NOVEMBER 30, 1947 WHO IS A CHRISTIAN? 1 J ohn 4:15-21; 5:10-13; 2 J ohn 4-6
Because as he is, so are we in this world (4:17). An amazing statement setting forth the true nature of the Christian! He is as Christ is. He is in Christ. Even as Christ cannot come into judgment, so the Christian cannot. As Christ is perfect, so is the Christian. As Christ is possessed with the power of an endless life, so is the Christian. As Christ is like the Father, so is the Christian. As Christ is victor over every enemy of the soul, so is the Christian. “ As he is, so are we in this world.” Ponder carefully these words, and real ize the inestimable position and posses sion of the child of God. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself (5:10). One of the most wonderful facts about a Christian is that his body is the dwelling
be to repudiate such great passages as John 5:24 and Romans 8:1. It does mean that the believer in that day, because of his identification with the Christ of perfect love, will have the assurance, or the boldness, to know that his sins are all cared for, that the matter of judg ment as far as he is concerned was for ever settled at Calvary. The Revised Ver sion makes the meaning of the text clearer. The believer will doubtless know about the fact of the judgment when it takes place, but he will have no part in it himself. Only the unregenerate will be there.
Outline and Exposition T he C onfession (1 J ohn 4:15-21)
The confession is that Jesus is the Son of God. He is alive because He is the Son of God. This confession grows out of belief in the love of God, and also that God is love (vv. 15, 16). “ Herein is love made perfect with us” (not our love made perfect) that we might have bold ness in the judgment; because as He is, in relation to the judgment, so are we. Hence this love casts out fear with its torment. Hence we love because He first loved. It is not just that “we love him” which is true, but we love because He first loved (vv. 17-19). Love of brethren flows out of the new nature which is love. The new nature cannot help but love, because it is of God. This love is not compelled by outside forces, but by the inner life, God’s life of love. He that believeth hath the witness in himself because God’s record is believed. The record is that God has given eternal life in His Son. Hence he that hath the Son hath what is in Him, eternal life (vv. 10-12). The supreme idea of eternal . life is not duration but quality of life (John 17:3). Knowledge of the posses sion of eternal life is not a question of our worthiness, but of the value of that which procured it for us: Christ’s death and resurrection. T he E xhortation (2 J ohn 4-6) We are to love one another as a mat ter of obedience to the Lord. Obedience is the fruit of love, and love is the mo tive of obedience; love is a living reality manifested by obedience. Love apart from duty ends in riot; duty apart from love ends in legalism. We are to walk in love. Only as we do so can we walk according to the commandment of the Lord. □ n □ Points and Problems Whosoever shall confess (4:15). It is not a mere profession of faith which is spoken of here; it is a confession of the deity of Jesus Christ, which implies sur render and obedience to Him also. It is not a mere lip service that is suggest ed but an acknowledgment of the genuine acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. The word confession in the Greek means literally saying the same thing. In other words, the believer says in his heart and with his lips the same things about Christ that heaven says. When a person does this, he is truly born again. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in -the day of judgment (4:17). This statement does not mean, that the believer shall stand in the presence of Christ in some future day to be judged for his sins. That would O C T O B E R , I 9 4 7 T he P ossession (J ohn 5:10-13)
Y our N e w B ib e e
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