E DIR Herbert Lockyer, D. D. T HE TRANSFUSION of blood from one person to another is a wonderful discovery Of sci ence, whereby the fresh life of healthy body is imparted to a dying person in order to restore expiring life. The weak, diseased, impoverished blood of a sufferer is vivified and strengthened by the impartation of the pure, vigorous blood of one with a sound body. Hospitals report rto lack of donors who are willing to pour their life’s blood into a bank for use in critical cases. Years ago, I witnessed a noble sac rifice of blood. A friend of mine watched his wife languish on a bed of pain. Gradually she grew Worse; an immediate and serious operation was necessary. Then she seemed to be slipping through the fingers of the surgeons who battled for her life. Blood transfusions were the last re sort, and the devoted and anxious husband, taking a bed in a neighbor ing ward, gave of his precious blood again and again, until fresh vigor Shot through the weak frame of the woman he loved. Such a fact of sur gical science suggests one or two helpful spiritual parallels with respect to the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. First of all, there is the need of the Sufferer. In the incident just related, we see the dear woman in a dying condition, with exhausted life germs Unable to resist the death germs in the battle for supremacy. What a pic ture this is of a sinner who is weak, helpless, and ready to die! Unless help reaches him from an outside source, he must perish in his sins, for he has not the strength to save himself. In the next place, we have the sac rifice of another. That loving hdsband could not bear to see his wife suffer. Fresh blood she must have, and so he allowed his own veins to be pierced that healthy blood might be pumped into her wasted form. Thus he gave part of himself to save his wife. Like wise, the blood of Christ shed for our redemption was the blood of the Lover of our souls. It is evident, of course, that all blood transfusion is not successful. If it is to be effective, the blood given must be pure, untainted by disease, and possessed of strong, active germs. Here is the secret of Christ’s effica cious blood shed upon the shameful tree for our sins: it was pure, holy, warm, powerful, without sin: the blood of God’s beloved Son. John’s ( Continued on Page 29) 1 1 1 1
ten out of God, sin is not doing, be cause his seed in him is remaining; and he cannot be. sinning, because out of God he is begotten.” Note now the changed attitude to ward “the world” as indicated in 2:15, 16 (R.V.): “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” “The world” indicated here is not the natural universe with all its won drous beauty. Our Lord was the Cre ator of this, and apparently when He was on earth, He loved the things of nature (Matt. 6:28,29). It does not mean the world of mankind, as John 3:16 very clearly indicates. Dr. Thom as states: “It is the world regarded apart from God . . . not so much a sphere as an atmosphere.” Dr. Iron side declares it is that system which man has built Up in this scene in which he is trying to make himself happy without God. The three ele ments that make up “the world” are “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride [vain-glory, R.V.] of life.” Our Lord declares that be lievers are not of this world (John 15:19) and that “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). This is a searching test of the reality of our faith, and we trust each reader will faithfully apply the test. The other test as to the reality of our faith centers around our relation to Christians, and is dealt with in the following passages: 1 John 2:9,11; 3:10,14; 4:20,21. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now” (2:9). Note that it is not what we say that constitutes the test, but rather the love which we show toward fellow- believers. The world hates real be lievers (John 15:19), but when we are truly born of God a real love is im planted in our hearts for all believers. In 2:10, we are told that “he who loves his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him,” that is-to say, he is not a stumbling block to others. “He does not upset himself, and he does not upset others, because love means hu mility and unselfishness, the opposite of pride, jealousy, envy or revenge” (Dr. Griffith Thomas). How many people have been caused to stumble because of the lack of love among those who name the Name of Christ! Turning now to 3:10, we see that love for fellow believers distinguishes the child of God from the child of the devil. One translator renders the verse thus: “Here is how the children of God and the children of the devil
Dr. John A. Hubbard, head of the Department of English Bible in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and be loved teacher of the Word for over twenty-five years, is taking a leave of absence for the first semester of 1946. His friends and former students all over the world hope that he will be refreshed and strengthened By this much-needed time of rest, arid that he may soon return to his classes, ready to give out the treasures of the Word of God in his inspiring and efficient manner. The King's Business has been most grateful to Dr. Hubbard for taking the time to put into writing sortie of the fruits of his long years of study and teaching the Word of God. Letters from many readers indicate that the articles have been a great blessing and help in understanding the Scrip tures. are recognized,” and one of the marks of this recognition is love. In 3:14,15 we read, “We know that We have passed from death unto life; because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in dedth. Who soever hateth his brother is a mur derer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” These words need no comment or ex planation. They speak for themselves, as do the words found in 4:20: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that lov eth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this command ment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” God grant that each one who names the Name of Christ will let tne words of this epistle search the heart that we may know that we have eternal life, not merely by what we say, but by manifesting in our daily lives the right relationship to God, to-sin and righteousness, to the world, and to fellow Christians.
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NOVEMBER, 1946
Made with FlippingBook Annual report