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THE KING’S BUSINESS
We would not necessarily be breaking the law. of Christ by opposing him. The man’s, own interest might demand, as well as the interests of our own wife and children that we refuse to let him live in that house. In fact, under ordinary circumstances his own interest would demand it. Has a Christian any right for which he should take up arms and fight for? No. But other people have rights that a Christian ought to contend for,-his wife and children have rights, and the poor and oppressed and wronged have rights. No Christian should take up arms and fight for his own personal rights, but a Christian is sometimes under obligation to defend oth ers, even though he has to do it by force. We read, that Jesus continued all night in prayer. How do you think'he was occu pied all that time? Would it be prayer such as we pray, or would it be more meditation or conversation with God? Would not the continued asking and beseeching all night wear out any ordinary person? I think He was occupied all the time just as the Bible says He was, "in prayer.” (Luke 6:12). A number of different words are used in the Greek New Testament which are translated in English “prayer.” The thought of the expression of a request for a definite thing is stronger in some of these words than others. The word here used is not the one in which the idea of- petition is so prominent as in another word, but the thought of an address to God is prominent. Another Word frequently used “gives prominence to the expression of personal need.” The word here ’used “gives, prominence to the element of devo tion.” However, it would not be so much meditation or conversation with God as an expression to God. However, “the con tinued asking and beseeching all night” would not necessarily wear out or utterly exhaust every person. Many and many have spent whole nights in prayer. I have seen people more Refreshed after a night of prayer than they were when they began.
Christ loves all men, He has an altogether peculiar love for His obedient disciples, and that by obedience to Him we continue in that love, and while' we do not step out of His love by disobedience, we do Step out of this peculiar love.1 What is the usage of the Greek in these and similar constructions, say Jude 2 1 ? Does the genitive -case designate uniformly God’s or Jesus' Iqve for man, and the accu sative, uniformly man’s love for God, or Jesus?’’ It is impossible to lay down a law about this. In the New Testament we have both the subjective, and objective genitive. The context must determine in specific instances. Do you find many Christians who love God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all. their mind’ and with all their strength, and their neighbor as themselves? I f so how can a human being arrive at such a state of blessedness? Of course, it is not for any one of us to judge other Christians, but I believe that there are many Christians who love, God with all their heart, with all their Soul with all their mind, and with all their strength, God is the 'supreme object of their affections; they put God first in business, in pleasure, in social life, in study, in everything, and they do love their neighbors as themselves. They have the same regard for their neighbor’s welfare as they have for their own. The way to arrive at such a state •of blessed ness is by being born again. Of course, it is riot natural to any» of us to love God supremely, or to love our neighbor as our selves, but when we are born again we do get this love. The way to be born again is by the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, and also as our Lord, as our Saviour who not only saved us from the guilt of sin by His death on .the cross, but saves us day by day from the power of sin by His resurrection life (John 1:12). I f a stranger comes into your house and demands a part of it to live in it himself with his wife and family, should we break the law of Christ by opposing him?
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