October, 1934
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some of the things that God tells us in His Word are good for us to do, and some
God’s part in the Christian life, while verses 5 to 8 speak of our part in the Christian life. It is God who supplies the “precious faith” of verse 1, the “grace and peace” (v. 2), the “all things” (v. 3), and_ the “exceeding great and precious promises” (v. 4). 3. But what is our part? The Author ized Version seems to suggest that we are responsible for a kind of mathematical process— "add to your faith virtue” (v. 5). The idea would seem to be that we begin with a bare “faith” ; then we are to somehow get hold of “virtue” and “add” it to what we already possess, and so on down the list. Such an idea is wholly foreign to what Peter really wrote. The Christian life is not a mechanical process of addition. It is a growth. As a matter of fact, the Christian can add nothing to what God gives. What we can do is to grow. It is not “add to your faith virtue” but “in your faith supply virtue,” etc. In other words, the “precious faith” with which the believer begins his life, and which is the gift of God, contains in germ all the essential elements of holy Christian living. It is the seed out of which all the other virtues grow. 4. Notice that the list begins with faith and ends with love. If faith is the seed, love is the flower of the Christian life. The modernists try to grow the Christian life upside down. They exhort us to begin with “love.” Golden T ext Illustration A story is told of a young couple that were married when quite young, the bride being above the average height and rather stout, while the groom was very slim and undersized in every way. Half a score of years passed, during which she gained while he rather lost flesh. One day there arose a sharp controversy between them, the husband insisting that the wife ; do something which she flatly declined doing, adding that she would like to see him make her. “Now look here,” said the husband, “when we were married, didn’t you prom ise to obey me?” “Yes,” retorted she, scornfully looking him over from head to foot, “but I ex pected you to grow.” No doubt she had other than mere physi cal stature in mind. Verily, blessed are they that grow, for thus they shall never shrink.— Christian Endeavor World. When Jesus Was a Boy L u k e 2:42-52 Memory Verse: “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was sub ject unto them: . . . And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Lk. 2:51, 52). Approach: Last week we talked about
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of the things that are wrong for us to do. Today’s story tells us about the kind of boy that the Lord Jesus was when He was he r e on earth. From learn ing about Jesus, we may know what sort of child God expects us to be. Lesson Story: The
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Spirit’s power within. “Patience” means endurance which permits continuance in the experiences met as we live out the truth. “Godliness” me ans reverence. “Brotherly kindness” (Gr., “love of the brethren”) means love of other Christians -—an affection that is not limited by what these believers may be or do, but that is influenced by the realization that they also belong to the Lord and one day will be con formed to His image. “Charity” (love) means love to all mankind. Such love was manifested by God when he “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). When these graces are present and abounding in any Christian’s life, the first result of Christian growth will be evi denced, for “they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful i in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8). The word “barren” really means “to be idle.” When the virtues mentioned by Peter abound in the life of any believer, that one will always be about the Father’s business, abounding in the work of the Lord, and his life can never be an “unfruit ful” thing. Under these conditions, there will be something to show for one’s life at the judgment seat of Christ; and in the meantime, there will be a constant deepen ing of fellowship with the Lord and a con stant increasing of joy in the daily life. Such growth will come only by continual meditation upon the Word of God, fol lowed by full obedience to its precepts. Without the Word, there will be barren ness and formality, dissatisfaction and dis content, and a poor recommendation to others to become Christians. Points and Problems 1. The key to the right understanding of 2 Peter 1 :5-8 is found in the first part of verse 5, and it should be read in the American Revision. “Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all dili gence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge.” 2. The reader will notice especially the three words, “on your part." Using this idea as a point of contrast, it is possible to divide the whole section of verses 1 to 8 into two parts. Verses 1 to 4 speak of
Bible doesn’t tell us very much about what Jesus did from the time He was a baby until He was twelve years old. We only know that He lived quietly at home with His parents, in the city of Nazareth. We know j ust this about H im : The Bible says: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.” When Jesus was twelve years old, He went with His parents to the feast of the passover, a great religious feast which was held each year at Jerusalem. To Jesus, it was a wonderful thing to go into the tem ple, God’s house. In the temple were the teachers who knew so much about God’s Word. Jesus wanted to learn all that He could from them—to sit in their midst, listening to them and asking them ques tions. He was so interested that He stayed right on after the feast of the passover was over and the great company of people had started home. After a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph missed Jesus. They turned back to Jeru salem, and there they found Him in the temple. Jesus was growing up, and He knew that it was time for Him to be doing His heavenly Father’s business—and He knew that the place to learn was in the church. We know that God was pleased with what Jesus did, because the Bible says that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Object: A deflated football. Lesson: How many like to kick a foot ball ? Do you think you could kick this one very far? No, it is a lazy ball, and needs air in it. We will put a little air in it and see if it will help. It still needs more air, for it does not respond when I bounce it. Christian boys and girls are often very much like this football. It is hard for their Sunday-school teacher to get them to respond. They seem lazy and indifferent. The reason for this condition is that they have not obeyed the words of Peter: “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” As the football grows, it becomes more useful. It is the same in the Christian life. The more a boy or girl grows in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, the better he or she can serve God. Much is said in these days about devel oping the body, but very little is said about
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