LESSON XII.—SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 1899.
1 "IF then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right 2 hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not 3 on the things that are upon the earth. For ye died, and your 4 life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory.
5 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetous6 ness, the which is idolatry; for which things' sake cometh the 7 wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience; in the which ye 8 also walked aforetime, when ye lived in these things. But now put ye also away all these; anger, wrath, malice, railing, 9 shameful speaking out of your mouth; lie not one to another; 10 seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto knowl11 edge after the image of Him that created him; where there can not be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, 14 so also do ye; and above all these things put on love, which is 15 the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful." Golden Text: "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." Verse 15. (1) What will those seek who are raised with Christ? What does it mean to be "raised together with Christ"? V. 1. Note 1. (2) Upon what will such set their mind? V. 2. Note 2. (3) Why will they prefer things that are above? V. 3. Note 3. (4) What is Christ to the believer? Then what will be the position of the believer when Christ shall appear in glory? V. 4. Note 4. (5) Therefore what is necessary for the Christian to do in this life? V. 5. Note 5. (6) What is the result of indulging such propensities? V. 6. (7) When did those who are now believers walk in those evil ways? V. 7. (8) What do they do after believing in Christ? V. 8. (9) What injunction is here given by the apostle? Why not? Vs. 9, 10 (first part). (10) In what is the mind renewed to produce a "new man"? V. 10. (11) What is said of the equality of believers? V. 11. Note 6. (12) What is it to put on the new man? V. 12. (13) How will such renewed persons treat one another? V. 13. (14) What above all else must they put on? V. 14. (15) What then will rule the heart? How should this blessing be received? V. 15. Note 7. 1. "If."—The apostle is addressing those who have made a formal profession of faith by baptism. In the water baptism there is the likeness of a burial and resurrection. A burial signifies a death, and the raising out of the water signifies a resurrection, or a new life. The rite implies death to sin, and having been raised to life in Christ. "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Rom. 6:4. The lesson is predicated on the word "if." If this profession is genuine, and the one thus professing faith in Christ be indeed risen with Him, he will seek those things which pertain to Christ and His kingdom. In short, an earnest seeking after the things of God is the proof that one is risen with Christ into a new life. Rom. 6:3-5. 2. "Set your mind."—Fix your mind, implying a determined purpose to turn from the world. "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Eph. 4:22-24. 3. "Ye died."—A.V., "are dead;" hence the burial. The new life is in Christ, therefore it is safe. Ye were dead in sin (Eph. 2:1, 5), but now are dead to sin. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." Gal. 2:20. 4. Christ our life.—Remember all this is based on the if; if the profession be a reality. Then if we are risen with Christ, He is our life. "The just shall live by faith." Logically His being manifested in glory, all the life that is in Him will be manifested. Then if our life be "hid" in Him now, it will appear at His coming. Said Paul, as he was about to be offered, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." 2 Tim. 4:7, 8. Thus it appears that the Christian receives his crown at the second advent of Christ. 5. "Mortify."—That is, strictly deny to your body those things which sinful lust craves. This is the only way to overcome these evils. It is often mortifying, or humiliating, to be absolutely denied things that seem very desirable and are within easy reach. But that is the only way in which a thorough change may be wrought in the mind. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 8:13. "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." 1 Cor. 9:27. The body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (chap. 6:19, 20), and as such must not be defiled (chap. 3, 16, 17). 6. "Equality."—The Spirit of Christ is the great equalizer of men. In the world men are constantly striving to create differences between men,—differences in rank, station, possessions, etc. This is because of pride, selfishness, covetousness, jealousy, and their consequent indulgences. But the Spirit of Christ obliterates all these, and the Law of God takes their place in the heart: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbor as thyself." James expresses the blessing of Christian equality in this way: "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted; but the rich in that he is made low." James 1:9, 10. 7. Let peace rule.—What ruled before conversion? —Enmity, sin, the lusts of the flesh. Before the mind was renewed, or changed, it was carnal. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7. Sin, "the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4), rules every unregenerate heart, holding it in enmity against God; but "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Chap. 3:31. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Chap. 6:12.