The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-26
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY 80.


Good Works." James H., 14-23-Gold-
en- Text: "I Will shew My Faith by
My Works." Jas. n.,l1S-ComInentary.
IA. "What doth 1t profit, my brethren,
though man say he hath faith and have
R. V. says, "Can that faith save him2"
There are no contradictions in the teach
ing of Scripture, and one Of the plainest
doctrines in all the books, taught even In
this lesson by the Spirit, through James
(yerse 23) Is that the only salvation re-
vealed to US Is that which has been fully
wrought out for. US by the Lord Jesus
Christ without any help OF ours, and which
we must receive by faith as free gift from
God. See Rom. w., s; Eph: H., 8; Titus ILL.,,
5. It Is most unmistakably clear that we
are saved by faith alone. But 1t Is just as
clearly taught that the evidence of that
faith will be seen In our daily lives by our
walking in the good works prepared for
US. See Eph. H., 10; Titus ILL.,, 8. A faith
that does not produce good works and
holy life Is not genuine, but Is an empty
name.
x Is, 16. eff a brother or sister be naked
and destitute Of daily food, and one OF you
say unto them, Depart in peace, be .ye'
them not those things which are needful to:
the body. What doth 1t proft?" Or as
John says, "My little children, let US not
love In word, neither In tongue, but In.
deed and truth q John ill.,, 19). Jesus,
Himself said, "My mother and My brethrenf
are these which hear the word Of God and
do it" duke viii, 2I. And again, mot
shall enter into the kingdom Of heaven; but
he that doeth the will Of My Father, which:
is in heaven" CMath. VII, 81.
II. "Even so faith, II 1t hath not works,
is dead being alone" or, as in the margin,
"by ITSELF" Faith cometh by hearing the
word Of God Rom, K, 17)-that ts, by re-t
ceiving the word Of God, and the word Of
God is incorruptible seed, which Is sure to-
grow. Faith receives Christ into the heart,
and Christ in us cannot be hid any more
than He could be hid In the house In the.
borders Of Tyre and Sidon (Mark VIII, 2).i
You walk by field In which not a green
blade Is to be seen, although 1t looks as IT,
it had been sown, and the farmer says that
he sowed 1t with good seed three months;
ago. Either the seed was no good or was
destroyed after being sown, or the farmer
lied.
1s. "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith
and I have works. Show me thy faith
without thy works and will show thee my
gins this verse, "But some one will say"
We can talk faith, but we cannot show faith
except by our deeds. It Is the same with
love. God does not need our works to-
prove our faith, for q e can read the heart,
but He tells US that believers should bel
careful to maintain good works becausef
they are good and profitable unto men,
CTitus ILL.,, 81. Not only profitable to those
who do the works, for we are to be re- i
u; Cor. ILL.,, 8, 14), but profitable to those;
who, seeing the good works, may be led byI
them to Him who worketh In us both to-
will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil.
H., 10.
19. ''Thou believest that there Is one;
God. Thou doest we'll. The devils also
believe and tremble." The R. Y. says
"shudder" instead Of tremble, and the B.
Y. margin says demons instead OF devils.
There Is but one devil, though there are
hosts Of demons, his followers. One hss
said that there are no atheists or infdes IN
hell. ALI who are there believe In the re-
alities of hell and the devil, Of God and OF
heaven, but they cannot believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Those
who die In their sins can never come where
Christ Is (John viii., 2D. Therefore 1t isI
written, because there is wrath, beware
lest He take thee away with His stroke
Then great ransom cannot deliver thee"
COB xxxvi., 1s). It Is greatly to be feared
that many protesting Christians are no
better as far as salvation Is concerned,
They believe all about God and Christ and
have been received into church member
ship because Of this knowledge, backed up
by 8 good moral character. But having
never truly received Christ (John l., l2,
they continue lost souls.
20. "But wilt thou know, o vain man, that
faith without works Is dead3" The knoWl-
edge Of God and Of Christ that does not
lead one to receive the Lord Jesus Christ
into his heart will only prove q greater con,
demnation. This class ofpeople fs described
In Heb. VI, 4-6, as enlightened, tasted the
gift, knew somewhat OF the Spirits teach
ing. But il the continuance in grace and
good works is lacking, then 1t Is evident
that they merely believed about Christ, but
never truly received Him. In Ii Pet. H.
20-22, we read again Of such as were to some
extent benefited by their knowledge, but!
were never truly new creatures.
81. "Was not Abraham our father justihed,
by works when he had offered Isaac his SON
upon the altar?" This was the outward andt
evident Justification before men, for we are,
justified freely by grace, meritoriously by
the blood of Christ and instrumentally byl
faith (Rom. ILL.,, "a; ", 9, y, and there Is nol
conflict or contradiction In these state-
ments. Abraham rested for twenty-hVe
wears on the bare promise OF God. Inent
Isaac was given. After he had grown to bel
a lad God tried his servant to see II he was
still resting on the promise or upon the Visi-l
BILE Isaac. Now, God knew Bis servants
heart and did not need to prove him that
God might know, but that all generations
might see that Abraham rested not IN the
visible gift Of God, but in God Himself and
His sure word. ~,
%. "Seest thou how faith wrought with
his works, and by works was faith madel
perfect" Faith, the germ; WORKS, the
manifestation. It Is. written In Heb: H.,
17-19 that Abraham, when he was tried, Dy
faith offered up Isaac, In whom the prom
ises were to be fulfilled, believing that God
was able to raise him up even from the
dead from whence also He received him In
a figure. In Rom. iv,, 1921, it Is written
CONFIRMING the birth Of Isaac, that Abra-
ham aid not consider himself nor Sarah.
But strong In faith, giving glory to God,
he was fully persuaded that God was able
to and would perform what He had prom
ised.
23. "And the Scripture was fulfilled
which saith Abraham believed Goo, ana II
was imputed unto him for righteousness,
and he was called the friend OF God.
When God told Abraham that his seed
should be as the stars for multitude, Abraf
ham certainly could not feel that 1t would
be so. His only assurance was the WORD OF
God. and because he took God at HIS Word
we have this statement concerning him ln
Gen. xv., 6, where we have the words "De-
ueve" and righteousness" used for the
first time In Scripture.-Lesson Helper. -