The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-30
UNIFORM SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON.
JUNE l.
"The Place of Faith In the Religious Life"
REV r. d,
Sunday School Mission Board)
JUNE l.

!. lesson ( ''N''
Golden text; Believe in GOO, beheNe
Also in Me. John IA. i.
scntor-Adult Topic The Place OF
Faith in the Religious Life.
Lesson Outline
/ Faith Defined. Hebrews, IL: Ia.
II. Faith illustrated, Hebrews. II: s-4o'
Ill Faith Challenging, Hebrews, ~ A-A'
iNTRODuC TTON. /
Faith. like repentance, is a duty. ano
like repentance. ii is a grace. both re-
pentance and faith adorn the SOU.
They showed the mank OF the oisi"e
hand moulding the soul Tor moral
beauty. But even as repentance is a sa-
cred duty, so also is faith, The father
is worthy OF our faith. Christ deserves
our complete confidence. The HOLY
Spirit may be relied upon for comfort
and teaching without hesNahce oi
doubt And since to withhold thts
faith is an insult to God. IT is PLAINLY
our sacred duty to relate ourselves 10
him by faith
THE LESSON BRIEFLY CONSIDERED.
Faith Defined.
/ The writer OF Hebrews closed the
tenth chapter with a reference to that
begins the chapter with what definition
Of faith II is possible to give. The
word assurance. rendered IN the com
mon version substance, means III
orally a standing under. that when IS
foundation for something to stand upon
Thus faith is the foundation OF the re-
1feIous life As Matthew Henry says,
Faith demonstrates to the eye OF the
mind the reality OF those things that
cannot be discerned by the eye OF the
body" Therein the elders. had witness
horne to them. See the catalog Of the
faithful in verses $40.
Firth Illustrated.
, Though man might by the power OF
reason conclude that every design must
have a designer. and therefore that
back Of the created universe there must
! nave been A great designing intelii-
renee, he could not grasp the truth
that God formed the worlds by the
word of his power. except through faith
which enables him to accept the IN
spired " ord as recorded in Genesis !.
Only two ante -deluvlan characters
are included in the roll call of the
faithful Abel and Enoch. The sacrifice
of Abel was more excellent than Gains.
because il was offered in faith, Some
commentators think Abel's faith took
bold % the idea OF expiation for SIN.
ae later developed in the sacrificial
Ab"i did was suggested by faith in the
heart Jewish tradition holds that FIRE
from heaven consumed Abels sacrifice.
When we read that Enoch was trans
lated, we understand that the LIE which
he lived WAS Pleasing unto God, ari IL
pleasing God was the ground or J IL
translation. "tnoch walked with dob
H. e was in agreement with God and
obeyed his viii The faith Of Enoch
led him to prophecy. saying, "Rehold
the Lord came with ten thousands OF
his holy ones. to execute judgment
upon all. and to convict all the un-
cody OF all their works of ungodliness
which they have ungodlv wrought"
+ Noah and his family were the only
believers in the age in which they lived.
BY reason Of his faithfusness to God
he was divinely warned in vision
AND given instructions concerning the
food and how he to escape it.
Moved with sodlY fear he prepared an
lark to the saving OF his house II
required much faith to proceed with the
J building of the ark in the face OF
gross unteiief upon the part Of his
contemporaries, but his example OF
faith was tn" condemnation Of their
lunbelief and left them without excuse.
( 1t is very probable that Noah
preached to the sinners around him
while he went on with his work war
/ ing them OF the severe destruction that
must come upon them IL they repented
not Compare the preaching OF Jonah
Ahram when called to go into a
Place which he was about to receive
for an Inheritance oheved God because
he trusted God to lead him. BY the
same faith he became a satourner In
ithe land of promise Clearly Abra m 3
| faith went beyond the things Of sight
or earthly attainment and took hold
upon things eternal.
! The promise Of a son by Sarah was
made when Abram was ninety mine
years old and was renewed through the
angels which appeared unto him bytthe
oaks OF manure, The promise was full
filled (Gen. 21:1f.
| All these died in the faith. without
having come into actual possession OF
the promises. but apprehending them
/ afar off. they were enabled to let live
a life OF other worldliness manifesting
that they were seeking country of