Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-07
V j. III. MILLER & SONS.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON II, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 8.
Near B. & O. Freight Depot.

Text of the Lesson. Rom. Ill, 19-26-Mem-
DRY Verses, 21-24-Go1den Text, Rom.
iii, 24-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
10. Now we know what things soever the
law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law; that every mouth may be stopped,
Ind all the world may become guilty be-
fore God" He has been proving both Jews
Ind gentiles all under sin, and that there is
tone righteous oversees o, 10y. But what
t)out the law that is holy and just and
good (chapter vii, 12), and those who con-
scientiously try to keep it like Paul him
kelf, who said that as touching the right
eousness of the law he considered himself
blameless phil. iii, O.. This verse in our
lesson says the law is to stop mans mouth
and prove every one guilty, for until we
IRE ready to plead guilty before God there
Is no hope of our redemption. In Math. V,
eS, Jesus teaches that sinful look breaks
the seventh commandment, and in John
lii, Is, we learn that hatred breaks the
sixth, while in Jas. ii, 10, we find that
"whosoever shall' keep the whole law and
yet offend in one point is guilty of all.
80. Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in His sight,
for by the law is the knowledge of sim"
David recognized this when he said, ''In
Thy sight shall no man living be justified"
Cps. cxliii, q. The law, although SO holy,
cannot give life because of mans sinful
ness or weakness of his flesh (Gal. ill., 81;
Rom. viii, 81. Only one Man ever kept the
law perfectly. He came to fulfill the law
and the prophets, even to fulfill all right
eousness (Math. V, Il; iii, 15). In Him is
no sin; He knew no sin; He did no sin q
John iii, 5; II Cor. V, 81; Pet H. 22) He
could truthfully say, II delight to do Thy
will, 0 my God-yea, Thy law is within my
heart Ops xl, s.. He was and is ''the
righteousness of God" All our efforts to
keep the law, seeking thus to obtain right
eousness, are like Adam and Ewes fig leaf
aprons, which had to be laid aside and
give place to the coats of skins of Gods
own providing. Our righteousness are
as filthy rags lisa. Xiv, O..
81. But now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested, being wit
messed by the law and the prophets" To
Him give all the prophets witness that
through His name whosoever believeth in
Him shall receive remission of sins (Acts X,
49,. Paul in all his preaching said none
other things than those which the prophets
and Moses did say should come (Acts XVI
~. Jesus began at Moses and all the
prophets and expounded unto them in all
the Scriptures the things concerning Him
self luke xiv, 81. Righteousness is the
great essential. God demands it, and He
has right to. He says that the upright
he i,,b bn irf I'd ~ -rJ
and that unless we have something better
than that of the scribes and pharisees we
can in no case enter into the kingdom OF
heaven q Cor vi, o; Math. V, 20). But what
God demands He also provides-if Il we'd
ding garment is necessary, then wedding
garments are provided (Math. xxi, II, l2)
Does He demand righteousness? Then He
provides righteousness as freely as He pro-
vided the clothing for Adam and Eve Gen
iii, 2D
% Even the righteousness of God, which
is by faith of Jesus Christ. unto all and
upon all them that believe" God hath
made Him to be sin for us who knew no
sin, that we might be made the righteous
ness of God in Him. He is made unto us
righteousness Oh Cor. V, 81; Cor. l. S0)
By Him all that believe are justified from
fed by the law of Moses (Acts xiii, 39l
Therefore the soul that truly receives Him
can say, II will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He
hath clothed me with the garments of sal
walton, He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness lisa. Xxi, l0). But how
many are going about to establish their
own righteousness, either wholly ignorant
g 4
eousness provided for them in Christ Jesus,
who is the end of the law for Righteousness
to every one that believeth from X, 3, Al
% For there is no difference, for all
have sinned and come short of the glory of
God" In Adam all die Il Cor. XIV, 22)
There is not just man upon earth that
doeth good and sinneth not (Eccl vii, 20),
or as in verse 10 of this chapter: There is
none righteous. No, not one" Such is the
description of all men By nature, and while
all are not equally great sinners all are
without exception sinners. Since Adam
was driven out of paradise all have been
born outside the garden; there is no differ
ence. When Noah was shut in the ark, all
the rest except those with him were shut
out and persisted; there was no difference.
"a Being justified freely by His grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" All redemption is in Christ; out
Of Him and apart from Him there is none
1t is the blood that maketh an atonement
for the soul LEV. xvii, ~, and none but
His blood could do it Acts iv, l2). But
having by His life and death and resurree-
ton obtained eternal redemption for US
Deb. tx, i2) He bestows it, or rather Him
self. for it is all in Him, upon whosoever
will receive Him John iii, l6; Rev xxi. IL
Eph. i, 8. y. At infinite cost He has pur
chased it, but in His great grace He gives r.
freely to even the chief of sinners as soon
they truly turn to Him, so that even sue,
as are described in Cor vi, OIL, could re
joiee in having become by His blood
washed, sanctihed, justified.
2a Whom God hath set forth to be
Precipitation through faith in His blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbear-
ance OF God.n The word here translated
"propitiation" is found only elsewhere in
Heb. tx. 5, where it is translated mere
seat" In each of these verses in the R. V.
it is in the margin ''propitiatory." The
mercy seat or lid of the ark, thus desig-
mated, was never TO be removed, it WI;
sprinkled with blood, and beneath it in the
ark were the tables of testimony contain
ing the Ten Commandments. that holy
law, the ministration of death Oh Cor. iii,
y Christ is our mercy seat, who by His
own blood stills the condemning voice of
the law. And because of this blood, which
was in due time shed on Calvary, Col
In former days granted remission of sins,
Ali blood sprinkled on the mercy seat being
typical of this precious blood which was
shed once for all
26 ITO declare, say, at this time His
righteousness. that He might be just, and
the justifier of him which believeth in Je-
sus-" He that justiiieth the wicked, and he
that condemneth the Just, even they both
are abomination to the Lord prov xvii, 49,
But what shall we say when the Lord Him
self, in order that He may make righteous
the abominabie wicked. takes the place OF
The condemned. suffers and dies in the sin
uer's stead, becomes curse for us, IS made
9 SIN offering Il Pet. iii, IS; Gal. Iii. Is; II
Tor. V, I'll, all to enable Him to justify the
greatest OF sinners who viii receive Him.