LESSON I.—SABBATH, APRIL 1, 1893.
By Editor
WITH this lesson the Sabbath schools are introduced to a new series on the subject of the coming of the Lord. This series will continue three months. In the study of these lessons it is expected that the pupil will make an effort to commit the leading texts so as to repeat them without the Bible. It will be well to study the historical extracts until the substance of them can be readily given. As the day of the Lord is drawing near, those who are looking for him should be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them. To do this means more than to point the hearer to the text in the Bible. It means that the believer is filled with that word, until it flows fresh from the mind. We should not be satisfied when we have looked up the texts that are given in the lessons, but should let these texts lead us to others in the same subject. If the student will do this, the study of the coming of the Lord will be a profitable study.—EDITOR. Lesson Scriptures and Suggestive Questions.
1. In whom do we have redemption? "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:24. 2. What is the signification of the term? See note 1. 3. What did man lose by the fall? "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned." Rom. 5:12.
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2:17. 4. When man was created, what was given to him? "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. 1:26. 5. To whom did he surrender this dominion? "And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them; for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." Luke 4:6. 6. Then what needs to be done that man may be brought back to God's original plan? See note 2. 7. What is Christ made to believers? "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 1:30. 8. What does Jesus say of his own existence? "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Rev. 22:13. 9. What signification has the expression "alpha and omega"? See note 3. 10. What is the first step in the work of redemption? "In whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." Eph. 1:7. 11. Through whom does the forgiveness of sins come? "And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21.
"Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins." Acts 13:38. 12. When sins are pardoned, how does it affect the sinner's past life? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous319to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. 13. How does the Lord look upon the forgiven one? "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin." Rom. 4:7, 8. 14. What does forgiveness or justification bring? "Being therefore justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." Rom. 8:1. 16. What has Christ given to everyone whom he has redeemed from sin? "Who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Cor. 1:22.
"In whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,—in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Eph. 1:13. 17. Of what is this Spirit an earnest or pledge? "Which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory." Eph. 1:14. 18. To what time are believers sealed? "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30. 1. THE original word from which our word "redemption" comes is defined by Bullinger as "the act of freeing or releasing; deliverance; redemption for one from guilt and punishment, brought about by expiation. Deliverance from the guilt and punishment of sin, and applying to the whole being, deliverance of the soul from sin, and the body from the grave." 2. IN listening to the words of Satan man lost his innocence, his life, and his dominion. In this he fell under condemnation. Before he disobeyed, he was innocent, or free from condemnation. In Rom. 5:16 we read that condemnation came upon man by sin. As soon as he transgressed, he showed his loss of innocence by hiding himself (Gen. 3:8, 10), and trembled when he heard the word of the Lord. This condemnation has passed on all (Rom. 5:18), so that the whole world stands guilty before God (Rom. 3:19). To be placed in his original position before his Creator, man must be redeemed from condemnation and death, and re-instated in his dominion. 3. THE Jews expressed the whole compass of things by "aleph" and "tau," the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. But John was writing in the Greek, and accommodates it to the Greek alphabet, of which "alpha" and "omega" are the first and the last letters. By his word Christ spoke the worlds into existence (Ps. 33:6-9); and by the same word he upholds them (Heb. 1:3). It will be by the same word that he restores all things, thus making him the beginning and ending of all things.