February 1927
102
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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without a home.” He won the prize. The vision of the heavenly home—the thought of eternal rest, shelter and communion, has ever incited God’s people to “labor to be accepted of Him” (v. 9). Let us not forget that we have a prep aration to make. In the resurrection day, we shall stand before “the judgment seat of Christ” (v. 10). It is a place of mani festation and a place of rewards. In that day of our Lord’s coming for His own, we are going-to be made manifest. Our lives, our work, our service, will be brought into the unsullied light of the presence of Him who is Light. We shall “receive the things done in the body." Believers are not there for criminal judgment. Christ has been judged for us (John 5:24). As Chris tians, rewards are held before us to stim ulate us to service and to encourage us to persevere. The rewards to be given by our Lord in that day will depend on, and will be commensurate with, our ser vice. We shall either receive or suffer the loss of reward, yet in any case “we ourselves shall be saved” (1 Cor. 3:15) because built upon the foundation, Christ (v. ID- It is vital that Christians should learn from the Word of God what kind of ser vice will bring reward. 1. It is Service done in the name of the Lord Jesus— Mark 9 :41. 2. It is willing service—1 Cor. 9 :17; 1 Pet. 5:2-4. 3. It is humble, unostentatious service —Matt. 6:1-5. 4. It is faithful service—1 Cor. 4:1-5; Rev.! 2 :10. 5. It is service that will stand the test of time—1 Cor. 3 :14. — o— P ith and P oint God’s children are to be God’s house mates. Death is not the destruction of anything —it is a dissolution of parts, a temporary separation of spirit and body. It is the “second death” only that men need fear—the eternal separation of spirit, soul and body from heaven-—the portion of the Christ-rejector.- Who would not depart from a vale of tears, a howling wilderness, to go to the mount of joy? a heavenly paradise? We go to the grave saying, “A man is dead.” Angels throng about saying, “One more present with his Lord.” Heaven is not merely a state but a defi nite locality. Heaven-—a prepared place for a pre pared people. Christ is now preparing a place. The Holy Spirit is now preparing the tenants. When both preparations are complete, they will be united. —o— S uggestive Q uestions What is the cure for a certain kind of heart trouble? (Jn. 14:1; cf. Isa. 26:3). What word of comfort has Jesus pre scribed for departing Christians ? (Jn. 14: 3; cf. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17). While the Lord is preparing a “man sion” (abode) for us in heaven (Jn. 14: 1), where does He Himself have a “man sion” (abode) in the meantime? (cf. v. 23—“abode,” translated “mansion” in v. 1). How does Jesus anticipate and answer those who say that hopes of heavenly
M arch 20, 1927 The Christian ’s Hope L esson T ext — J ohn 14:1-3; 2 C or . 5:1-10
“I f I go . . . . I will come again" (v. 3). How can one belittle that glorious truth? There is no way to evaporate such words. His ascension was visible, corporal, literal, personal, local. So will be His return—- “this same Jesus . . . . in like manner as He went” (Acts 1 :11)— “the Lord Him self shall descend” (1 Thess. 4:16). This is no afterthought of Luke or John or Paul. It was our Lord’s own doctrine (Mt. 24:25-27; 29-31). He has come -— He will come again. Between the two points—this present Gospel age. “We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). The word “tabernacle” is “tent.” At present we live in a tent in contrast to a permanent temple— building of God—- which we will have in the resurrection day. These tents of ours are often frail. They tremble in the great storm. There are rents through which the rain enters. Some tents are so frail when they are put up that the occupants seem to have little defense against the breezes of life. But even the strongest becomes weatherworn, and in due time collapses. Then what? It shall be exchanged for a solid build ing —a house made by God Himself that will stand for eternity! The breaking tent cords of life, the decaying shelter of our spirits, will all be left behind. What an ecstasy it will be to know that never again will we 'be exposed to the 'cutting winds—pains, sickness, the death of this first life.' It is natural that in this frail body we should sometimes “groan, earnestly desir ing to be clothed with our house from heaven" (v. 2). This is a strong way of expressing the weakness of this life, the presence of disease, etc. (2 Cor. 4:16-18). The believer hopes to live until the day of our Lord’s coming when he could put on that new body without dissolution of the old. But no matter how long a period may intervene between death and that glorious day, “the house from heaven” is assured (cf. 1 Cor. 15:47-49). 5 :4. Naturally we dislike the thought of the grave; that of being changed in the twinkling of an eye, instead of dying, is much more attractive. Paul longed to put on immortality 1 at once. He is still waiting for it—waiting with us, for the resurrection day. Nevertheless, we can be confident of one thing (5:6). Even death, if we must go that way, brings us nearer to our Lord. Even as unclothed spirits we may see Him face to face (cf. Phil. 1 :21-25). Therefore we are content—if death should take us before the Lord’s coming •—to accept it. Though it does not bring the full glory of the resurrection body, it does make us at home with Christ, among all those who wait the glad resur rection morn. 5 : 8 . Present. There is a story that Satan once offered a prize to .the most unhappy man outside of hell. A man stepped forward and claimed it. “On what ground?” he was asked. “I am a man
'T 'HE valley of the shadow of. death”— need it be a dark mystery? True—all we know of it is what God’s Word tells us. Our Lord is the only One
who has gone through and returned to tell us of the blessed land beyond. Should not that be sufficient, when thousands of believ ers h a v e departed with heaven’s light on their faces and the
n a me of J e s u s on t h e i r l i p s ? Two, wonderful passages are before us in this lesson. The first (John 14) is sometimes called “the holy of holies of the Gospels.” It records the last mo ments spent by our Lord in the midst of His disciples. Although His passion was facing Him, what a message of hope fell from His lips! We call it “ Peace and Promise" chapter. “Let not your heart be troubled; ye be lieve in God, believe also in me." (v. 1). He is bidding them put the same trust in Him that they did in God, the Father. There is no escaping that. Some would make Him a great moral reformer who came and talked of God’s love, justice and truth. But the peculiarity of His Call was —“believe in ME". Honor the Son even as you honor the Father. Ah, that is the secret of peace. It’s no use saying, “let not your heart be troubled,” unless you have said first, “believe in Him.” “In my Father’s house are many man sions" (apartments), v. 2. The word “mansions” simply means “abiding places." The universe is the Father’s house (Psa. 139:7-10). His abode has many apart ments. Earth itself is one. Heaven may be full of them. When His child falls into his last sleep here on earth, he does not leave His Father’s house. He passes from one apartment to another.' He has simply gone upstairs to be in the very presence of his Lord. What if death is another room? We cannot see through the partition: we. know not what is transpiring on the other side, but we do know the wall is very thin. Our precious loved ones are not very far from us, and if Christ be our Saviour, it is but a little while before we shall be home with them. We shall be children in our “Father’s house.” The sweet famil iarity of a happy home is implied. “I go and prepare a place" (v. 3). What is this but the assertion of His authority over every nook of the universe? Heaven itself will be arranged according to His orders. It is certain, if He had not gone to pre pare it, there would be no place for us. Apart from His atoning death there would have been no entrance. Take away from the thought of heaven the part Jesus plays in it, and you have little left. And if you’re homesick to be where He is, re member He is away from His bride, and if ever lover longed for His beloved, Jesus longs for the day when His church shall be gathered to His bosom. Heaven will be more blessed to Him when the saints are safe home.
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