THE K I N G ’ S BU S I N E S S
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These and o ther commands sim ilar to them are positive, definite and prac tical. D isregard for them incurs the gu ilt of disobedience. The resu lt of keeping th e commandments is seen in John 14:23. The word tran slated “m ansion” in verse 2, is rendered “abode” in vs. 23, and is only found in these two passages. The presence of God is enough to make th e m eanest hovel into a mansion. My life may be compared to a poor little adobe h u t in a d esert place b u t when yielded to th e triu n e God and tak en full pos session of by Him, it becomes palatial w ith th e splendors of P aradise. F el lowship w ith Jesus is th e highest privi lege and th e g reatest joy th a t man can know, “ i e are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14. The Epistle of Jam es has been com mended as containing th e Gospel of common sense. Men' need plain rules for daily guidance. Rules depend on principles. P rinciples are ab stract and belong to the realm of philosophy. The Scriptures are not only au tho ritativ e in all m a tte rs of doctrine, they are rich in ethical instruction. An outw ard life constructed on th e book of P roverbs and th e Epistle of Jam es would conform to th e highest type of manhood. “Swift to h ear, slow to speak.” Someone has called atten tio n to th e fact th a t a man has two ears and b u t one tongue and in ferred th erefrom th a t he ought to h ear twice as much as he talks. The relation of doing to teaching is seen in Acts 1:1 by th e order in which th e words occur. No one has a rig h t to teach w hat he has no t done. The teacher m ust s a y - “Come” instead of “ Go.” The connection between doing and hearing is set fo rth by James. It is most in ju riou s to h ea r tru th w ithout obeying it. Whenever th e tru th is pre sented, an opportunity should be im mediately given to act upon it, th a t it' may be tran slate d into character and conduct. The harm of the th e a tre is seen in th e fact th a t emotion is aroused w ithout any corresponding and resu lt ing action. In such a case th e re is a psychological reaction most deadening to the moral natu re. To excite feeling as an end in itself is emotional debauch ery. Feeling is a means to an end. Its proper function is to invest a motive w ith sufficient streng th to induce a FRIDAY, Ju n e 6. Jam es 1:19-27. H earing and Doing.
It contains many g reat and precious prom ises such as 33:25. I t is therefo re peculiarly adapted to fortify th e faith and enrich the experience of th e be liever. How g reat a loss is th e ir’s who h ab itually neglect it! I t is noteworthy and suggestive th a t in ch. 27, th e law and th e curses are found tog ether upon th e same mount, Ebal. Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3 :10 ; Rom. 3:20. Hopeless indeed is th e case of th a t one who is under th e law for righteousness. WEDNESDAY, Ju n e 4. Gen. 12:1-9. Abraham ’s Obedience. The first eleven chapters of Genesis deal w ith th e hum an race. The re st of th e Old Testam ent is practically the histo ry of a single family. E lection was a necessity on th e p art of God because of th e universal refu sal on th e p a rt of man to co-operate w ith him . God selected a single man in order th a t th rough th e man he m ight build a fam ily and th rough th e fam ily a nation and by means of th is nation bring all o th er nations of th e ea rth into sub jection and relationship to himself. E lection is therefo re not an end in itself b u t a means to an end. R egarded in th is light, th e common popular cavils ag ain st it lapse and become empty. The u ltim ate end of election is service not salvation. “ I w ill bless thee, be thou a blessing.” Abraham believed God and obeyed God. F a ith and obedi ence are related as cause and effect and áre always found together. Abraham was no t chosen by God because he was b etter th a n anybody else. E lection is of sovereign grace, giving no place to hum an m erit th a t all boasting may be excluded and God alone be glorified. Heb. 11:8 cf. Deut. 7 :7 , 8. The te n t and th e a lta r become th e two ou tstand ing factors and featu res in A braham ’s pilgrim life. W hat a testim ony these m ust have been to a gainsaying and ungodly generation! The Old T estam ent fairly bristles w ith commandments and prohibitions. “Thou sh a lt” and “Thou sh a lt n o t” meet us everywhere we tu rn . There are very few in the New Testam ent because th e Gospel is not law b u t life. W hat few th ere are, however, are of supreme importance. “ Love one an other. P ray w ithou t ceasing. Rejoice evermore. In everything give th a n k s.” THURSDAY, Ju n e 5. Jo h n 14:15-24. Obeying God’s Commandments.
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