The Christian Life—Its Purpose and Privileges* By Rev. Professor W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS, D.D. T HERE are two books of holiness in the New Testament, Ephesi ans and First John, one cor
chapter 1 :3, “That ye may have fel lowship with us; and truly our fel lowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” There is noth ing beyond fellowship. The Christian life starts with sonship; goes on to worship; it leads on to stewardship, but it finds its culminating point in fellowship. So this Epistle at once becomes the test of our Christian life. W HA T IS T H E L IF E OE EELLOW SH IP ? During these studies in the First Epistle of John I will speak on the Purpose and Privileges of the Chris tian life; then on the Proof and Pat tern; then on the Perils and Protec tion ; then on the Prospect and Possi bilities, and thus, try to gather, from this point of view, the teaching of the Epistle. So this morning our subject is the purpose and privileges of the Chris tian life. What is.this life of fellow ship with God in the light of Divine purpose? First of all, it is , A L IE S OE PERFECT JOY. See chapter 1 :4 —“These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” That is the first part of the purpose of the Apostle in writing. That is the first part of God’s purpose for every one of us, a life of perfect joy. All sorrow comes through sin, eventually and primarily. Robert Burns says, “Man was made to mourn.” That is where Burns made his mistake. Man was not made to mourn; man was made for joy, and the keynote of the Gospel, from the very first, was “Good tidings of great joy.” Joy is an absolute necessity for all true life. As far back as Nehemiah
porate and the other individual. I believe it is true to say that there is nothing higher in regard to the spir itual life, whether of the Church or of the individual, than that which we find in these two Epistles. Bishop Westcott thinks that First John is the last book of the New Testament in the order of writing. If that be so, we have here the last word of inspira tion before those centuries of silence since that day. If it be true that this is the last book of the Bible in chrono logical order of writing, the contrast between the first verse of Genesis, “In the' beginning God,” and the last word here, “This is the true God............... guard yourselves from idols,” forms a very helpful suggestion. But if this be as I believe it is, the highest record of the personal Christian life and ex perience, we can see at once its per manent importance. Of course, this Epistle is for Chris tians, and is always to be closely asso ciated with the Gospel. The purpose of the writer of the Gospel is found in John 20-31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” Then comes this Epistle, following with 5:13, “These things are written unto you that be lieve on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eter nal life.” So the Gospel is written that we may have, and the Epistle that we know we have, eternal life. The dominant note of the Epistle seems to be that which is found in ♦An a d d ress delivered a t th e M ontrose B ible C onference, Aug. 13, 1913.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs