THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
568
nations. Time and space have been ann ih ilated by science and invention. The antipodes are next door. The habit able world is a neighborhood. Since th e w ar closed, for the first tim e in hum an h istory th e food supply of _the world has been regarded and adm inis tered as a unit. A sim ilar intelligent perspective and proportionate d istribu tion of th e bread of life m ight h ave resu lted in the evangelization of th e world in any single generation of th e Christian era. Again, my neighbor is no t only th e man nigh me bu t th e man who needs me. Luke 10:30-37. If th e need be recognized, love will find a way. WEDNESDAY, Ju n e 18. Deut. 6:4-15. • Dove th e Basis of Daw God seeks the well-being of all H is creatu res w ith a benevolence th a t is positive, powerful, passionate and pure. Therefore He governs th e universe in accordance w ith law. He does no t gov ern by means of law as is so often stated. This is impossible and absurd. An au th o r w rites a book in^accordance w ith th e laws of gramm ar, no t by means of them . We live in a moral universe. Law is supreme. Law finds its source in th e bosom of God. Law therefore is th e expression of love and love is th e basis of law. . The problem in th e Gos pel age of grace is no t how to evade law and its obligations, nor how to disobey it and escape penalty bu t how to do th e will of God. Since law is an expression of the will and ch aracter of God, all those who have been b rough t into a rig h t relationship w ith God have a supreme desire to honor th e law and, obey its every requirem ent. Through th e mercy of God a way has been pro vided by which th e righteousness of th e law may be fulfilled in us which is an en tirely different th in g from its being fulfilled by us. Rom. 8:4. W hat it would be u tte rly impossible for us to do in respect to th e law, th e Holy Spirit does w ithin us. K an t confessed th a t two things overwhelmed him w ith th e ir grandeur. The m ajesty of the heavens above man and th e m ajesty of th e moral law w ithin man. Of these two things, th e la tte r is th e g reater. The heavens declare the glory of God and so does th e law. Glory is manifested excellence and love gives it a far finer expression th a n any m aterial medium. THURSDAY, Ju n e 19. Rom. 13:1-10. TSie Daw Fulfilled. The love th a t fulfills th e law is an
MONDAY, Ju n e 16. 1 Cor. 13:1-13. Dove The word love is properly sub stitu ted for charity in th e Revised Version. It is a g reat improvement in tran slation since charity has come to mean merely provision for th e poor. Things which are equal to th e same th ing are equal to each other. God is love and Christ is God. Therefore Christ is love and th e word Christ may be sub stitu ted for love wherever it occurs in th e chapter. The meaning will no t be essentially changed and th e en tire context will become illum inated m aking fa rth er in te rp re tatio n superfluous. The ideal expressed in th is love chapter of the Bible is as far beyond th e power and possibility of hum an n atu re to realize as is th a t Set fo rth in th e Sermon on the Mount. It is impossible for a man to love his enemies. I t is impossible for Christ not to love His enemies. When Christ dwells in the h e a rt by faith , th e dynam ic for th e attainm en t Of these ideals is supplied. When self has been displaced by Christ it is as easy to lovie as for th e sun to shine. It is n eith er th e effort of hum an affection nor th e exercise of n a tu ra l sentiment. It is the m anifestation of th e life and love of Christ. The rain comes down from heaven to fertilize th e earth and swell th e rivers which flow into th e sea. The sun draws the w ater up again into the sky by evaporation and th u s an endless circuit is maintained. So Divine love is poured otit of heaven to earth and flows th rough hum an lives, retu rn in g to God in a circle of never ending blessing. We love H im because He first loved us. TUESDAY, Ju n e 17, Dev. 19:9-18. Doving One’s Neighbor Neighbor is literally uigh-bor. Prox im ity creates obligation when accom panied by ability and opportunity. One need not go far afield to discover duty. Charity or love begins a t home. The early church undertook th e g reat com mission beginning a t Jerusalem . Their location was th e ir point of departure. Then the horizon of duty expanded in a series of concentric circles covering Judea, then Sam aria and th e u tterm o st p arts of th e earth . Acts 1:8. Missions requires no qualifying adjective. The words “ home” and “ foreign” are super fluous and divisive. The g reat work of world evangelization is one and de volves upon the en tire church of Christ. P roxim ity may now be predicated of all
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker