Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18
BY REV. HUGH t. STEVENSON.

BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
Grace is word that grows in the
New Testament. Its germs are found
in the Old Testament. Last week, in
the study of "sin and Its Conse-
Quences,'' the earliest evidence of
Gods grace was seen in the promise
of the Savior to the sinful pair in the
Garden of Eden. In the hour when
sin had filled the earth with it's cor
ruption and judgment was inevitable,
because men had refused the offer of
grace. God bestowed upon Noah the
unmerited favor of salvation, because
of the faith and obedience that Noah
had exhibited. Grace opens up to hu-
mainly the very heart of God. In fact.
it transcends love, for. as DR.. Dale
points out. 1T is love which, after full
filling the obligations imposed by law.
has an exhaustless wealth of kind.
ness
Gods choice of Israel was an act If
grace His response to the cries of
their affliction was an exhibition of
grace. After the apostasy of the
soiden calf and the infection of pun
1shment, Moses succeeded in his n1aa
as mediator. for the restoration Of
the covenant relations. when he spoke
OF grace because they were "a stir
necked people. That plea won the
assurance OF Gods presence during
the journey and rest at the end 70.
His servant. Gods grace to summit
the daily needs and the promise ~
glory ought to satisfy any man. God
denied the request of Moses, who
p,aseo mat ne might behold Gods
glory. although He gave unto him
partial vision of Jehoyah,s ~ !"
ness. orisnt-
moses never reported what he sau,
put ne did record what he heard. when
the Lord preached what I,uthar hen
aptly termed the sermon ahout ts
name of God" In ten words is oo,.,
pacted the character of God. "The
LORD. the Lord God, merciful and
IN cnodn Iohg.sunering. and abundant
IN soooness and truth, keeping mercy
Tor thousands. forgiving iniouity and
transsreSSlon and sin, and that will
by no means clear the guilty: visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the
Ghiioreh ana upon the children's chill
uren. unto the third and to the fourth
generation Even in this revelation
OF GOD as seen in His moral government
IL should be noted that the love of God is
regarded as far SURPRISING His jealousy
and His anger; though God punisbad
the wicked unto the third and fourtb
generation, He shows mercy to the
thousands, to those who love Him and
keep ms commandments. However if
is only in the life. labor and lessons
OF the Lord. Jesus. that one beholds
the Suilness and the richness of the
grace of God, who. looking down upon
the undeServing., sinful world took the
initiative in the gift of the Savior to
men. In the human life of the Master
the grace of God was revealing tn man
the Fathers love as the source of their
SALVATION.
Il. the grace of Christ is revealed
the downward stoop and reach of Gods
love. Paul used the word translated
grace more than any other writer, He
and all the writer's of the New Tesla
inent recognized that the incarnation
OF Jesus was stupendous condescen-
sion on the part of God. I'VE know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
that though He was rich, yet for your
sakeS He became poor, that through
His poverty We might become rich"
The fmpoveriShment of God was the
enrichment of men. The grace of God
revealed in the human life of the Lord
taught men the real value of life and
the sacredneSS of time. He sanctified
the home and the cradle. He dignified
labor and the workshop, He hallowed
friendship. He honored marriage. He
beautifled the mechanics grind and He
empearled the sweat of mans daily
struggle. He ushered in a new day for
humanity. His grace has inspired men
81 their plans for social betterment be-
cause the salvation that He provided
through grace called for life of serv-
ice. that would glorify God and aid
humanity.
Tho gospel of the grace of God was
seen in the ministry of Jesus. who
came not to be ministered unto but