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.January 1926
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
I p v - o • Ou tline Studies in the Epistles o f John T. C. Horton LESSON FIVE Chapter Two Outline of the Epistle: (1 ) Introduction (1 :1 -4 ). (2 ) Qod is Light: Fellowship with Ood in light (1 :5 to 2:28). (3 ) Ood is Love. The Sonship of the believer (2:29 to 3:24). (4) Source of Sonship: Possessed ty the Spirit (4 :1 to 5 :12 ). (6 ) Conclusion. The law of love (5:13-21). Outline of Chapter 2: ( 1) The Mediatorial W o r k of Christ, vs. 1, 2. (2 ) Profession and Practice, vs. 3- 11 . (3 ) Safeguarding the Saved, vs. 12- 17. (4) Christians and Anti-Christians, vs. 18-29. This series of Studies in John’s Epistles, by Mr, Horton, will be found to contain a fund of material for sermons and Bible readings and by their regular monthly appearance will serve to supplement the excellent Homiletlcal Helps appearing in The King’s Business, which are finding such hearty acceptance on the part of those who have any public ministry (On page 24 in this issue). «Jesus salth unto him . H ave I been so loop tim e w ith you , and y e t hast thou not known me, Philip Y he that hath aeen me hath seen the F a th er: and how sayest thou then. Shew ns the F ath er P* 2. Qod can never be known by man’s ascent to Qod, but by Qod’s descent in His Son (John 3 :13 ): Complete in Him; To be glorified in Him. We are taken out o f the world,— its darkness and depth of sin— and taken into His fellowship, we are Bone of His bones. We are a part of Him. "As He is, so are we in this evil age” (1 John 4:17). “ He pleased not Himself.” Neither should we. He had no will of His own, but the Father’s will was His. So should it be with us. Love always leads to obedience. Love inspires obedience. Love culti vates obedience. There must be likemlndedniees; profession and life must be in har mony. You cannot fellowship with Him, on profession; there must be kindred feeling, impulse and purpose. (c ) The Public Proof o f Possession,—
Love for the Brethren, (vs. 7-11). Here is no new commandment. The old commandment is the Word which they heard from the beginning, the Old Gospel which John gave them in the beginning; a message concerning Christ, the Son of Qod, and Saviour of sinners. John gave them the only Gos pel, the story of the Lord Jesus. Qod’s Word is a command. We call the “ Ten Words” the commandments, but every word of His is a command ment. "Go ye into all the world and preach” is a command. “ Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” is a commandment, with promise. “ Whatsoever thy hand flndeth to do do it” is a commandment. “ Do good unto all” is a command ment. “ Pray without ceasing” is a com mandment. “ Let your light so shine” is a com mandment. “ Rejoice in the Lord always” is a commandment. He never gives a command, without the commensurate power to carry it out. The new commandment is the old one amplified, enlarged, developed. These believers at Ephesus had had the Qospel, now they are having the message elaborated. They are having a larger picture of Christ. The Lord grows upon us through the Word, little by little, and some times by special revelations which overwhelm us. We used to ask Him for daily bread, and now that we know Him better, we ask for larger things. We used to pray that we might get to Heaven when we died— now we have glimpses of Heaven down here (John 7 :17 ): « I f an y man w ill do kla w ill, ke «kali know o f the doctrine, whether It he o f God. or whether I apeak o f atyaelf.” (John 1 :16 ): «And o f hie talaeaa have a ll w e re ceived, and grace for grace.” Here are the three great words again— Light, Life and Love. Where the Lord Jesus is there is Light, for He is the Light of the world.
Having considered last month the first division of Chapter Two ( “ The Mediatorial Work of Christ,“ vs. 1, 2) we come now to division (2) PROFESSION AND PRACTICE, vs. 3-11. We should do what we say: (1 ) If we profess to know Him we should practice our profession and obey Him, (vs. 3, 4). (2) If we profess to abide in Him, we should walk with Him, (v. 6). (3 ) If we profess to live in the light we ought to love our brother, (v. 9). There are three things very obvious here: (a) The personal proof of our pro fession (vs. 3-5);- — Perfected love (v. 6). (b ) The power of this proof (v. 6 ); — Abiding in Him (v. 6 ).. (c ) The public proof o f our profes sion (vs. 7 -11 ); — Love for the brethren (v. 10). (a) The Personal Proof of Our Pos session,— Perfected love (vs. 3-6). X. The love of Qod shed abroad in our hearts. 2. Perfection in us is the proof. 3. We know some things. The agnostic says: 1. Qod can be known apart from revelation. 2. Qod cannot possibly be known. 3. Knowing Qod is an end in itself. We can answer the agnostic by saying: 1. God can only be known by rev elation, and Jesus Christ is that revel ation. (John 1 : 1 8 ) : «N o m an hath aeon God at any tim e: the only begotten Son, which la In the bosom o f the F ather, he hath declared him .” (John 14:6-9): «Jeans salth unto him , I am the w av, the trnth, and the llfe i no man cometh unto the F ath er, hnt by me. « I f v c had know n m e, y c ahonld have known m y F ath er alsos and from hence forth ye know him , and have seen him . «Philip salth unto him . Lord, ahew us the F ath er, and It sn S c e th ns.
«And no man hath ascended np to heaven* but he that came down from heaven, even the Son o f man which la la heaven.” 3. Qod has come down in Jesus Christ,— saves by faith, washes us in His blood, and takes us into fellow ship with Himself (Luke 19:10): «F o r the Son o f man Is come to seek and to save that which w as lost.” (1 John 1 :3 ): «T h at which w e have seen and heard declare w e unto yon, that ye a lso m ay have fellow ship w ith nst and tru ly onr fellow ship Is w ith the F ather, and w ith his Son Jesna Christ.” Knowing Qod is the beginning of knowledge. Growth in knowledge of Qod is through obedience to His Word. We cannot kpow Him in a life of dis obedience. Obedience brings us into the closest relation to Him. Disobe dience disturbs our knowledge and breaks fellowship. We can only grow in knowledge as we walk in what we know. “ If any man will do His will.” “ Ye are my friends, if ye do.” Truth may be in our heads, but not in our lives. We must practice what we profess. In practicing what we profess, He perfects His love in us, (2 Tim. 3:16, 17 ): “ A ll Scripture la given by Inspiration o f God, and Is profltable fo r doctrine, for reproof, for correction, fo r Instruction la righteousness t «That the man o f God m ay be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto a ll good w ork s.” We are perfected through knowl edge of His Word and in obedience to it. Obedience verifies our profession as did the obedience of Jesus (Heb. 10:2). “ I delight to do thy will.” (b ) The Power of the Proof—Abiding in Him (v. 0 ). We are in Him. Believers are:
Justified in Him; Sanctified in Him; Secure in Him; Sealed in Him;
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