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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
February 1925
O u t l in e S tud ies in tk e Book o f Jud e T. C. Horton
LESSON NUMBER TWO F o r th e benefit of those who have mot seen Lesson Number One, which app eared in the Ja n u ary issue,, we are rep rin ting herew ith, the Outline of the Book: (1) The Called and Sanctified are Saluted, vs. 1, 2. ' (2) The Called are Charged to Con tend fo r th e F aith , v. 3. «(3) The Called are C a u t i o n e d Against th e Creeping Critics, v. 4. •(4) The Certain Judgm en t of th e Apostates, vs. 5-J. «(5) The Corrupting Influence of th e F ilth y D reamers, vs. 8-10. i(6) The Comm itment of th e Cor ru p ters to E te rn a l Doom, vs. 12, ■13. <(7) The Coming of th e Lord to Exe cute Judgm ent, vs. 14-16. '(8) The Caution Against Mockers, vs. 17-19. (9) The Counsel to' th e Saints to Build Up in F aith , vs. 20, 21. <(10) The Classification of Those De serving Rebuke, vs. 22, 23. (11 ) The Comm itment of th e Saints to an All-Wise God, vs. 24, 25. The lesson for th is month is under 4he second. division-B“The Called are Charged to Contend for the F a ith ” , v. 3;-—and this, again, adapts itself 'to the following outline: Jude w rites his epistle to w arn be lievers th a t the enemy is in th eir .midst and th a t th ere is danger in de lay . He urges them to “ earnestly »contend for th e faith which was once fo r all delivered unto th e sain ts.” No new doctrines are to be deliv- icred, for the faith for which we are «to contend has been delivered, “ once tfor all,” to th e saints, by God, «through th e Holy Spirit. I t is a sa cred en tru stm en t. The responsibili tie s are great, and th ere is need of Divine streng th and enabling, which, however, will be freely bestowed - in answ er to the prayer of faith (James 1:5, 6), (1 ) Salvation Designated.. W hat is th e "salvation” for which ■we are to contend? It is fully defined in th e Word of God. It is m an’s g reat need and God’s g re a t supply for th a t need. W hat a ir is to the physical man, the Gospel is to the sp iritual man. It is the life of th e soul. I t is deliverance from the gu ilt and power ■of sin. I t includes redemption of soul :and body,— one Saviour, one way, one faith , uniting all Christians. Nothing can ever take th e place of the Gospel iof Jesus C h rist (1 Cor. 15:3, 4 ): (1) Salvation Designated (2 ) Salvation Denominated (3) Salvation Delivered (4) Salvation Defended
“ F o r I d e liv e r e d u n to y o n f ir s t o f a l l t h a t w h ic h I a ls o r e c e iv e d , h o w t h a t C h r is t d ie d f o r o u r s in s a c c o r d in g to t h e S c r ip tu r e s ; “A n d t h a t h e w a s b u r ie d , a n d t h a t h e ■ro se a g a i n t h e t h i r d d a y a c c o r d in g to t h e S c rip tu re s .* ’ “Christ died fo r our sins.” T h at settles two things: 1. The question of sin: There could be no necessity of Christ’s death excepting for th e fact of m an’s sinful nature. 2. Christ’s d eath on th e cross set tled th e sin question (2 Cor. 5 :2 1 ): “ F o r h e h a t h m a d e h im to b e s in f o r u s w h o k n e w n o s in ; t h a t w e m i g h t b e m a d e th e r ig h t e o u s n e s s o f G o d i n h im .” (Heb. 9:28) “ S o C h r is t w a s o n c e o ffe re d t o b e a r th e s in s o f m a n y ; a n d t o th e m t h a t lo o k f o r h im s h a ll h e a p p e a r th e s e c o n d tim e w i th o u t s in u n to s a lv a tio n .” (1 Cor. 15 :3 ; 2 Cor. 5:15 ) Christ was buried and rose from th e grave the th ird day (Rom. 1:4) “ A n d d e c la r e d to b e t h e S o n o f G o d w ith p o w e r, a c c o r d in g to t h e S p ir it o f h o lin e s s , b y t h e r e s u r r e c t i o n f r o m th e d e a d .” (1 Pet. 1 :3 ; Phil. 3 :10) T h at settles th e question of His Di vine power and the fact of His being alive. It also settles th e question of th e au tho rity of the Scriptures of the Old Testam ent concerning the death and resurrection of Christ. The Gospel is th e power of God (Rom. 1:16) “ F o r I a m n o t a s h a m e d o f t h e G o sp e l o f C h r is t; f o r i t is th e p o w e r o f G od u n to s a lv a tio n t o e v e r y o n e t h a t b e lie v - e t h ; t o t h e J e w f ir s t, a n d a ls o to th e G re e k .” Satan hates it. He will do all w ith in his power to destroy it in our lives. (2 ) Salvation Denom inated This salvation, for which we are to contend is "common.” T h at is,— , th e re is but one way for all (John 14: 6 ) “ J e s u s s a i t h u n to h im , I a m t h e w a y , t h e t r u t h a n d t h e li f e ; n o m a n c o m e th u n to th e F a t h e r b u t b y m e .” “ Salvation is of the Lord” (Jon ah 2: 9) . There is one faith for all who will accept it. There is “ none other name” (Acts 4:11, 12) “ N e ith e r is t h e r e s a lv a tio n in a n y o t h e r ; f o r t h e r e is n o n e o th e r n a m e u n d e r h e a v e n , g iv e n a m o n g m e n , w h e r e b y w e m u s t b e s a v e d .” (T itus i : 4 ) “ T o T i tu s , m in e o w n s o n a f t e r th e c o m m o n f a i t h : G ra c e , m e r c y , a n d p e a c e , f r o m G o d th e F a t h e r a n d t h e L o r d J e s u s C h r is t, o u r S a v io u r.” (2 Pet. 1:1) “ S im o n P e t e r , a s e r v a n t a n d a n a p o s t l e o f J e s u s C h r is t, t o th e m t h a t h a v e o b ta in e d li k e p r e c io u s f a i t h w ith u s th r o u g h th e r i g h t e o u s n e s s o f G o d a n d o u r S a v io u r J e s u s C h r is t.” (3) Salvation Delivered. This Gospel has been a. Comm itted to th e Church. b. E n tru ste d to th e Saints.
“ L e t a m a n s o a c c o u n t o f u s , a s o f th e m i n is te r s o f C h r i s t ,. a n d s te w a r d s o f th e m y s te r ie s o f G o d . “ M o re o v e r, i t is r e q u i r e d in s te w a r d s , t h a t a m a n b e .fo u n d f a i t h f u l .” They are to hold it fast (2 Tim. 1: 13, 14) “ H o ld f a s t th e f o rm o f s o u n d w o r d s , w h ic h t h o u h a s t h e a r d o f m e , in f a i t h a n d lo v e w h ic h is in C h r is t J e s u s . “ T h a t g o o d t h i n g w h ic h w a s c o m m it te d u n to th e e , k e e p b y t h e H o ly G h o s t w h ic h d w e lle th in u s .” The Gospel was delivered to believ-' ers for proclam ation and preservation (2 Tim. 4: 2) “ P r e a c h t h e w o r d ; b e i n s t a n t in s e a s o n , o u t o f s e a s o n ; r e p r o v e , r e b u k e , e x h o r t w ith a l l lo n g s u if e r in g a n d d o c tr i n e .” (2 Cor. 4 :5 ) “ F o r w e p r e a c h ' n o t o u r s e lv e s , . b u t C h r is t J e s u s t h e L o r d ; a n d o u r s e lv e s y o u r s e r v a n t s f o r J e s u s ’ s a k e .” The Gospel was not comm itted to a pope, nor to church ecclesiasts, b u t to the saints, to th e believers. A Chris tia n who does not do all w ithin his power to give th e Gospel to others, is recrean t to th e most solemn tru s t ever comm itted to man. Christ was anointed to preach the Gospel (Luke 4:18) “ T h e S p ir it o f t h e L o r d is u p o n m e , b e c a u s e h e h a t h a n o in te d m e to p r e a c h t h e g o s p e l to th e p o o r ; h e h a t h s e n t m e t o h e a l t h e b r o k e n h e a r t e d , to p r e a c h d e liv e r a n c e to th e c a p tiv e s , a n d r e c o v e r in g o f s i g h t to t h e b lin d , to s e t a t lib e r t y th e m t h a t a r e b r u is e d , t o p r e a c h th e a c c e p ta b le y e a r o f t h e L o rd .” Paul was anointed to preach it (1 Cor. 9:16) “ F o r th o u g h I p r e a c h t h e g o s p e l, I h a v e n o th i n g to g l o r y o f ; f o r n e c e s s ity is la id u p o n m e ; y e a , w o e is u n to m e , i f I p r e a c h n o t t h e g o s p e l.” (4) Salvation Defended. The Gospel must be defended, or “ contended fo r.” It is called here “ the faith ,” i.e., th e tru th concerning salvation; th a t faith which, by the Holy Spirit, unites us to God; the revelation of God to man (1 Cor 1- 23, 24) “ B u t w e p r e a c h C h r is t c ru c ifie d , u n to t h e J e w s a s tu m b l in g b lo c k , a n d u n to t h e G r e e k s f o o lis h n e s s ; “ B n t u n to th e m w h ic h a r e c a lle d , b o th J e w s a n d G r e e k s , C h r is t th e p o w e r o f G o d a n d th e w is d o m o f G o d .” The church has been th e b attle ground for ages. There are no new errors, no new assaults, no new arg u ments against th e faith ; all are old. There is no need to fear th a t God’s Word will fail, or be destroyed; it can not. Men’s opinions change, b u t God’s Word can never change. How shall we contend? By faithful adherence to its precepts; by faith fu l confession of its power; by showing its marvellous symmetry and simplic ity. How 'shall we contend? By refu ting erro r; by praying for its success. Read it; preach it; teach it; live it. God’s Word is a sword— use it! (T h e n e x t le s s o n w ill d is c u s s “ T h e C r e e p in g C r itic s ” , v. 4)
The saints are the custodians, the stewards, of the -“ common salvation” (1 Cor. 4:1, 2)
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