Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-03-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
tEssoNXln, FIRST QUARTER, INTERNA-
TlONAL SERIES, MARCH 81.

Text, Cor. XIV, 2O-COmmentary |
Prepared by Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.
copyright, 1907, by American Press Association'I
Having the choice Of an Easter les /
son instead of review of the quarter,
we gladly chose the resurrection story,
though in the review there is resurrec-
ton Also in the cherubim, in Noah ana
his family coming safely through the
waters of judgment to new ear'h' IN
the giving back of Isaac, etc. The
very first assurance of a deliyerer
1Gen. iii. 15) has in it the resurrection
as we'll as the suffering of the de-
liverer.
Instead of taking the verses assigned
as a lesson from this marvellous resur-
rection chapter, we prefer to take the
whole chapter. noticing, to begin With,
the effect that the resurrection OF
Christ when truly received will have
upon the believer-he will be steaulast'
unmovable, always Astounding in the
work of the Lord, knowing that his
labor is never in vain in the LORD
(verse So, because he is ldentlned
with One who is alive forevermore ana
has all power in heaven and on earth.
The first portion OF the chapter, 10
verse 10. states fully the gospel empha-
sizing six of the ten or twelve reSur-
rection appearances Of Christ ana
proving that, apart from His resurrec-
ton. there is no gospel, no salvatlon'
no forgiveness of sins, nothing 10
nreach. The gospel is simply stated IN
verses 3 and 4-Christ died for our
sins He was buried, He rose again the
third day, and all this according 10 the
Scriptures. 1t is written in Acts x TO-
ITO Him give all the prophets Witness
that through His name whosoever be-
ljeveth in Him shall receive remission
of sins" On that great resurrection
dav we read that Christ said 10 the
two with whom He walked 10 EN-
mans "Ought not Christ to have sur
fered those things and to enter into
His glory?" And, beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, He eXpounded un-
to them in all the Scriptures the Things
concerning himself duke xiv, 70 20
The same evening as He went Win
the eleven He Endorsed Moses ana the
nronbets and the psalms and opened
their understanding that they might
understand the Scriptures ana salu'
..Tbus IT is written and thus it be-
hooved Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day and that
renentance and remission or SINS
should be preached in His name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem
IT nike xiv. 44-40. Unless His reSur-
rection means so much to us that we
long TO preach the gospel to every
creature it is evident that we nave
not vet been endued with power from
on high. We must so see Jesus risen
and glorifed that we shall fall to zero
in orr own estimation and learn to say
firmly Not |. but the grace OF Goa,
which was with me" Il Cor. XIV, >, lo)'
Then. as to our message, we must re-
ceive If from God as Paul did verse -.
See also Jer. i, 10; John xii, 40 Ior
ANYTHING that comes merely from our
selves will count for nothing
Then the gospel that does not In
clude the resurrection Of the beleVer
and our subsequent reign with HIM I'LL
| all enemies shall be put under lllm
even death itself, is not full gospel
oversees 21-2S). BY the first Adan
! came sin and death, by the last Adah
came life and resurrection, ana all WIG
are Christ's shall have resurrection
bodies Mt his coming Verse 80. No
tice this whole age, already 1900 years
covered hy the word "afterward," anc
the milennial age covered by the
word then" Of verse "a. The highest
mountain peak of Scripture is in verse
%. in the words, chat God may be al
in all" We may even now in some
measure anticipate that time by let
ting Christ be all in all in us and worf
all in all through us Col iii. II; cor
xii g. While we wait for the king
dom and live to hasten it we shoui'
manifest something of its righteous
ness and Joy and peace in these morta
bodies. the life of Jesus made manltes
in us Rom. xiv, II; II Cor. Nv, 10, III
This will not be apt to be the case un
less we are filled with enthusiasm be
cause of the resurrection glor'es Whicl
await us. most surely believing ant
thus knowing the certainty OF thes
+ things. that our present body or hu
initiation shall be fashioned like unit
His glorious body, that we shall be Xix
Him when we shall see Him as lie
duke i, /, 4; Phil. Iii, 20, q; l job
Iii, p.
There are many believers who seel
70 think that all there is to redemptlo
is preparing us for heaven and gettln
r. us there when the time comes, givin
no thought to the resurrection OF I'd
body, the return of Christ TO reign, tn
restoration of Israel and all associate
4 truths. The sad perversiOn of Scrll
D., ture which teaches that Israel is no.
the church and the church IS the kim
dom may be responsible for this. III
truth is that the church is a compan
of people gathered out of all nation
y while the kingdom will include all nj
tons, with the literal Israel at the cent?
II and Jerusalem the throne of the Lor
:. These sinful natures, even in the be
:. of people. like Nicodemus, cannot 81
q the kingdom of God, uut there must |
u new nature, birth from above (Jot
:, iii. Then these mortal, corrupuD
4 bodies cannot inherit the kingdom, b
O must be changed into immortal, inco
n ruptible ones, either by death ana re
Ie direction or in a moment without d
ID Ing at the coming of Christ oversees .
q 80. There are those who tell us tn
q there is one thing sure-we must
~ debut verses 81 and 80 teach plain
4 that not all shall die or sleep. Coz
~ pare with this l Thess. iv, 16, H. al
m take comfort and comfort others,
IL