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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
December 1925
Outline Studies in the Epistles of John I . C. Horton LESSON FOUR Review of Previous Lessons Remember the purpose of the first epistle: “That your joy may be full” (v. 4). “That ye sin not” ( 2 :1 ). So Paul, again, in (1 Cor. 1 5 :3 4 ): “A w ak e to rig h teo u sn ess, and sin n o t; fo r som e h a v e n o t th e kn ow ledge of God: I sp eak th is to y o u r sham e.” Everywhere, there is constant warn ing and admonition against sinning. (b) The Possibility of Sinning. for there would be no opportunity for God to develop us in a life of victory over sin. So Jesus Christ, the Right eous, is our Advocate.
The settlement of the sin question is always delegated to and centers in Jesus Christ; the Righteous. “Jesns” is His name as Saviour. “Christ”— as the Anointed— t h e Messiah. “The Righteous One”—One who by His own righteousness, as God, the Son, could represent heaven here in the Atonement; and who, as the Son of Man, could represent our human in terests there in Heaven. When He represented Heaven’s in terest to us here He became the pro pitiatory sacrifice for sin. “Propitia tion” means— “Appeasing the wrath of God.” The wrath of God which was due us, fell on Him! Now He is at the right hand of God, for us. Just as the High Priest, on the Day of Atonement, took the blood of the sin offering into the Holy of holies and sprinkled it1upon the altar, so Christ bore His own blood into Heaven’s court,— the Holy of Holies, and placed it upon the altar, in the presence of Gqd. He is a Living Advocate (Heb. 9: 24-28): “F o r C h rist is n o t en tered in to th e holy p laces m ade w ith h an ds, w h ich a re th e figures of th e tru es bu t in to h eav en it self, now to ap p ear in th e p resen ce of God fo r uss “N or y e t th a t he should otter him self o ften , a s th e h ig h p rie st e n te re th in to th e holy p la ce e v e ry y e a r w ith blood of o th e rs; “F o r th en m u st h e o ften h av e suffered sin ce th e foun dation o f th e w o rld : but now on ce in th e end of th e w orld h a th he app eared to p u t aw a y sin b y th e s a c rifice o f him self. “And a s it is app oin ted u n to m en on ce to die, b u t a f te r th is th e ju d gm en t: “ So C h rist w a s on ce offered to b e a r th e sin s of m a n y ; and u n to th em th a t look fo r him sh a ll h e ap p ear th e second tim e w ith o u t sin u n to salv atio n .” (Heb. 7 :2 5 -2 8 ): “W h e re fo re h e is able a lso to sav e th em to th e u tte rm o s t th a t com e un to God b y him , seein g h e e v e r liv eth to m ak e in tercessio n f o r th em . “F o r su ch a high p rie st b ecam e us, who is holy, h arm less, undefiled, se p a ra te from sin n ers, and m ade h ig h e r th a n th e heav en s; “W h o need eth n o t d aily, a s th o se high p rie sts, to offer up sacrifice, first fo r his own sins, and th en fo r th e people’s : fo r th is h e did on ce, w hen h e offered up him self. “F o r th e law m ak eth m en h ig h p rie sts w hich h a v e in firm ity ; b u t th e w o rd o f th e o a th , w h ich w a s sin ce th e law , m ak eth th e Son, w ho is co n secrated f o r ev er m ore.” Our sin is always against God, and so only God could establish the terms of forgiveness of our sins, and He has established them once for all in the blood offering of His Son. This propitiation is for every sinner who will receive God’s terms, and act upon them, and it is the business of the believer to make known these terms to a lost world. (Next month, “Profession and Prac tice,” 2 :3 -1 1 ).
“An old commandment” (2 :7 ). “The new commandment” (2 :8 ). “Concerning the seducers” (2 :2 6 ). Outline of the Epistle: (1 ) Introduction (1 :1 -4 ). (2) God is Light. Fellowship with God, in light (1 :5 to j2 :2 8 ). (3 ) God is Love. The sonship of the believer (2 :29 to 3 :2 4 ). (4 ) Source of Sonship. Possessed by the Spirit (4 :1 to 5 :1 2 ). (5) Conclusion. The law of love (5 :1 3 -2 1 ). Outline of Chapter 2 : ■ (1 ) The Mediatorial Work of Christ, vs. 1, 2. (2 ) Profession and Practice, vs. 3- 11 . (3) Safeguarding the Saved, vs. 12- 17. (4) Christians and Anti-Christians, vs. 18-29. The first two verses of this chapter are really a conclusion of chapter one, and properly belong to that chapter. (1 ) THE MEDIATORIAL WORK OF CHRIST, vs. 1, 2. “My little ch ild ren , th e se th in g s w rite K un to you, th a t y e s in n o t. And if a n y m an sin, w e h a v e an ad v o ca te w ith th e F a th e r, J e s u s C h rist th e rig h te o u s: “And h e is th e p rop itiation f o r ou r sin s: an d n o t f o r ou rs on ly, b u t a lso fo r th e sins o f th e w hole w orld .” There are three things in these two verses of especial notp: (a) The prohibition of sin— (“That ye sin not” ). (b) The possibility of sin— ( “If any man sin” ). (c) The provision for sin— ( “An advocate with the Father” ). (a) The Prohibition of Sin. The Gospel is always hitting hard concerning sin. Sin is prohibited, not excused. In 1:6-10, we found that there could be no fellowship with God, in sin. John has proven that we have a sinful nature ( 1 :1 8 ): “I f w e s a y th a t w e h av e no sin, w e de ceive ou rselv es, and th e tru th is n o t in u s.” He now seeks to guard the believer against continuing in sin, as did Paul (Rom. 6 :1 , 2, 3 ): “W h a t sh all w e sa y th en ? Shall w e con tin u e in sin, th a t g r a c e m a y abound? God forbid. H ow sh all w e, th a t a r e dead to sin , liv e a n y lo n g e r th erein ?” Jesus makes the same thing clear in (John 5 :1 4 ; John 8 :1 1 ): “A fte rw a rd Je su s findeth him in th e tem p le, and said u n to him , B ehold, th ou a r t m ade w h o le: sin no m ore, le st a w o rse th in g com e u n to th ee. * * “ She said, No m an , L ord . And Je su s said u n to h er, N either do 1 condem n th e e : go , and sin no m ore.”
The Word makes plain, also, that there is a possibility of our sinning: (Gal. 6 :3 ): “F o r if a m an th in k h im self to he som eth in g, w h en h e is n o th in g, he de- ceiveth him self.” (Eph. 4 :2 6 ): “B e y e a n g ry , and sin n o t: le t n o t th e sun g o down upon y o u r w r a th :” (Titus 2 :1 1 -1 3 ): “F o r th e g r a c e o f God th a t b rin g eth sa lv a tio n h a th app eared to a ll m en, “T eaching- u s th a t, den yin g ungodli ness and/ w o rld ly lu sts, w e should live sob erly , rig h te o u sly , and god ly, in th is p re se n t w o rld ;” (James 1 :2 2 -2 6 ): “B u t be y e doers o f th e w ord , and n o t h e a re rs on ly, deceiv in g y o u r ow n selves. “F o r if an y be a h e a re r of th e w ord, and n o t a doer, h e is lik e u n to a m an be holding his n a tu ra l fa ce in a g la ss : “F o r he beholdeth h im self, and go eth h is w a y , and s tra ig h tw a y fo rg e tte th w h a t m an n er o f m an h e w as. “B u t w hoso lo ok eth in to th e p e rfe ct law of lib e rty , and con tin u eth th erein , he bein g n o t a fo rg e tfu l h e a re r, b u t a doer o f th e w o rk , th is m an sh a ll b e blessed in h is deed. “I f a n y m an am on g you seem to be r e ligiou s, an d b rid leth n o t his to n g u e, bu t deceiv eth h is ow n h e a rt, th is m an ’s re ligion is y ain .” (1 Pet. 4 :1 5 ): “B u t le t none o f you suffer a s a m u r d erer, o r a s a th ief, o r a s an ev il doer, or a s a busybody in o th e r m en’s m a tte rs.” There are many other scriptures urging the believer not to sin,— en treating, exhorting, commanding! (c) The Provision for Sin. The fact God has made provision for sin is a definite proof that there is a possibility and a probability of the be liever sinning. God has provided an Advocate for the believer who sins. The term “Ad vocate” (Paraclete, intercessor) is the same term that Jesus uses in the 14th of John, when He says, “I will send you another Comforter (paraclete) Here the same word is rendered “Advocate,” i.e. one to represent Heaven’s affairs to us, and to repre sent our affairs in Heaven, before God. If it were not possible for the be liever to sin, he would not need an Advocate, an. intercessor. There would be no work for the High Priest. (Heh. 4 :1 4 -1 6 ): “ Seeing th en th a t w e h av e a g r e a t h igh p riest, th a t is passed in to th e h eaven s, Je sn s th e Son o f God, le t ns hold f a s t ou r profession. “F o r w e have n o t an h igh p rie st w hich ca n n o t be touched w ith th e feelin g of on r in firm ities t b u t w as in a ll points tem p ted lik e a s w e a re , y e t w ith o u t sin. “ L e t u s th e re fo re com e boldly u n to th e th ro n e of g ra c e , th a t w e m a y ob tain m ercy , and find g ra c e to help in tim e of need.” There would be no special virtue- in our living down here, if we had not the possibility and temptation to sin,
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