The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-21
The Sunday School Lesson.
SERIES FOR 1895.--FOURTH QUARTER.
STUDIES IN UNIvERSALISM.

James 3: 8; Ps. IA: ~
The spirit of God has especially in
spired some men to make him known to
the world. Heb. l: 1; 2 Peter 1: 81; 2
Tim. s: 16.)
81 That JESUS CHRIST. the brightness
of Gods glory and the express image Of
His Person, is PERFECT AND SATISFY
ING REVELATION OF GoD AS THE FATHER
OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL FLESH.
Christ is not God, but Gods highest
and most perfect manifestation; distinct
in personality from God, but one with
Him in spirit and purpose, as he also
prayed that his disciples might be one
with Him. Matt. 6: 8; Z: IL; %: 9; John
8: 80; IA: 8, 9; 17:20-23.)
He was sent to earth, not for the pur-
pose of affecting Gods attitude to man,
but to reconcile man to God. For nine
hundred years the church taught that
Christ came to reconcile and appease
Satan; for six hundred years it has
taught that He came to appease and
propitiate God. Neither is true He
came to affect man. Rom. 5: Sill;
Cor. 5: 1920; Eph. 2: 11-16; COL 1: 10
22)
az THAT THE Holy SCRIPTURES OF
THE OLD AND New TEsTAMENTs CONTAIN
A REVELATION FROM COP TO MAN.
Not every word in the Bible is Gods
message. The Apostle Paul expressly
discriminates between some things which
he teaches and enioins by direction of
the Holy Spirit and some which he puts
forth as personal advice Il Cor. Z: g.;
and in much that is historical or bio
graphical, as also in much relating TO
the material universe, where things are
spoken of as they seem and not with
scientific accuracy, it is evident that the
writer's were uninspired. But where
special illumination is claimed and deep
things of God which man could not
search out are made known, there the
Scriptures contain a revelation from
God. lex. 20: lit; Deut. 6: 4; John Z:
16; 1 Cor 2: lib; Gal. L: IL, II; Heb. L:
1. 2; 2 Peter l. 21.)
~ THAT THE SPIRIT OF COP, often
called in Scripture the Holy Spirit, is
not only the medium of special revela-
ton, but also of personal assurance of
Gods presence. guidance, and comfort
in Christian believers. John IA: II, 26;
IL. 06. IA. ~. Rom g. Q16l
(6) That SIN ARISES FROM NO ORIGINAL
DEFECT OF OUR HUMAN NATURE, nor as
a result of Adams transgression abridg-
ing our human power.
Sin is never necessity, yet is Incl
dental to the freedom of our will, and is
always possible to being who can be
drawn away and controlled by voluntary
yielding to impulses and passions, which,
when restrained, may act in harmony
with all that is good, but allowed the
mastery lead into evil. (Deut. 80: 1920;
Luke II: 81; Jas. 1: 12-15; 3: 10)
~ That the New BIRTH, REGEN-
GRAFTON, CONVERSION interchangeable
terms in the New Testament), consists
in the turning of the sinner from the
service of sin to the loving service of
God through the gospel of Christ.
The idea is the same as that conveyed
by the word naturalization. except that,
as used by the Jews, it denoted a changed
religious allegiance, as we'll as changed
political relations. Nicodemus would
not have been astonished at the demand
of Jesus. had that demand been made
on Gentle. Proselytes to Judaism
were called by the old Jewish writer's.
new born" "babes." "little children"
and they say of Abraham that, when he
left the service of idols, and turned to
the worship of God, "he was made a
new creature"
Regeneration cannot mean just the
same to US that it meant in the New
Testament age or means today to the
idolator. We are born into the nominal
belief, at least, of the revealed God.
But in SO far as we obey sinful or selfish
ambitions. or are Influenced by errone-
GUS theories of God, of life, and of duty,
we need to come under the sway of Diff
ferent beliefs and aims, and the more
radical the change is in US, the more
emphatically may it be said that we
have experienced new birth. have put
off the old man, and have put on the
new man. q Cor. 5: 14-17; Eph. 4: IT.
80; Col. 3: GIT; Peter L. 10, IA. %. %;
l John 5: 1-5.)
49, That SALVATION OR RESTORATION
the spiritual health and happiness Of
man-is conditioned on his repentane
and forsaking of sin. and the enlighten-
ment of his soul by the Gospel.
Sin corrupts mans heart and life, but
never renders him totally depraved, or
totally incapable of moral effort. He
can hear the voice of God as it speaks
to him in conscience and revelation, and
can return by the use of instrumental
tiles thus afforded. to duty and to God.
Il Kings 8: 1880; Ps. 38: II; 51:1-3; Isa
/: 1918; Eze. IS: 81, %; Micah 7: 10, 10;
Luke Is; 1724.)
Retribution becomes a remedial agen-
cy when it rouses the conscience to a
deep sense of the guilt of sin; and as ad-