Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-03-21
The SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lessen Comments for
March y.
Subject: Paul's Message TO the Ephesians.
Eph.. H., l.lo-GoIden Text. Eph. H.. 3
Memory Verses, 81 Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

on the Day LeSSou.
]. The children OF wrath Tvs. 1-3). l.
And you" As Christ fills the whole body
OF Christian believers with His iuiness
tchap; l: 23). SO had He dealt with the con.
verified Ephesians who before were dead in
trespasses and sins. "Quickencd." Made
alive spiritually. Dead See Col. a:l3
Death Is often used Ivy all writers and in al
nations to express state OF extreme mis-
cry. The Ephesians by trespassiny and
SHINING had brought themselves into
state OF deplOrable wrctchcdness. as had
all the heather nations. and having thus
sinned against God they were condemned
by Him and might be considered as dead
IN law. They were Incapable OF perform
ing any legal act and We're always liable to
the punishment of death whrh they had
deserved and which was ready to be in
fiicted upon them. They were Incapable OF
PERFORMING holy act. Their bodies were
the living collins i'll winch their dead souls
were buried. TrcspaSses and sins
Irespasses may signify the slightest devia
tons from the right; sins more hahitua
and daring transgressions but the terms
run together in meaning.
.. .,..Ye walked y They had sinncd con
tinuaily, not merely occasionally. They
lived in sin and followed the evil practices
OF the heather world. True Christians
separate themselves from the world rom.
u: .; Cor. s.: li-lS) and do not conform
to its sinful customs and practices. Prince
air" This has reference 10 Satan, the
prince OF devils. He is also the god oil
this world q Cor. 4: - The air Is repre-.
sented as the seat Of his kingdom The
devil seems to have some power IN the
lower region OF the air; he Is at hand to
tempt men and to do as much mischief TO
the world as he can We live in an atmos-
phere poisonous and impregnated with
deadly elements. "Ot the spirit As the
Holy Spirit works that which is good in
obc,lient souls Satan works that which
is evil in wicked hearts. He is prince OF
the spirit that. not only in Pauls day but
even now, .worke:h in the sons o; disobe
dience.'
3. I'VE also Paui here changes from
the second 70 the first person. putting him
self in with those whom he has just de
scribed An" Jews and Gcntrics alike
| Once lived" The r. V. brings out the
meaning. The word Conversation is mis-
leading. The Whole course OF the life WAS
wrong. They lived in sin and walked in
; sin. and sin was interviewer i'll their very
being 1T tinged every temper. polluted
every faculty, and perverted every tran>a'
ton of life" "Lusts.' The evil irregular
and corrupt, affections of the heart
! Fulfilling" etc. They lived in the actual
! commission Of all those SINS which their
/ corrupt natures inclined them 20 commit
Mind" Thoughts: mental suggestions
! and purposes as distinguished from the
! blind impulses of the flesh BY nature"
Nature. III Greek, implies that which has
| grown in us as the popularity OF our being
as distinguished from that which has been
wrought in by mere external iniiu
ences. Here is an incidental proof OF the
! doctrine OF original sin. ''Oi wrath. The
/ child of anything Is one connected with.
! partaking of. or exposed TO anything. The
children OF wrath are those who live in
open dsobedience ". ~ aud are thus eX
posed to the wrath OF God. See Rom
2: so
4-9l. 4. s. But God" The apostle now
shows the glorious change that had been
wrought in them through the gcspel.
! Three words are eSpcciaiiv empha Szed
God. mercy. grace. rich in mercy God
is rich in many things besides mercy. He
is rich in worlds; lie owns the gold and sil-
yer in thousand hills. as well as the cat.
tie on them But while knowledge Of
/ these riches is not necessary to our saliva
1 ton. It IS necessary that we know about
the riches of His mercy. See Ex IS: 10:
! Psa. IS: 10: I~a. 81: and many other
! Scriptures. God is rich in pity and COM
! passion for the sinner Great love. His
| infinite love for us IS the ground of orr sal
walton. He loved IL and died for us while
we were vet sinners Together with
| Christ God has given us rs complete a
resurrection from the death of sin "a A
/ has had from the grave. Sec Rom s. II.
Grace" Unmerted favor. Their saliva
! ton was not OF themselves u. S)-"'not The
mere product OF any natural abilities .or
! any merit OF their own neither was It hf
works Is. ~. but il was. through the love.
! mercy and grace OF God saved No:
merely saved from sin-iu>tiicd and sane
| tified-but gloriorsly saved from death.
| the devil and hell. saved 10 resurrection.
| Christ and glory. in the full view OF the
! endless ages TO come. These people were
saved at this time and so We SEQ there i
such thing rs salvation from sin in this
! life
! 6. "Raised-sit." believers are citizens
ii heaven and have their places assigned
there which they will soon take possession
! Of phil. 5: %. cn. But this may be I'M
! dcrstood as referring to sanciihcd souls IN
! this life Having been raised from the
/ death o. sin. we enter into a heavenly
union with Christ. and the soul i indie
scribahlv happy in His love. 1t is heaven
begun below.
20. ages to come etc. What God
! had done for the sinners az E.1hcsIS would
be proof of His great goodness and mercy
and serve as an encouragement To sinners
in all ages of the world. Through faith
Faith IS J. The condition anon which we
are saved. ,. The instrument IN Coils
hands by which we are saved. ,. The
means by which we continue saved. Gilt.
udi - Sd'N dt4pli - iiit IItS I'LL "a 'iRtts
Boast" We could not purchase saliva
ticn we did not merit it. and good works
rould not save us; therefore II i rot OF
ourselves. and there is no room for boast
ing. go completely is salvation divine
act that the man who refuses to accent 1t
On Gods terms must perish: there IS no
other wav."
III. The Christian life divine creation
H. 10Y. 10. His workmanship" Instead
Of our being the workers. God is the work
ar and we are the worllmanship--th fact
accomplished. Created The saved soul
Is created anew-a new creation q Cor 3
IL: Gal. G: Is; Eph. 4: "a. Unto good
works" Though we are not saved for
our good works. yet we are saved that we
may perform good works to the glory OF
God and the benefit of man" Good works
are the fruit OF faith. '0rdained-pre-
pared" God has not only created us anew
md given us love for good works. but lie
has actually PREPARED the works for us
to perform. "Walk in them To do good
works will be the established order OF our
ives.