the right hand Of God Is not only our
Righteousness and our life, but also the as.
surance that our bodies shall yet be Just like
His and that we shall reign with Him q Cor.
1v. 23; Phil. Ill, 81 !, Rev. ", 8, 1o).
s.. "Who are kept by the power OF God
through faith unto salvation, ready to be re-
vealed in the last time" Jesus does the say
ing and the keeping, and we do the trusting
and obeyinS. See how wetars kept In Jude
1; Rom. xiv, 4, Isa. XII, Is. Salvation is
ours now If we have received Christ. Weare
also day BY day working 1t out. and yet we
are waiting for it. for 1t is every day nearer
than when we believed QI Tim. l., 8 Phil.
lie, Il. 10 IsoIn Nul., II IL u d tnIceiOiu
salvation. We have eternal life, we are mani
Testing that life, and we expect the glorifed
body and the joys Of the kingdom. ~
g.. wherein .ye greatly rejoice, though
now for q season, il need be, ye are In heayi-i
ness through manifold temptation" We
will surely rejoice II we believe the facts, but
not otherwise, for Joy and peace come only
BY believing (Rom, xy., 13. Jesus. told us
that we must expect tribulation, but that We
sh.,,. TAhn \ Dorxl <fSoff
1es that II Is possible to be- joyful, yea, even
exceeding joyful, in tribulation (Rom. W. So.
II Cor. VII, A. 81
Z. "That the trial of your faith, being much
more precious than OF gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might beSsesnd
unto praise and honor and glory at the ffS
pearing Of Jesus Christ" It Is most profit.
able study to medirste on the word "pre-,
clous" in these two epistles q Pet. l., z, 49,;
IL, 4, 7, II Pet. t., !, ~ Faith tnat cannoS
endure is very questionable faith. We must
steadfastly believe and wait patiently til He
come GAS. V Z, 8 !, I Cor. w., 5.) Then We
shall see how all our light Affections have
been working out for us far moro exceed
ing aad eternal weight OF glory (lI Cor. w.,
~ T..
s .Whom having not seen ye love, in
whom, though nowye see Him not, yet be-
lieying. y. rejoice in the Joy unspeakablo
and full Of glory y Some think that II they
could only see Him they would love Him, but
| He said. Blessed are they that have not
seen and yet have believed" CJohn xx., 29).
To faith unseen things becomevery real and
may be enjoyed almost as q present pos
session The city which Abraham looked for,
| and the reconpenss Of the reward which sus-
tanned Moses, and the glory to be revealed
which Paul saw, were wondr0us.y real to
them and will be to us il We only believe
(Heb. xi., 10. 25, 26 !: Rom. will, 1sl k.b
9. 'tRecsiying the end Of your faith, even
the salvation OF your souls" TnIs is not
very clear unless it refers to the Joy which
| .omes from the assurance Of present saliva
| lion, which Is an earnest and pledge OF the
| completed salvation at the revelation OF
| Christ. The ;:now" Of the previous verso
would point that way. 1t Is our privilege to.
| :ejoiee that we are the children OF God and
| oartakers or the glory TO be erevealed (u Tim
| l., a. Pet y. I Jonn 1i., ~. f
is. OF which salvation the prophets hava
| Inquired and searched diligently VINO pro-
| phesied of the grace that should come unto.
you. See Dan. l., 2, 9 x, II, q. 10 search
| diligently seems to be the sense OF john W.
SO, and not any careless reading or super.
| acial study, rather constant day ans. nighf
meditation as in Ps l.. Ga prayerful and
persey sriny comparing OF Scripture with
Scripture In absolute dependence and re-
lance upon the Holy Spirit. a j.
II. .:Seafching wnat or what manner oft1me
the Spirit OF Christ which was In them did
signify when it testified beforehand the suf-
ferings Of Christ and the glory that should
follow" Here is the fact stated that the
Spirit OF Christ was in the prophets and may
give some light upon chap ter Ill 1S-20, Tor
the Spirit OF Christ was in Noah. The tes-
timony OF Jesus is the spirit OF prophesy
| (Rev. XIX, 10Y. Here is also the fact thar
| the burden of prophecy is the suflertngs, OF
Christ and the glory YET to be revealed. see
this illustrated fully In Ps. xxiL and isa-
lii. as specimen chapters By His suffering
we are now redeemed, but we wait for the
| glory to be revealed.
| II. "Unto whom it was revealed, that not
| unto themselves. but unto US, they did min
| lister the things which are now reported unto
YOU by them that have preached the gospei
unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down
| from heaven, which things the angels desire
| to look into" Here are prophets and apos-
| ties, in the power Of the HolySptrit, minis
| tering unto others. Angels alsSSpre minis
tering spirits. Even the Son OF Man came
| not to be ministered unto, but to minister
| (Math. Xxx, 28), and il we are filled with bis
spirit it will be our delight to live to be chan
| nels OF blessing to others. Some things we.
like the prophets, may have to pass on To-
others without fully comprehendlng tnem,
the full! understanding being only for mlllen-
| NAL or later days-Lesson Helper.
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