THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S / THURSDAY, April 10. John 1:43-51. Christ Our Saviour. The first chapter of John may well be called the Eureka chapter of the Bible. It is full of findings. John’s two dis ciples find Jesus, Andrew finds Peter, Jesus finds Philip, Philip finds Nathan ael and then Nathanael finds Jesus. There is significance in the fact that Nathanael should be sitting under a fig tree the symbol of Is rael, that he should be called an Israelite and that he should address Jesus as the King of Israel. Whenever we meet with Andrew in Scripture he is bringing someone to Jesus. John 6;8-9; John 12:22. What an example of personal work and an encourage ment to personal workers. In these men we find the nucleus of the later Christian constituency, the laying of a part at least of that foundation upon which the spiritual temple should after ward be erected. Ephesians 2:20. FRIDAY, April 11. 1 Pet. 1:1-9. Saved By Grace. The age-long and world-wide purpose of God in human redemption, conceived in eternity, and executed in time, is accomplished by means of a two-fold calling or election, viz., an earthly and a heavenly one. The church is for the heavens. Israel is for the earth. Elec tion is therefore a means to an end. The common cavils against it lapse and become empty when this is taken into account. The election of the Jew was national. The election of the church is individual. Each of these elections must be in its proper sphere before God can inaugurate the full »working of His purpose of redemption. At pres ent there are several dispensational misfits which must be changed before anything of consequence can come to pass. The church is on earth and the devil is in heaven. The Jews are scat tered all over the earth and the king is absent. The church must be caught up and the devil cast out. The Jews must be re-established in the Holy Land and the King must come. Then the clock which stopped at Calvary will start. God will again begin to reckon time. The Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh and the glory of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. SATURDAY, April 12. 1 John 1:1-10. A Present Saviour. The Holy Spirit on earth is Christ’s
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continued life. In Acts 2:3 the fire which fell from heaven to symbolize the Holy Spirit is said to have sat upon each of them. The same word is used of Jesus who sat down in heaven at God’s right hand. The true Holy See (seat) is the church of the living God.- The Holy Spirit is here to universalize and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the trqe Vicar of Christ on earth inasmuch as He came to take His place and do everything for the people of God that Christ had done and vastly more besides. Mark closes his gospel by saying that they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord work ing with them. This shows how expedi ent it was for them that He should go away. While He was here in the flesh He could not be in two places at the same time, but now wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, there is He in the midst of them. It takes a living man to help another living man. The dead can do nothing for the living. Confucius, Buddha, Mo hammed, Madame Blavatsky, Mrs. Eddy and Pastor Russell, all are dead. Jesus is alive forevermore. A study of the person and work of the eternal Christ covers three periods; first, His pre-existence from eternity to His incarnation: second, His humilia tion, from His birth to His death: third, His exaltation, from His resurrection through all the future. A right con ception of Christ is necessary to a right view of Christian doctrine. Such a conception should not only be correct but clear and complete. Many errors may be traced to partial rather than false views of Christ. The historical Jesus of Nazareth must be supplemented by the vision of an enthroned Sin-purger at God’s right hand. The great need of the Church and the Christian today is an apprehension of Christ’s present min istry in heaven and the benefits that flow from it. His intercession is for those who walk uprightly. His advo cacy is for those who fail and sin. Both are continually needed by His earthly people. The session at the right hand of the Father indicates privilege and prestige rather than authority, since He sits upon His Father’s throne, not His own. Rev. 3:21. Nevertheless it sug gests authority, atonement, accomplish ment, approachability and anticipation. SUNDAY, April 13. Hebrews 1:1-9. An Exalted Saviour.
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