Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-05-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson TX. Second Quarter,
For May 80, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

In our last lesson we had q good ad
dress from James at the council O.
Jerusalem, a wise and practical tall
on IN important subject. Now we ar,
to have two lessons from his epistle
There are no contradictions in tn,
Scriptures, for the one Holy Spirit
wrote the whole book. and He canno,
contradict Himself. II the writers 1.-THE
human agencies) seem not quite tc
agree. 1t is because they are talking OF
different aspects Of the same topic
Paul and Peter and James and John
are In perfect accord on salvation by
faith alone. then good works or q con-
sistent life as the evidence of faith be-
fore men and then the glory and the
reward according to our works. In
James, outside the lesson for today, see
the new birth by the word Of God, as
plainly as Peter or John put 1t, in
chapter 1, 1a See the kingdom and
the coming Of Christ in chapters II, s;
W 8. But the burden Of James letter
Is the second aspect of salvation, the
bearing and the doing to the glory Of
God because we are saved.
The first verse in our lesson asks
what benefit can there be IN a faith
that rs a mere SAY 80" or word Of
mouth. See how strong John Is on
that point: HE that saith l know
Him and keepeth not His command
ments Is har." IF a man say love
God and hateth his brother he Is q
liar" Il John II, 4; ~. 20). The same
teaching Ia In lisa. XIX, Is; Eek.
xxxiii. 81. and from our Lord Himself
In Matt. Nv, 8. Behold the Divine
unity Of Scripture. No amount Of mere
Say SOS" can save any one. 1t Is
with the heart that man believeth
unto Righteousness" Rom. Z, 10Y.
Mere talk will never feed nor clothe
any one; therefore John says. Let US
not love In word nor In tongue, but in
deed and In truth" A living faith must
show itself In works, and, II there are
no works as the evidence before men
Of the faith we profess to have, then 1t
iB, as James says, a dead faith, simply
a painted light from which no light
proceeds. 1t IL to be feared that many
who say they believe. believe. as the
demons do. that there is a God and q
Jesus Christ--a mere knowl-
edge of the facts which knowledge
saves no one 1t is the honest reception |
Of Christ that saves. for truly to be-
lieve Is to receive him John 1, 12).
Paul never stated more fully nor |
more simply salvation by faith alone
than James does In verse %, where he
aairms that God imputed righteousness
10 Abraham because he believed This
statement is first found In Gen. xv, @,
and is repeated three times in the New
Instrumentation. ", 3; Gal. Ill, 6. and
here-the Holy Spirit by this fourfold
repetition emphasizing 1t most strong
y. The phrase used of Abraham only,
friend Of God" Is found In two other
places-u Chron. xx. Z; lisa. XII, s.
put see for our own benefit In this con-
lection John ", II, TO- A full and
eternal redemption Is the possession Of
very one who truly receives the Lord
Tesus Christ, and God needs no works
Is the evidence Of this faith, for He
ooks on the heart, but the works are
necessary rs an evidence before men.
nd James nowhere puts this moro
trongly than does Paul In Tit. Ill, 8,
aithful saying which 1t seems almost
to get Christians to repeat,
or my experience has been that X
SIX in a public gathering to have all
epeat q verse beginning This is
aithful saying" they always respond
Nth / Tim. l, 10, and rarely does any
ne touch the one in Titus on good
FORKS. 1t Is somewhat like the two
ohm Ill. 16's.
A life Of self denial and good works
J not popular except with those who :.
ope to win heaven thereby. Real
is as rare as It was with the ,
|eansed lepers Zone In ten), while :
ossible gain seems to be m inspira- S
on. Few believers seem to know that -
10 love Of God, which fully saves US
= the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, also d
It's before US crowns to be won by n
orking for them and which we may
ave to cast at His feet in that day.
, Inc o 20 ,ya ora rap,tpdad tbot J
ials are precious and that those are
essed who endure. for such glorlfy
Cd and Will receive the crown OF life
hich Is only mentioned elsewhere in 4
ev. II. 10. Note Peters strong words =
] enduring In I Pet. H. 1921; ". II,
!. Enduring implies humility and
admission and that we resist the devil,
no hates humility Uas. ", no.
ines Is very strong on another line
service. that Of self remuneration,
hich Paul tells us In | Cor TX, 24-o7, o'
III bring US an incorruptible crown. III
be story Of the crowns Is simply told
a tract entitled Rewards For Serv
e." published by L. & K, box 216 c.
arrisburg. Pm. m
The two illustrations Of faith and
orks given In this lesson, Abraham ~,
ID Rahab, seem to cover all classes q
believers. from the highest 10 the ="
west, and what an encouragement to
en- the worst of sinners to think OF
ing associated with Abraham in the
ngdom (Matt. viii. IL. We are JUST
d before God by faith In Jesus Christ -
t before men by the good works
eparod for US to walk in and which
VI HjmsaIf tviil wOrl, in ua (Enh a