August 1926
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
478
t r Outline Studies in the Epistles o f John T. O. Horton THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN Outline of the Epistle: (1 ) Introduction (1 :1 -4 ). (2 ) Ood is Light: Fellowship with God in light (1:5 to 2:28). (3) God is Love. The sonship of the believer (2:29 to 3:24). (4 ) Source of Sonship: Possessed by the Spirit (4:1 to 5:12). (5 ) Conclusion. The law of love (5:13-21). Outline o f Third Chapter: (1 ) Our Present Position and Glor ious Prospect, vs. 1-3. Shakespeare says:. "Conscience doth make cowards of us all." Conscience needs a standard, and the will o f God, as revealed in His Word, sets such a standard. The Spirit o f God quickens our con science (Heb. 10 :22 ): «L et ns draw near w ith a true heart in fu ll asauranee o f faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and oar bodies washed w ith pare water." An understanding of this will help us in our judgment with others. In matters of truth we have an infallible Word. We can judge men by the fruit of their lives (Matt. 7 :20 ): "W h erefore b y their frolta ye shall know them.” The natural man looks after "Num ber One." The spiritual man looks after “ Number Two.’.’ We are not our own (1 Cor. 6:19, 20 ) : "W fcit! know ye ae* that y oa r body la the temple o f the H oly Ghost whleh la la yoa, which ye have o f God, and y e art not your own f «F or ye are bought w ith a price j there fore g lo rify God la y oa r body and in your spirit, whleh are God's." To us to "live is Christ" (Phil 1: 21 ) : “ F or me to live lo Christ, and to die lo grain.” . A love of service for our brethren is an evidence to us that we are "born again." We know by our rest of soul; by our inner experience; by reason of the answers to our prayers (Psa. 34: 4-7): “ I songht the Lord, and he heard ate, and delivered me from all my fear».
(2) Our Purifying Hope, vs. 4-10. (3) Our Peculiar Obligation, vs. 11-18. (4 ) Our Purpose and Practice, vs. 19-24. We have already seen how the Divine Sonship includes righteousness and love. The third criterion is the truth, and this leads us to (4) OUR PURPOSE AND PRAC TICE, vs. 19-24. “ And hereby we know that we are o f th e truth» and shall assure our hearts before him. “ For If our heart eondemn us, God Is grea ter than our heart, and knoweth all thing:». “ Beloved, If our heart condemn us not, then have w e confidence toward God« “ And whatsoever w e ask, w e receive o f him, because w e keep his command ments, and d o those things that are pleasing In his sight. “ And this Is his commandment, That w e should believe on the name o f his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. “ And he that keepeth his command ments dwelleth In him. And hereby we know that he abldeth In us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Righteousness without love Is not sufficient. Love without righteousness not suf ficient for righteousness is affirmed and sealed by love for .God and the brethren. It is easy to commend goodness. Not so easy to practice it. How are we to know that we are of the .truth? By the approval of our conscience attesting the Word of God. Conscience is God’s monitor. The sense of right—God’s vicegerent in the soul is that faculty which God has giveq which judges between right and wrong, weighs the law, and warnB us to do the right and avoid the wrong. Adam, in the fall, was vested with a conscience, enabling him to know the right from the wrong, but without power to do the right, or resist the wrong. Conscience is not an infallible guide in the ethics of conduct (1 Tim. 4 :2 ): «Speaking Ilea In hypocrisy! having: their conscience seared w ith a hot Iron." (Titus 1 :5 ): “ Unto the ,n r e nil things are pure: bat ah to them that are dcAled and un believing: la nothing pa re: bat even their mind and conscience la denied.'* Saul of Tarsus said that he was conscientious in his persecution of tlje Christians (Acts 26 :9 ): verily thought w ith m yself, that X ough t to do nanny things contrary to the name o f Jeans o f Naaareth."
For instance, a man who is a min- lster in a denomination which has as its foundation a statement of doctrinal belief, and who, as a servant of that denomination, violates that statement, is to be judged as an imposter, i. e., obtaining money under false pretences. Judgment is sometimes partial. We are apt to lean towards the side which we favor— as to the Sabbath Day, tobacco, win?, etc. When conscience is normal we have confidence towards God. Our heart assures us before Him (v. 19). We have the attitude of dear children. "We know that we have passed from death unto life,” for we have His Word, and a life in conformity there with.
“ They looked unto him, and were lightened i and their fa ce« w ere not ashamed. “ Thin poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him ou t o f all his troubles« “ The angrel o f the Lord encnmpeth round about them that fear him, and de— livereth them.” We know by the attitude of our hearts toward Him* We love Him and love our brethren. We know by the impulse of the Holy Spirit within us compelling the confession of our sins and of our faith in God and in His Word. God’s eye is upon us. We are in His sight. This is the key (Heb. 4:12, 13 ): «F o r the w ord o f God la quick, and pow erfu l, and .ha rp er than any tw o- edged sword, piercing even to the divid ing asunder o f soul and spirit, and o f the Joints and marrow , and la a dls- eerner o f the thoughts and Intents o f the heart. ^ «Neither Is there any creature that Is n ot manifest In his sigh t! but all things are naked and. opened unto the eyes o f him w ith whom w e have to do." God knows all things. He knowB all, but He loves in spite of all. The advocacy of our Lord continues, and by it, our standing is maintained (Rom. 8 :22 )! «L ikew ise the Spirit also helpeth ou r Infirmities s fo r w e know not w hat we should pray fo r as w e ou gh t! but the Spirit Itself maketh Intercession fo r us w ith grroanlnff« whleh cannot be uttered. (John li|:35; Heb. 10:22). (In September, "The Tost of Truth,” 4:1-14.) ¿Ue. m m THE EVOLUTIONISTS’ YELL The editor of The Bible Champion proposes a new "college yell” for the evolutionists, and as he announces that it is “ not copyrighted," we repro duce it herewith: “ What’s the matter with the evolu tionist?” "He’s all right!” “ Who’s all right?” “ The evolutionist!” “Who says so?” “ Everybody!" “ Who’s everybody?" “ The evolutionist!" Jn One can’t be too radical when right nor too conservative when wrong.
A Texas Subscriber, a busi ness man who is also Superin tendent of a Mission Church, says: “ I do not know of any bet ter helps on the S. S. lessons than those found in The King’s Business. They are sound in doctrine and in no wise tainted with the poison ous infidelity found in some S. S. literature that styles Itself ‘Modern.’ I can say confidently that any one who will use The King’s Business in connection with their Bible will not only find themselves better teachers, but growing Christians, and will— in three years— know more a b o u t their Bibles thandoes the average minister, and a thou sand times more than any Christ-denying, Bible-denying minister. May every one who gets The King’s Business re ceive from it the same bless ings which it has brought into my life by inspiring me to keep close to the Master, feed on His Word, look to God in trustful obedience, and work to bring others to know our precious Saviour."
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