Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-05-29
mPRovED UNRcRM MrERrATIoHM
SUNlSOOOL
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LESSON 4
tBy REV. P. s. FITZwATER. D. D..
Teacher of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.l
Copyright, 1919. by Western Newspaper uni0h.)
LESSON FOR JUNE /.
FAITH, WHAT 1T is AND WHAT
1T DOES.

FAITH, WHAT 1T is AND WHAT
1T DOES.
LESSON TExTS-Hebrews 11:1-4o; IL:
/,
GOLDEN TEXT-Ye believe in God, be-
lieve also in me.-John l4:1
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Matt 85-
IS; Mark 2:1-12; Rom. 1:16-17; S:2l-So; 81;
! John "a.
PRIMARY Topic story Of Man Who
Believed in Jesus. John 9:1-3S)
JUNIOR TOPIC-Heroes of Faith.
INTERMEDIARY ToPIC-The Victory
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-The
Place of Faith in Religious Life.
In Hebrews, chapters ITO the
grounds of faith are clearly set forth.
In this lesson its nature and glorious
triumphs are displayed.
/. The Nature of Faith I'll :1-3).
/. Faith is the eye of the soul, en-
aiding it to see the invisible ". y.
1t is not merely intellectual assent to
that which commends itself as being
reasonable, but it is the souls attitude
toward God.
2. Faith seizes the things of the
future and lives and walks in their
power in the present ". -.
8. 1t enabled the "elders" to obtain
a good report w. y. 1t made Gods
promises SO living and real to them
that it became the dominant force in
their lives.
4. Faith enables us to understand
how the worlds were made ". ~. No
man was present when God made the
worlds, so the foundation for our
knowledge is the Word of God. The
one who has faith wholly believes
that Word.
II. The Triumphant Victories Of
Faith III :4-3S).
/. Faith of the antediluvian saints
(vv. AZ. AS representative of this
period three men are pointed out:
(a) Abel (v. ~, who displayed his
faith in his worship. lie took his
| place before God as a sinner and Of
| fered a bloody sacrifice, thereby show
| Ing that he looked forward to Christ's
atonement. which is substitutionary-
life for life. (b) Enoch. who dis
! played his faith in his walk in fell
lowship with God ~ 81. (c) Noah,
| who by faith stood loyal to God Ia a
time of universal apostasy and wick
nedness ". ~. Noah'S task was a
stupendous and difficult one. He exc
| cuted it in the face of many a sheer
and taunt, but his faith carried him
through, securing salvation for him
self and his family.
| .. Faith of the Hebrew saints wv.
s-3S). (a) Abraham wv $40, 17-19).
Abraham went out not knowing
whittier he went but he knew that
the Lord mad spoken and that was
! enough. BY faith he offered up Isaac,
believing that God was able to raise
him up from the dead and fulfill his
promise that in Isaac the promised
seed should obtain. (b) Sarah through
faith received strength to conceive
seed when she was old, counting him
faithful who had promised wv. II, 12).
/ (c) Jacob by faith pronounced a
prophecy concerning Joseph's sons
". Ply BY faith he penetrated the
unseen and pronounced destinies
which should be experienced by them
both. (d) Joseph by faith foresaw
the entrance of his people into the
promised land and made them swear
to carry his bones there for burial
for even his body must not be LEFT
behind in the land of judgment anC
death (v. 22). (e) Moses wv. 23-2S)
Faith in the hearts of his parents
caused them to disregard the king
decree. Faith caused him to turn hi:
back upon the honors of Egypt anC
identify himself with his enslaveC
brethren.
III. Faiths Grand ExempIar ~
1, p.
Christ taking upon himself human
nature and passing through the trial
of life to triumphant goal is tn,
supreme example for U.S. Those VIII,
fix their eyes upon him will % la.
aside every weight. To run with sue
cess all burdens must be cast off
. Things which may not be sinful il
I themselves, if they impede on
! progress must be laid aside. (2) La
aside the sin which doth so easil
beset us. (3) Run with patience tn
j race set before us. az Looking unit
III Jesus. Our eyes must be steadfastl
i fixed upon him. Having him as on
: example we will endure the cross. T
follow Jesus means suffering an
{ trials.
Love as a Word.