Middletown transcript., 1899-06-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
:. NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE 10.

ICopyrignt, 1888, Dy -. M. StearHSsI
1. "n We then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand Of God. +"
As soon as we receive the Lord Jesus, we
become one with Him in His standing be-
fore God. We are said to be crucifed with
Him, buried with Him, quickened with
Him, raised up with Him and made to sit
with Him In the heavenlies fGal. ii, 20;
Eph. ii, 3, 6; Col. ii, 12l. We are no
longer citizens Of earth, but citizens Of
heaven, and pilgrims and strangers here
(Phil. Iii, 20; Pet. II, 11). We are still
soiourners on the earth for His sake, in
the world, but not of it; He In heaven for
us, and we here for Him; He the head
and we the members of Hisbody.
9, 8. "Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the, earth. For
We are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God !" AS person who Is lit
orally dead Is Indifferent to all things
about him, SO we who are dead with
Christ should be Indifferent to all things
about us which are not of God. We have
died with Him and He at Gods right
hand is now our life, beyond all power of
men or demons or satan himself.
4. "When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with
Him in glory. ," He shall appear the sec
ond time without sin unto salvation (Heb.
X, 2S). Then we shall be like Him, hav-
ing seen Him as He is Il John iii, q, and
having met Him Id the air Il Thess. iv,
16, ~ we shall return with Him to the
earth to deliver Israel and to establish
here His kingdom Of peace (Rev. xix,
1 kIfe, /, oftt,Y, hao,s1 ES11&
perhaps never truly appropriated.
81. "Mortify therefore your members
which are upon the earth" They that
are after the flesh mind the things Of the
flesh, they mind earthly things Rom.
viii, s; Phil. iii, 1877. Serving divers
lusts and pleasures, they yield their mem
bers as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin Titus Iii, 8; Rom. vi, 13). The
God in whose hand their breath is and
whose are all their ways they do not
glorify dan. v, 23). When we are con
vinced of our sin and receive Jesus Christ
as our Saviour, we then have divine
nature which wants none of these things,
but the old sinful nature is still in us and
will desire the old sinful ways. This we
must mortify by constant denial Of self.
To pity and please self is not Christlike
(Math. xvi, 90; margin and Rom. XIV, 81.
8, 8. Eye have put of the old man with
his deeds" In Eph. iy, %, it is written,
"Put off concerning the former oonversa-
ton, the old man, which is corrupt, ac-
cording to the deceitful lusts." All these
anger, wrath, malice, filthy conversa-
tion, etc.-are dishonoring to God and un-
becoming in child of God The child Of
God must very decidedly have done with
them, lest he grieve the Holy Spirit of God
whereby we are sealed unto the day of re-
demption (Eph. iv, 8o). Many a true
believer, who Is troubled more or less by
the desires of the old nature would fain
have victory, but constantly tries and
fails. The victory Is found only in Christ;
look of helplessness to Him, and the CRY
''Thine is the power" will never fail to
be answered.
10, II. ''Put on the new man which Is
renewed in knowledge after the image of
Him that created him." In Eph. iv, "a,
it is "Put on the new man which after
God is created in righteousness and true
holiness The believer is always de-
livered unto death for Jesus sake that the
life of Jesus may be made manifest in our
mortal flesh II Cor. iv, ~. This mani
festation Of the new man in US will be in
proportion to our realization of our posi-
ton in Christ as risen with Him and COM
ing with Him in His glory.
10. "Put on therefore, as the elect Of
God, holy and beloved, bowels Of mercies
kindness, humbleness Of mind, meekness,
long suffering We were chosen in Him
before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame be-
fore Him in love. TO this end He by His
grace has made usaccepted in the Beloved
and given unto us in Him redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins
(Eph. 1, 4, 6, y. As Christ was Gods
elect to reveal the Father, SO we are elect
to reveal Christ, for the world cannot see
Him except as they see Him In us. Hu-
mility, meekness and the graces men
toned in this verse when seen in our lives
reveal Christ In us and glorify God. We
do not find in Scripture that God has
chosen some for heaven. and some for hell,
for He is not willing that any should
perish QI Pct iii, 81, but He has chosen
some that through them He may bless
others, and this Is the doctrine Of elec-
tion.
10. "Forbearing one another and for
giving one another, If any man have
quarrel against any: even as Christ for
gave you, SO also do ye." The margin
for quarrel is complaint If all complaints
were as freely forgiven as Christ forgives
us, how much happier many would bel
Eph. iv, 80, says, BE ye kind one to
another, tender hearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you" The story of the un-
forgiving servant in Math. xviii, 1896, is
too often illustrated. God has freely for
given us millions Of offenses
Il. "And above all these things put on
charity Qove), which is the bond Of per-
fectness." What love is and its value and
how it manifests itself is fully told in I
Cor. xiii, which is photograph Of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and, though His name
is not found in it, 1t is no more needed
than the name of an intimate friend is
needed on his photo. Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because He laid down
His life for us. Herein is love. not
that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins'' Il John iii, 16; iv IO). Un-
less we are willing to lay down our lives
for the brethren the less we say about our
love to God the better, but we may ever
talk and sing Of His love to US, which is
high as heaven above ours to Him, and
as we become occupied with His love to |
us we will manifest more love to others
In our lives.
10. And let the peace of God rule in |
your hearts, to the which also ye are
called In one body, and be ye thankful" I"
The next verse says, "Let the word Of /
Christ dwell In you richly in all wisdorn,n
and the next exhorts us to do all things |
In the name of the Lord Jesus, giving |
thanks to God the Father by Him. Christ |
Is the peace Of God (Eph. Il, 14) and He |
viii gladly rule in the heart that Is
yielded to Him. He taught us that if we |
love Him we win keep His word John
xiv, e3), and here we are taught to be
flled with it and to know its riches