The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-05-15
LESSON FOR MAY 10.
Il a OF eoD.

. LESSON TEXTS y Ephesians a:4-les
GOLDEN TExT-we believe h a
through the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ we shall be saved. even as they.
Acts 1911.
ADDITIONAL MATER1AL-Genesis 9.
!: 3 Cor. N:9; John 1:16, II; I Cor. 15:10;
James 4:e: ! Peter 4:10; 2 Peter S:1s.
Grace means unmerited favor. Gods
grace means his kindness toward us
through Jesus Christ. (Eph. y2:7.)
Gods mercy does not go out to men be-
cause they are good but because he.
is good and desires to bestow that
goodness upon lost and ruined men In.
order to make them good.
I. The Grace of God In Salvation
(Eph. 2:4-10.)
Grace brings salvation; 1t does not
send it. Jesus Christ, who is the m
bodiment Of Gods love and grace,
came bringing salvation with him. In
order to apprehend what the grace Of
God has done, observe:
1. Mans natural state (Eph. 2:1-3)-
In the natural man is found all that is
opposed to the will and purpose OF
God. ny Dead in trespasses and
sins ". ~. The supreme need Of the
dead man is life, therefore he must
have life from without himself. The
characteristic Of one who is dead is
that he is GAY without sensation
past feeling" (4:19.) The natural
man, therefore, can neither love God
o hate sin until he is made alive
(h) Without motion. Activity is the
demonstration of life. So far as God
and holiness are concerned they are
motionless. They are as helpless as
Lazarus was in the grave: (2) Under
the control Of fleshly and worldly lusts
". o.. The carnal nature holds sway
over their lives. (3) Under the domi-
nation of Satan ". p. All unregen-
crate men and women are ruled by Sa-
tan. Since he is the god Of this age
e Cor. 4:4), the prince of this world
(John 12:31), all who have not been
freed by Christ are under the rule Of
Satun. ~ Under the condemnation
and wrath Of God ". 81. Over all
these-death, worldliness, disobedi-
ence., lust Of the 1esh-hangs the
wrath and condemnation of God.
2. Mans state by grace (2:4-1O).
ny He is alive in Christ ". 81. The
Holy. Spirit lays hold upon men dead
In sin and quickens them into life.
(2) Raised up with Christ ". g..
Gods grace not only makes lost men
alive but raises them up with Christ.
(3) Association with. Christ in glory
w. 81. Christ's incarnation has so
Identified himself with the race that
those who are saved are raised up to
be with Christ and shall ultimately
share his glory. The actuating prin-.
ciple of God which moved him to thus
lay hold upon lost men is his love
". ~. Mans salvation is due entirely
to Gods grace. Not only the salvation
has been provided in grace but the
faith which appropriates it is Gods.
gift ". 81. Works as grounds of SAL
walton are absolutely excluded.
(4) The purpose Of God in the saliva
ton IF men wv. Z, 10Y. (a) It is to
display his grace in the coming ages,
T1e demonstration to the inhabitant,
OF tfn: spheres in which sin has NOT
entered. in the ages to come, will be
the transformation Of dead and lost
men and their exaltation with Christ.
ID, To glorify God through their good
WORKS ". 10: Ct. Matt. $3.50. While.
good works have absolutely no part in
the salvation of men Gods purpose In
saving them was that they might do
good works.
H.: The Grace Of God In Right Liv-
ing (Titus 2:11-14).
Grace is not only essential to SAL
walton but essential to right living. II
teaches saved men (1) to deny ungod-
Illness ". 12). The saved man has
the divine nature. The grace which
has saved him teaches him the neces-
sity OF a denial of everything that il
opposed to God. (2) Worldly lusts,
". 12). The redeemed man is sur.
ounded with the things of the WORLD
Which have a downward pull upon
him. The grace Of God teaches him
to renounce them. (3) Sober living
". 12). The grace of God teaches
M saved man self-control; to have
the reins of his nature we'll in com
mand and to rule with q strong hand
() Righteous living ". 12). The
grace of God teaches the saved mar
to live uprightly with reference tc
those about him. (5) Cody living
". 12). 1t teaches him to SO live In
this present world as to enable him
to meet God and abide in his fellow.
ship. (6) It teaches the right mo,
tive in living wv. Is, 49,. The blessed:
hope of the glorious return of the
: Lord Jesus Christ is the grand .incen
tive to holy living in this nrasanr