Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-17
Lesson fer March 20
THE cHRlsTlAN's HOPE


LESSON TENT--John 1919: II Cor.
5:l-l0. ! John az. 3.
PRIMARY TOPIC Our Heavenly
Home
JUNIOR TOPIC-Chri&t Preparing a
Home for Christians.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Our Heavenly Home.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
TC-Beauty and Power Of the Chris
tian's Hope.
|. Assurance Of Heavenly Home
Ono. l4:1-3).
The announcement concerning the
death of Christ, accompanied with the
shaping of events which poinsed to a
speedy accomplishment of the same.
shattered the disciples, hope The
Lord told them that He was going
away and that they could not follow
Him. This brought great grief to
their hearts. they perhaps began TO
doubt His MessiahslIip but He did not
leave them comfortless.
J. He asked them to believe and
trust in Himself as God (v. -.
'Ye believe IN God, believe also In
me" Faith III the Goldman Christ
Jesus, will steady the heart, no mat
Ter how great the sorrow or intense
the grief. If we will but place the
cares and burdens of life upon Him
our tears shall be turned into joy and
our despondency transformed into a
radiant hope.
.. He assured them that He was
going to prepare place for them In
His Fathers house ~ y. He assured
them that that place would have an
abundance Of room, for there were
many mansions" i'll His Fathers
house. We should iearn from this that
heaven il not an imaginary place. It
Is a prepared place for prepared
people
8. Tie assured them that He would
come again and escort them to heaven
". 80.
Jesus win not wait for His own 10
come to Him, but win personally come
back TO the earth and calf forth from
the graves those who have died in the
faith Il Thess. .4:l6. ~, and trans
form living believers and take them
all to be with Himself in the heavenly
home for evermore. When He said, II
will come again" He no doubt meant
His personal, bodily and literal return
to this earth.
H. Assurance OF the Resurrection Of
the Body III Cor 5:1-l0). That which
nerved Paul for his conflict even when
physical death threatened was the as
surance that even such violence would
but hasten his presence with the Lord.
AS he faced the uncertain future he
was sure
/. That his present body was only a
tabernacle, tent in which he lived
temporarily ". -. Though this tent
were destroyed he had nothing to fear,
as there was building to take its
place. This house which Is to take
the place Of the tent is
"a From God.
(2) Not made with hands.
(3) 1t Is eternal.
Our natural body at best crumbles
to dust in about three score and ten
years, hut the resurrection body shall
abide forever.
% 1t Is TO be lin the heavens"
2. He earnestly longed for the
change wv. "a. The human person
atty instinctfveIy shrInks from state
Of disembodiment, but the intelligent
Christian earnestly longs for the er
change OF the natural body for the
spiritual We long 10 put on the per-
lshable and take on the imperishable.
3. This plan was wrought by God
(v. 81.
God did not fashion the body for
death but for life. God is not the God
Of the dead but OF the living.
4. Believers should be OF good cour-
age wv. 6-S).
While we live in this body we are
absent from the Lord, but because Of
the Holy Spirit dwelling within us,
we confidently walk by faith, being
more anxious 10 be absent from the
body and present with the Lord.
5. The believers chief concern in
this life should be to please the Lord
wv. -, lUJ.
Nothing matters-health, sickness,
strength, weakness, came or obscurity,
friends or loneliness-proyided at the
end Of the journey we hear the Lords
'.well done, good and faithful servant"
III. Giorified With the Lord q Jno.
%. 81.
We are now Gods children. but the
change which awaits the resurrection
has not come yet. When 1t comes it
will reveal our wonderful future.
When the Son Of God shall be mani
fest we shall be like Him in glory
When Christ shall come again the
saints Shall share His glory. This glo-
rious hope will transform the life. The
one who has it will keep himself pure
even as He is pure.