September, 1942 •337 INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children's Division , ' Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By H elen F razee -B ower By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c Ç I ain , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind. THB KI NG ' S BUS I NESS
heart (cf. Psa. 14:2, 3; Rom. 8:7; 2 Cor. 4:4). Note especially Lydia’s-will ingness to have her heart opened to the truth (v. 14), her readiness to' be lieve when she heard the truth, and her promptness in accepting the truth as a free gift, when it was offered. Lydia gave abundant proof that she had accepted Christ as her personal Saviour. In her baptism she acknowl edged her death to the old life. She testified to her oneness with other saints'by constraining the disciples to come into her house. And shé showed her willingness to accept ostracism from the world which would result by association witl^ other believers (v. 15). She was “justified freefy by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” '(Rom. 3:24).. III. T he R esults (Rom. 5:1-11) Justification issues in peace, the natural outcome of the removing of everything that could cause conflict (v. if; We should note the difference between forgiveness and justification. Forgiveness is negative and does not change the act, thé record of the àct, or the one who performs the act. Jus tification is positive and cancels the act, clears the record, and clothes the person with the perfect righteousness of Christ. Thus the one who accepts, Christ as personal Saviour stands in God’s sight' in the righteousness of Another, even the Lord Jesus Christ, .as blameless- as though he never had done anything contrary to God’s holy and' perfect will. Hence he is at peace with God and God with him- There can be no degrees in justification, though there may be degrees in the enjoyment of it. There is peace, not because God’s justice a n d holiness have been set aside, but because they have been fully met and satisfied by the death of Christ upon the cross on behalf of the believer. . The justified one is “in Christ” and therefore has access to the grace in which all believers stand, an access that enters within the veil and finds a place in the very presence of the holy God (v. 2). » Furthermore, the justified one be gins at once to experience th e .work of God within him. That work-begins with, tribulations which work patience; patience brings experience', and expe-, rience issues in hope (vs, 3,-4). Hope removes fearfulness and doubt, and their places are taken by the love Of God shed abroad in the heart (v. 5).
OCTOBER 4, 1942 FAITH IN CHRIST AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR A cts 16:11-34; R omans .5 :lai 1»; 1"J ohn 5:1-5
world. All we know and have of the gospel—thpse of, us;living in Western lands—has come as a result of this eyent at the river side. The women who gathered there did not know the true God, but the true God knew them and their dissatisfac tion with their own religion. Thus it was that. Paul and his companions were sent to them because God would answer their, deep heart longings. S Finding the group beside the river, Paul “sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together” (R. V.). From all we k n ow, of Paul’s preaching, we may be certain, of what .he.' would say. He would speak of the darkness of the natural mind, the sinfulness of the natural heart, and the imperative need for Christ’s aton ing work. Paul would tell these women that Christ had come to earth to give a new nature and-a relation ship to God which was to be re- . ceived only by simple faith in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. II. ■ T he P roof (Acts 16(14, 15) . Lydia became the first convert to the gospel in Europe.- From the scene in which she had- such an important part, we learn several vital lessons. In the first place, the natural heart must, be opened by the Lord ip re ceive the Saviour, even though that heart previously maintained an atti tude of some kind of worship. The opening of the heart requires a .yield ed will on the part of the individual with whom God is dealing. In Lydia’s longing and ignorance she was reach ing out after God,. a proof that God had touched her and that she was responding to that touch. He alone knows the darkness of the human BLACKBO ARD LE SSON
A cts 16:13 And on th e sabb'ath We w e n t o u t o f th e c ity by a riv er side» w h ere p ra y er w a s w o n t to ;be m ad e; and w e sa t down»' and sp n k e u n to .the w om ed w h ich rep orted th ith er; / ; , - * 14 And a certa in w on ian nam ed Lydia» a se lle r o f pu rp le, o f th e c ity o f Thyatira» w h ich w orshipped God» heard u s: w h o se h eart th e Lord opened» .that sh e atten d ed u n to t h e ' th in g s w h ich w ere sp o k en o f PauL • •*• 15 A nd w h en sh e w a s baptized» and her household» sh e b eso u g h t us» saying» I f y e h a v e ju d g ed m e to be fa ith fu l to th e Lord» com e'in to ' m y hou se, and abide th ere. And sh e co n stra in ed us. R om an s 5:1 T h erefo re b e in g ju stifie d b y faith» ' w e h a v e pence w ith God th ro u g h o u r.L o rd J e su s C hrist: > 2 B y w h om a lso w e h a v e a c ce ss b y fa ith in to th is g ra ce w h erein w e stand» an d rejo ice in hope o f th e g lo r y o f God* ‘ 3 A nd n o t o n ly so, bu t w e g lo ry , in trib u la tio n s a lso ; k n o w in g th a t tr ib u la tio n w o rk eth p a tien ce; 4'• A nd p a tien ce, ex p erien ce; and e x p érien ce, hop e: 5 A nd h op e m a k eth n o t ash am ed ; b e- c a u se th e lo v e o f God is jshed abroad in our h e a r ts b y th e H o ly G host w h ich is g iv e n Unto us.’ ' ' , 6 For- w h en w e w e re ' y e t w ith o u t «stren gth , in due tim e C hrist died fo r th e u n god ly^ . 7 F o r sca r c ely fo r a rig h te o u s m an w ill one d ie: y e t p era d v en tiire fo r a good m an sdm e w o u ld ev en dare to die* 8 , B u t God com m end eth h is lo v e to w a r d u s, in th a t, w h ile w e w ere y e t s in n ers, C hrist died fo r u s. & M uch m ore th èn , b e in g -n o w ju stifie d b y h is blood , w e sh a ll bé saved ' from W ra th th ro u g h him . 10 F o r .if, w h e n w e w ere en em ies, w e w ere reco n ciled to God by .th e d ea th o f h is Son; m uch m ore, being; reco n ciled , w e sh a ll be. sa v ed b y his,*Hie. . 11 And n o t . o n ly so. but w e a lso jo r in God th ro u g h our Lord J e su s C hrist, by w hom w e h a y e n o w receiv ed th e a to n e m ent. . LESSON T EX T : A cts 16:13-15; R om . 5:1-11. GOLDEN T EX T : “T herefore' b e in g ju s tifie d b y fa ith , w é h a v e p eace w ith God th ro u g h o u r Lord •J esu s C hrist” (R om . 5:1). , ' . ’ - • d e v o t io n a l R e a d i n g : ® ph. 1 : 15 - 23 . Outline and Exposition " I- * T he N eed (Acts 16:13) A S TRULY as the battle oi Water- / \ loo changed the face of Eu- 1 \ rone, so the prayers of a group of women, mentioned, in our lesson for today, changed the’ face of the \Lesson material, is 'based on ouplvnes of ■International' Sunday' School Lessons copyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious.Education and is used by its permission. Scripture portions quoted are .from the King. James .Ver sion unless otherwise stated.]
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