Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-07-04
IMPROVED UNIFoRM INTERNATIONAL
SUNDGYSQlOOL
LESSON
(By REV. T. 3. F1TZWATER. d. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
Copyright, 1915 Western Newspaper
Unioml
LESSON FOR JULY 7
BEGINNING the CHRISTIAN LIFE


ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERS-Aets 2:S7-47; $3.50; Romans
Sill.
PRIMARY TOPIC--Loving and trusting
Jesus.-John 1851.
MEMORY VERSE-We love because he
first loved us.-I John 4;19.
!. How Lydia Began the Christian
Life wv. 1870.
Lydia was the first convert to
Christ in Europe. Hers was a typical
conversion. Note the steps therein:
i. Attendance at the place of pray
er ". 49,.
The accustomed place here was at
the river side. The accustomed place
today is In church. God can and does
save men and women without any
seeming connection with places of es-
tablished worship. but he appears to
most people at such places. The very
fact that he has established and sus-
tains churches here and there Is an
urgent call to all men and women to
place themselves in the way of saliva
ton. While no one can save himself,
yet all can put themselves in the way
OF salvation by attending church, read
ing the Bible, etc.
.. Listening to the preaching of the
Word of God wv. 49, AZ.
Paul took advantage of the oppor-
tunity which was given him by the
assemblage of this group of devoted
women to preach Christ to them. He
was alert for and priced highly the OPP
portunity to tell the people about
Christ. He knew also how perllous
+ 1t was to neglect to witness for Christ
at a time when unsaved people are
/ together The opportunity is Gods
call to preach Christ.
/ 8. Her heart was opened by the
Lord ". 40.
/ The Individual may place himself
i in the way of salvation by coming
near TO the means of grace, and the
preacher may preach the Word of God,
but there is no hope Of salvation until
the heart IS opened by the Lord tJohn
GA 45). While the salvation Of
every one Is dependent upon this SOW
ereign act of the Lord, yet we can be
sure that he is willing at all times to
do this for those who, like Lydia,
place themselves in the way of his
saving grace.
j 4 She was baptized. (y. 15).
! This ordinance follows belief in
! Christ. The invariable rule in the
early church was for believers to be
/ baptized While there is no salvation
in tile water Of baptism, vet hearty
obedience should be rendered in this
respect (Acts 2:38-41 Up; Mark 10
i1G). Lydia brought her household TO
Christ. This is as II should be. She
showed signs of the new life, in that
she expressed gratitude toward those
who had been instrumental in her con
/ version ". 15) by constraining them
to share the hospitality of her home.
H. How the Philippian JaiIer Be-
gan the Christian Life wv. 25-3D.
/. The occasion (vv %, 26).
/ The casting out of the spirit of di-
vnation from the damsel landed Paul
and Silas in prison. The pain Of bleed
ing backs, and of feet in stocks, kept
ghem from sleeping; but not from
praying and singing. The Lord heard
their prayers and sent an earthquake
which shook the jail, opened the doors
of the prison, and loosed the bonds
from the prisoners hands.
| g The method wv. 27-34).
% Visitation of the supernatural
wv. 27-29). The jailer was awakened
from his sleep by the earthquake. This
earthquake was unusual In that it
loosed the bonds from the prisoners
hands. In his desperation the jailes
was about to commit suicide. This
was averted by Paul's assurance that !
all were safe. The fact that the doors |
We're opened and the prisoners free
and yet no one escaped, showed him
that something unusual had occurred. |
Therefore, he came trembling and |
Frustrated himself before Paul and
Silas.
~ The great question ". 30). In |
the presence Of the supernatural he |
cried out, "What must | do to be saw
ed?" Ones salvation is not far off |
when he utters this cry with sincerity. |
80 The vital answer wv. 81, 32).
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, \
is the only way to be saved. |
(Acts 4:12). Though the way |
of salvation is restricted, it is simple |
and easy. No one who has believed |
on Christ has failed to receive it. The
iailer's faith was not blind faith, for
they spake unto him the word of the
Lord, and to all that were in his house.
They were taught the meaning Of be-
lief in Christ
az The evidence Of a transformed
life wv. 80, 34)
(a) He was baptized ". 33). AS
soon as one believes on Christ he
wants to be baptized
90 He tenderly washed the stripes
of Paul and Silas, showing that he
was no longer the brutal jailer ". 3H.
(c) He rejoiced ". 34). The one
who really accepts Christ is filled with