November 1931
514
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
festation of what God is, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only be gotten Son.” Lesson Questions Vs. 7-10. What is the source of all gen uine love ? Can any one love another, in the true sense of the word, if he is not born of God? Why do pagan religions have no conception of God as a God of love? Is love that does not manifest itself genuine? How was God’s love revealed? What great need of man was met in the gift of God’s Son? Vs. 11, 12. Explain the use of the word “ought” in verse 11. How may the life of a Christian show forth Christ? V. 13. Does the use of the preposition “of” in verse 13 indicate that the very na ture of God is imparted to the. believer ? V. 14. Are Christian character and Christian testimony inseparable? What will be the chief theme of the believer’s testimony ? Vs. 15, 16. Will every true believer clearly affirm his belief in the deity of Jesus Christ? When a man refuses to do so, do we have reason to doubt that “God dwelleth in him” ? How does the marginal reading of verse 16 clarify the meaning? Vs. 17, 18. What is meant by the phrase, the “day of judgment” ? In what sense is it true that believers may be ashamed (1 John 2:28), but unafraid when they stand before the Judge? V. 19. If the word “him” is omitted, what larger meaning does the verse con vey? What relation had Calvary to Beth lehem in the manifestation of God’s love for men? Golden T ext Illustration A beautiful legend of the second cen tury tells of a Roman prince who had en tered his castle of stone to feast. He heard a tap at the window, and through it he saw the beautiful face of a child. In sweetest music, he heard the words, “The Christ-child is hungry.” He did not wish to be disturbed in his selfish pleasure, so he sent a soldier to drive away the child intruder. But the delicacies of his table became as ashes. Again he heard the tap at his window, and this time he saw a face, like the cher ub of Raphael, out in the storm. Amid the confused revelry, he heard a still, small voice saying, “The Christ-child is cold.” He ordered the child driven away and the curtains drawn close. Instantly the very fire grew cold, and a chill almost congealed the heart of the prince. Then the ice began to melt, and the prince came to himself. He flung open the door and rushed out, calling af ter the retreating child. He followed until he came to a poor house, where a widow was dead and her orphaned children were crying in the dark. The Christ-child told him to take these children to his castle and to be a father to them. The servants brought them and gathered in other chil dren also. After that, his house was their home, and his shield was their protection. Thus the Christ-child declared the Father all-merciful. May the love and generosity of Christ- mastide help us to understand the love of God. And as the star led the wise men from the East to Jesus, so may the kind words and acts of Christmas lead honest souls to Christ and to God.
BLACKBOARD LESSON
has given us of His Spirit. He has not merely given us His Spirit (which, of course, is true), but He has given us of His Spirit. It is His nature that is im parted. This further explains the expres sion, “his love is perfected in us” ; that is, it bears the fruit of the Spirit (v. 13). Finally, the character is manifested by the witness borne. “We do testify [what we have seen] that- the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (v. 14). The world has no other hope than is found in the testimony to the Son, which is given by the church; but the world re jects this testimony. And therein is the reason why the world does not and can not improve, as far as God is concerned. The church continues to give her testi mony, even as Christ Jesus continued to give His; it cannot be otherwise, because it is the love of God which bears the tes timony. Having the character necessitates the witness. Each one who is born of God naturally loves and, in loving, bears witness, of that love which was manifested in God’s sending His Son to be the Saviour of the world. 2. The test of confession (15-19). The confession relates to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God—that He always was and ever will be the Son of God. What He is today, He was from all eter nity and will be to all eternity. No one can make such a confession unless God dwells in Him, and the confession proves the possession. This confession involves a testimony to the death as well as to the resurrection of Jesus. He is alive as the Son of God, and He is alive because He is the Son of God. The marginal read ing of verse 16 throws light upon this difficult passage, for it reads, “We know and believe the love which God hath in our case." This protects from the heresy of universalism the phrase found inverse 14: “to be the Saviour of the world.” The confession is not only related to what Jesus is, but also to what the saints are in Him (vs. 17, 18). Love is per fected in the saints, and thus they have boldness in the day of judgment. The boldness rises from the fact that “as he is, so are we in this world.” The “day of judgment” is not a day of general judg ment wherein all peoples shall stand. These words refer to the judgment of the saints. At this judgment, the saint may be ashamed before Him (1 John 2:28), but not afraid before Him. The boldness results from the assurance that “as he is, so are we” ; that is, we have been made so by God’s giving of Himself—God who is love—to dwell within; and “there is no fear in love.” Fear has “punishment,” and he that fears is not made perfect in love (v. 18). Finally, the confession concerns what God and the saints have and do. “We love . . . because he first loved us” (v. 19). The word “him” should be omit ted, because the meaning is not that we love Him because He first loved us, but that we love because of His love. That is, we love even as He loves, because He who loves dwells within. Just as, being what He is, God could not do otherwise than love, so we, being what we are, also love, because we are born of God who is love. The love nature is not something which is to be worked up or generated by self effort, but as naturally as the flower shows by its form and color what it is, so the saint reveals the life within, which life is love because God is love.
The great hindrance to the realization of the new life is the naturally legalistic spirit within each human being. Concern ing the old nature, we are tempted to think that we must do something to pro pitiate the holy God before He will do anything for us. This is a denial of what God is. First of all, God is love, and be ing love, He must send His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Hence, we deny the very nature of God when we attempt in any manner to provide the propitiation for ourselves. When we discover that God is love, we discover that all that was required to settle the sin question in ac cordance with God’s holiness has been provided, because God is what He is— love. Knowing this, which is really know ing (Sod, produces boldness within the heart of every one who has reveived Him. But there is another hindrance which has to do with the new creation. While the death of Christ completely settles all questions concerning the old creation, it is the life of Christ which forever answers for the new creation. And here again it is not a question of the attainments of the saints, but of the value of Christ’s life. This life, which is a life of love, cannot be other than it is—victorious over every thing that is contrary to God who is love. Just as water runs down hill because of the nature of things, so “we love because” of the nature of things spiritual. As it is impossible for God who is love to do any other than love and to manifest that love, so it is impossible for the one who is born of God to do otherwise., Christmas Day, on which is celebrated the birth of Christ, is the day which commemorates the mani Love Is of God Beloved, let us love: love is of God, In God alone hath love its true abode. Beloved, let us love: for they who love, They only, are His sons, born from above. Beloved, let us love: for love is rest, And he who loveth not abides un blest. Beloved, let us love: for love is light, And he who loveth not dwelleth in night. Beloved, let us love: for only thus Shall we behold that God who lov eth us. —H oratius B onar .
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker