HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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F irst Corinthians. Love is measured: “Even as th e fath er h ath loved me, I also have loved you.” It is compared: “G reater love h ath no man th an this, th a t a man lay down his life for his friends.” It is commanded: “Those things I command you th a t ye ’ovc one ano th er.’’ It is contrasted: “ If ye were of th e world, th e world would love its own; bu t because ye are not of this world; bu t I have chosen you out of the world, th erefo re th e world h ateth you.” . It is retained : “ Continue” or “Abide ye in my love.” I Review: How many of you are little friends of Jesus? How many of you were here last week? W hat did we ta lk about last week? (F ru it). How many of you like grapes? Is. th ere any w ater in grapes? How does w ater get into a grape when it has such a tig h t little coat on? Where does th e w ater come from? (The ground). Who sends the w ater up through th e vine into th e grape? (God). Could you make a grape vine and make, it grow? W hat can you do th a t is g reater th an th a t? (Bear fru it for Jesus,' 15 :9 ). Did you bring any fru it to the Sav iour last week? To whom did you ta lk about Jesus? Tell us about it. The Lesson: Now let us open our Gospels and read four verses. (16:12-15). Whom is John speaking about? (The Spirit). W hat do we call Him? (The Holy S p irit). THE JUNIORS THE HOLY SPIRIT John 16:12-15
thou persecutest.” Now Saul had never met Him before and y et Jesus charged Saul w ith being His persecutor because he persecuted the people of God. Our blessed Lord identifies His poorest and humblest child w ith Him self. “ Inasmuch1as ye did' it unto one of th e least of these, my breth ren , ye did it unto me.” (Matt. ?5 :4 0 ). Christ gives us life. : Spiritual life is an im partation from God. Jesus told Nicodemus th a t unless a man is “ born from above” he cannot en ter the king dom. Death is separation from God. Every sinner is dead (Eph. 2 :1 ), and th ere must be a sp iritu al resurrection (Col. 3 :1 ), before th e re is any life. It is not possible, then, for a sinner merely to reform and join the church and be saved. He must be “ born again” (John 3 :7 ), and when th is takes place th e re is a new life and th e saved soul becomes a “ p arta k er of the divine n a tu re ” (2 Pet. 1 :4 ). Ju st as tru ly as the life flows out of th e grape vine into th e branch, does th e life of Christ flow into us. Christ gives us fru it. The branch “ cannot bear fru it of itself.” Its fru it comes from the vine. So we Cannot bear fru it of ourselves. Our fru it comes as a resu lt of our abiding in Him. Then the Master proceeds to state the necessity of cleansing in order to th e bearing of “ fru it,” “more fru it” and "much fru it.’’; ; “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The word is a sanctifying agency. “Sanctify them through thy tru th : thy word is tr u th ” (John 17 :17 ). Then the secret of the whole m atter is suggested in the key word “Abide” used nine times in th is passage. The secret of all support, identity, life, fru it or sanctification is in abiding in Him. F inally note the importance given to love. This section m ight well have in spired Paul to w rite the th irte en th of
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