R. H. Boll Lord's Day Lesson 4: The Spirit of Life (1916)

 

WORD   AND   WORK
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO DECLARE THE
WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD.
Entered at Louisville, Ky., Post Office as Second Class Matter.
R. H. BOLL, Editor-in-chief.
Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seventy-five Cents a Year
In Clubs of Four or More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fifty Cents Each
Single Copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ten Cents
VOL. IX. JANUARY, 1916. No. 1.

THE LORD'S DAY LESSON.
Lesson IV. January 23, 1916.
THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.
      Golden Text.--"As many as are led by the Spirit of God these are sons of God." (Rom. 8:14).
      Lesson Text.*--Rom. 8:12-30. Memorize verses 16, 17.

      12.   So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13   for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14.   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15.   For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16.   The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17   and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. 26.   And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; 27   and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28.   And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose. 29.   For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren: 30   and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

* Amer. Stand. Rev. Version; Copyright, Nelson & Sons.

 

      12. Are Christians still under obligation to the flesh to live according to its will and dictate?

      13. Can they still so live? What results if they do? How are they to deal with the flesh, impulses? (Col. 3:5, etc.) How alone can "the deeds of the body" be put to death? (Compare Gal. 6:16). What will be the result of that?

      14. Are the people who do as directed in verse 13, led by the Spirit? Are those who obey God's word led by the Spirit? Does the Spirit lead men to obey God's word? Does he ever lead into anything contrary or different? What are the people who are controlled by the Spirit of God?

      15. Is the control of the Spirit bondage or liberty? When are people free? (2 Cor. 3:17). Is there any difference between the spirit in which a slave works, and the spirit in which a son works? What sort of spirit have we received?

      16. How many witnesses spoken of in this verse? To what do they both testify? What does the Holy Spirit testify? (Verse 14). What does our spirit testify? (Heb. 13:18; Phil. 1:21).

      17. Who are God's heirs? With whom shall they be joint-heirs? What does Jesus inherit? (Heb. 1:2). What sort of inheritance is specially prepared for us? (John 14:1-3; 1 Pet. 1:4). What "if" does he mention? Who has to suffer for Jesus? (2 Tim. 3:12). If we never suffer for him what does it prove? (2 Tim 2:12).

      26. Have God's children in whom the Spirit dwells still "infirmities?" What does the Spirit do for that? What one special deficiency in us is here mentioned? How does the Spirit help that?

      27. Has the Spirit a mind of his own? Does God know the mind of the Spirit, even, though his intercessory groanings are not uttered?

      28. To what harmonious end does every fact and circumstance in the world work together? Is that said of all men or only of some? Of whom is it true? What is God's purpose? (2 Tim. 1:9). How are we called? (Eph. 1:13).

      29. What is the destiny to which God has foreordained us, his sons? (Cp. 1 John 3:1, 2). Was it his purpose to bring many sons unto glory? (Heb. 2:10).

      30. Five things God did are mentioned in order in verses 29, 30--what are they? [43]


NOTES ON LESSON 4.

      This is a most wonderful lesson. In the last Lord's Day lesson we saw how the Holy Spirit came down, filled the apostles and through his words which he put into Peter's mouth, converted thousands of hearers. That is what the Spirit does for the world. The lesson today takes up the question What does the Spirit of God do for the Christian? We learned from the Golden Text last Lord"s Day that he dwells in the Christians. Now what does the indwelling Spirit do for us?

      Our lesson is found in the eighth chapter of Romans. The seventh chapter portrays a man who wants to do right but keeps on stumbling and sinning in spite of all good resolutions. At last in despair he cries out, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?" The answer to this anxious question is set forth in the eighth chapter, in which he tells us what the indwelling Spirit does for us. No man who is "in the flesh" can live a life well-pleasing to God; but those in whom the Spirit of God dwells can, and because they can they must. For if they still continue to walk after the flesh when by the indwelling Spirit they could choke out its desires and impulses, they must die; but if they give their lives over to the Spirit's control, they shall have life. (Gal. 6:10).

      Verses 18-25, not printed in the lesson text, but included in the lesson give us a wondrous view of the glory in stare for God's children. He represents the whole creation as being in an unnatural condition, subjected to "vanity" and in the bondage of corruption, groaning and travailing in pain even to this present moment, (verses 20-22)--yes in an attitude of intense expectancy. (v. 19). What time or event does creation so earnestly wait for? The "Revealing of the sons of God." Who are these sons? See verse 14 and Gal. 3:26, 27. What is meant by their "revealing?" Their "unveiling." They are veiled now. The world cannot distinguish or know them. (1 John 3:2.) But there is a time coming when they shall be manifest. They shall bear the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ and shall shine forth like the sun. (1 John 3:1-3; Matt. 13:43). That will be their "adoption"--that is, the public acknowledgment of their sonship, putting them into their rightful place, which belongs to them as God's sons. (For the Greek word translated "adoption" means literally "placing as sons.") Then will their bodies be redeemed from the grasp of death and corruption. All this will take place at the coming of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Pet. 1:5-7). For this event therefore creation waits expectantly--and we ourselves also. Then will creation be released from its curse. For as by man came the curse, by man will come the deliverance. (Isa. 55:11, 12). Through the man Christ Jesus and his own redeemed ones, the children of God. Now this is not seen as yet but is set before us in hope, and we patiently await the glorious consummation. (Verses 24, 25).

      In verses 29, 30, we touch the subject of election, foreordination, predestination. We must never forget however what God's will concerning all men (1 Tim. 2:4) and the open door. (John 6:37). God cannot fore-will (predestinate) anything contrary to his own will; therefore he has never predestinated any man to be lost. But it is a righteous thing in God to give some people special opportunities and blessings that through them he may bless others. (Gen. 12:1-3). Who are God's elect today? We may know ourselves to be his own only in so far as we have accepted his word and are walking by the Spirit. (2 Pet. 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:19).

      "The Lord's will is that all his people should be an unburdened people, fully supplied, strong, healthy, and happy. It is the Lord's will that His people should be as the children of a King."--J. Hudson Taylor.

      "We need never be afraid to recognize our own incompetence, and we have no need to minimize or hide from ourselves the magnitude of the difficulties that beset our path. Exulting faith will go in the strength of the Lord singing, "If God be for us, who can he against us?"--J. Hudson Taylor.

      "The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will. And yet how foolish, as well as how wrong it is!"--J. Hudson Taylor.

      "Young man, are you drifting or rowing?" [44]

 

["Lord's Day Lesson 4: The Spirit of Life." Word and Work 9 (January 1916): 43-44.]

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's "Lord's Day Lesson 4: The Spirit of Life" has been produced from microfilm of Word and Work for 1916.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 25 January 2002.
Updated 22 June 2003.

R. H. Boll Lord's Day Lesson 4: The Spirit of Life (1916)
Back to R. H. Boll Page
Back to Restoration Movement Texts Page