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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S Its initiatory rite was circumcision, which signified the purification of the flesh. 1 Pet. 3:21. Some of the axioms of Christianity, however, are, “The car nal mind is enmity against God,” and “They that are in the flesh can not please God”. Baptism accordingly sig nifies the death of the flesh. Col. 2-11. One who confesses Christ by baptism has been said to sign thet death warrant of the natural man which has been issued from the court of heaven.” The similitude of our Lord’s death has been appointed as the permanent vehicle of this confession in order that we may be constantly reminded that we must die to self and sin that we may live to God and unless we die with Him we can not live with Him. By baptism we translate our obedience and faith into thé terms of our Lord’s death and resurrection, and also receive the germs of deep kin dred spiritual truths which unfold and come to fruition in our daily growth in faith, grace and knowledge. THURSDAY, Sept. 25. 1 Cor. 11:23-34. The Lord’s Supper. There is a certain relationship be tween the Lord’s supper and the Jewish Passover as there is between baptism and circumcision. Every covenant among the ancients was sealed by some symbolic act. The new covenant which on God’s side rests on the free gift of salvation and on man’s side on its ac ceptance by faith, has as its symbol in the church this cup which Jesus holds out to His own and which each one freely takes and puts to his lips. The Abrahamic covenant was founded upon blood, Gen. 15:10 and the passover also. Ex: 12:22. The cup represents the blood of the Saviour, the shedding of which is the seal and foundation of the New Covenant. “Christ our pass- over is sacrificed for us.” 1 Cor. 5:7. The typical passover had now reached its goal and the type had passed into the anti-type. There was no longer any reason for its observance. Prospect had become retrospect. The Lord’s supper may seem to be the bond of union be tween the Jewish feast and the heav enly feast which is in the future. Luke 13:29. The spiritual deliverance of which the supper is the memorial, forms the transition from the material deliv erance of Israel to that salvation which is both spiritual and physical which awaits the glorified church. “Therefore let us keep the feast.”
act contrary to nature. Men have not done so before or since successfully and for any length of time. By what power did these early Christians thus triumph over their natural instincts? There is no sin in honest possession. The Jew had a double love for his temporalities. They were a token of Divine favor. When a man’s ways pleased the Lord, his flocks, herds and harvests showed abundant increase. These disciples had the testimony of God’s love in tJTeir hearts and they could afford to dispense with the outward evidence. Christ had given his life for them. They counted it a privilege to give their all to Him. A generous benevolence is the best proof of the presence and working of the Holy Spirit. The community of goods is not authoritative and perpetual be cause there is later apostolic instruc tion where a man’s right to his own is clearly admitted. Acts 5:4. There is no evidence that any other church out side Jerusalem had all things in com mon. Christians are always bound to be generous and unselfish but they are under no obligation to have a common purse. This beautiful picture of the first century has been revised and adapted to twentieth century conditions in the following words, “And the multi tude of those that made profession were of hard heart and stony soul and every one maintained that all the things which he possessed were his very own and they had all things in the fashion. And with great power they gave witness to the attractions of this world and the love of money and great selfishness was upon them all. And there were many among them that lacked love for as many as were possessed of lands bought more and sometimes gave a small part thereof for the public good so that their names were heralded in the newspapers and distribution of praise was made to every man according as he desired.” WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24. Matt. 28:16-20. Baptism and the Great Commission. As a society may embody its cardinal principles and ultimate objects in its initiatory rites, so baptism becomes the door of entrance into the visible church. The value of the ordinances* is seen in their power of bringing truth within the apprehension of all our senses, physical and spiritual. They serve to illustrate the meaning and intensify our experi ence of doctrine. Judaism was a sys tem for the trial of man in the flesh and for his cleansing in his carnal state.
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