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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1939
of Christ a sacrifice for sin, but it was a substitutionary death as well. "Christ. . . suffered . . . , the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18) in such a way that the believer may say, “I have been crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). Justification is a present possession of all who believe: faith is the only condition for receiving it. There are no degrees in justification; no one can be more justified than another in God’s sight, although some may enjoy what they possess more, than others do. The law could never bestow such a possession; justification is wholly of grace through faith. III. T he I mportance (1 Cor. 15:19-22) If Christ had not been raised from among the dead, Christians would be of all people the most miserable. But Christ is risen and become the firstfruits of them that sleep. The word “sleep” is used here to mean the death of the believer. In the case of Old Testament sacrifices, when the harvest was brought in, the sheaf was waved be fore the Lord. It was the pledge that the harvest was ready, the acknowledgment that the harvest belonged to God, and the guarantee that the harvest would be like the firstfruits. Translated into New Testa ment language, our Lord’s resurrection and ascension were the presentation of the sheaf of firstfruits to God. Our Lord Himself is the pledge that the harvest is ready; He is the acknowledgment that the harvest be longs to God, and He is the guarantee that the entire harvest will be like the first- fruits. As He was raised from among the dead, so the sleeping believers will be raised, and then conformed to His image in body and soul and spirit. W e that are in this earthly body do “groan . . . wait ing for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:23; cf. 2 Cor. 5:1-8). By man we were brought to death; by Man likewise we are brought to life. The assurance of the bodily resurrection of the Christian rests upon the fact of the bod ily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Points and Problems 1. "O f this m an s seed" (Acts 13:23). The “man” referred to is David, as is made clear in the preceding verse. Notice there fore the accuracy of the Holy Spirit in His choice of words to describe the human origin of our Lord. He is not “of this m an" but rather “of this man’s seed." This expression seems to be the guarded lan guage of inspiration, and it becomes in the New Testament almost a technical expres sion in referring to the origin of Christ’s human nature (cf. Rom. 1:3 and 2 Tim. 2: 8 ). The expression affirms the Davidic an cestry of Mary beyond all doubts, for Joseph had nothing to do with Christ’s birth into the world. 2. “They knew him not, nor yet the voices o[ the prophets" (v. 27). To hear the voice of the Old Testament prophets will bring us to know Christ. And to know Christ will make us respect and recognize the divine inspiration of the Old Testa ment. Men cannot hold to Christ and re ject the prophets. “Had ye believed Moses,” Christ Himself warned, “ye would have believed me. . . But if ye believe not
his Writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:46, 47). The blindest men today as in Christ’s day, are often the men who have given their lives to a technical study of the Old Testament. This is not intended as a warning against such study, but it should warn us that it is not sufficient in itself. Mere scholarship without the hum ble and believing heart is worse than nothing. Such knowledge only “puffeth up." Even the babes in Christ may have more spiritual discernment than the “wise and the prudent.” 3. “But G od raised him from the dead" (v. 30). This is God’s answer to all of proud man’s rebellion and devices. When they had Christ sealed in the tomb, the ene mies of the Lord felt they had put an end to this troublesome movement. "But God" —they had left Him out of consideration. They forgot what men are forgetting today, that you cannot write the final chapter of anything that God is behind. No matter how carefully they may indite the last pe riod, it always turns out to be a mere com ma, and the sentence reads on— "But God." Hitler thinks today, as others have thought before Hitler was bom, that the chosen na tion can be blotted out— "But God." And it will always be so. Charles V II, who deserted Joan of Arc, was advised by a courtier to destroy the black marble monument raised over the re mains of the great English Duke of Bed ford, who died at Rouen after years of rule as regent for Britain in French territory. He replied, “Let him repose in peace, and be thankful that he does repose; were he awake, he would make the stoutest among us tremble.” Similar is the reason that infi dels, worldlings, and sin-lovers want to for get that Christ is risen (1 Cor. 15:20). The thought makes them tremble at a reckoning day (Rev. 1:7).— WOO Tales W orth Tell ing, by P ickering . A Glad, Glad Day A cts 13; 1 C orinthians 15 Memory Verse: “The Lord is risen in deed” (Lk. 24:34). Approach: Today is Easter Sunday, the glad, glad day that we celebrate to remind us of the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. This was the Golden Text Illustration 1 C orinthians 15:20
sinned. He told how He kept His promise and sent Jesus, His Son; how Jesus came and lived on this earth; how the very ones that He came to save would not believe that He was the Promised One, but instead delivered Him up to be killed; how He died on the cross and was buried; and how He rose on the third day and later returned to heaven; how through Him we have for giveness of sins. Paul warned them to be lieve in Christ, the only W ay for them to reach heaven. Ever since the time when Jesus left this earth. His followers have been telling this story that Paul told at Antioch and have been asking people to believe it. Do you believe it today?
Object Lesson T he R ed -H eaded T wins
Objects: Two matches with red tips, a strong magnet covered with white paper, a jewel box, a piece of white silk, and a piece of black cloth. (Push a needle out of sight in one of the matches.) Lesson: Are there any twins here this morning? I have brought some, Tim and Tom Match. They are both red-headed, and look very much alike. They are not alike, however. Christ, speaking of the time when He should return, said, “There shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Lk. 17:34, 35). We shall let this white magnet represent Christ when He returns. Tim Match goes to meet the magnet. There is something on the inside of this match that loves the magnet. Tim repre sents those who have accepted Christ as Saviour. Tom Match is not attracted by the magnet at all. Those who have not accepted Christ will not be caught up to meet Him when He comes. W e will light these matches and let the flame go out, to remind us of those who die before Christ returns. W e will place these dead matches in this little box which looks like a casket. When Christ returns, the graves of Christians are to be opened and their bodies are to come out and to be caught up to meet Christ. He said, "Be- BLACKBOARD LESSON • but nouj is cwrist riseti fpoiti the dead , ADD BECOiTIETHE FIR5TFR.UIT5 OF THFJ71 THAT SLEPT' ic o r irz o
glad story w h ic h Paul set out now to tell. L e s s o n S t o r y : Sometime after Paul became a Christian, God called him to go on journeys into other countries to tell other nations the good news. Paul and his friend, Barnabas,
set out together. First they went to the island of Cyprus, sixty miles out in the sea. Then they crossed to another part of the mainland to a city called Antioch. Here Paul went into the synagogue and preached to the people a sermon about the resurrection of Christ. He told how kind and forgiving God had been to the chil dren of Israel long ago when they had
'A COWl OF UJUEFIT- IF IT DIE. IT bRinGETU FORTH rhUCH FRUIT'jonn 12 : 2 *
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