NOTE.—This series of lessons is entitled, “Studies on the Gospel Message.” For Introduction and excellent suggestions as to their study, we refer the student to the Lesson Quarterly.
INASMUCH as the Word of God is the Seed, it follows that whatever is promised by the Word of God is contained in the promise itself. Faith is the act by which we obtain from the Word of God, as a present reality, the benefit of what has not yet been manifested to physical sight. Heb. 11:1, R.V. This is the only basis upon which we can deal acceptably with God. Heb. 11:6. Faith must always deal with the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), regarding the performance as certainly involved in the promise (Rom. 4:20, 21). Thus faith in the promised Seed (Gen. 3:15), whose name was to be called Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), who was the manifested power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24), brought humanity the present experience of the blessings of the Gospel. The Seed, which was Christ or the Messiah (Gal. 3:16), the life of all that lives (John 14:6), was given in the promise of the Seed (Gen. 3:15). In this gift of the Seed of all things was contained germinally the gift of all things, visible and invisible. Col. 1:16, R.V. But the possession of these things depended wholly upon a living faith in the promised Seed. As soon as faith in the word of promise as the Seed, and as containing in itself the things promised, was exchanged for a fleshly confidence in that which is merely outward and visible, the power of the promise was no longer experienced. Even the visible things—the land, the temple, the service—already revealed through faith in the promise, were lost. This is the summary of the experience of God's people during the long centuries of the preparation, and before “the fulness of the time was come.” Gal. 4:4. It was the dealing of men with the unseen things of the kingdom, through their faith in the Word of God, which made possible the experiences recorded in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Abraham's test was to reveal whether his faith rested in the flesh of Isaac as the fulfilled promise of a son in whom the Seed should be called, or whether he still rested only upon the power of the word of promise. Heb. 11:17-19.
All these men of faith believed in the coming kingdom, and lived and died in that faith, altho not yet receiving the kingdom outside of the promise. Verse 13. But this very faith brought to them the power of the kingdom, “the powers of the world to come” (Heb. 6:5), and made the invisible kingdom a reality to them (Luke 17:20, 21). As righteousness is the scepter of the power of the kingdom (Heb. 1:8), believers in the promised Seed as the hope of the restored kingdom shared in the restoring power to save them from sin, and thus became righteous through their faith.
QUESTIONS.
What is contained in every promise of God? Why is this?
What does the Scripture declare faith to be? What present experience results from the proving of things not seen?
Is there any other basis for an acceptable experience with God?
What must be the basis of any genuine faith? What does faith see in a promise of God?
What was the promised Seed afterward declared to be?
How did these blessings become a present reality as soon as the Seed was promised?
What was really given in the promise of the Seed?
In what way could the benefit of this gift be realized?
How may the experience of God's people with His promises before the manifestation of Christ in the flesh be briefly stated?
Of what is the eleventh chapter of Hebrews the record?
What was the supreme test of Abraham's faith?
What brings the experience of the kingdom of God within?
Upon what definite promise must the faith lay hold which results in righteousness?
