November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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the Saviour of man is proof of the Father’s great love (v. 14). In these two verses, we may see the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three forming the one God, who is love. The Father is no more love than is either the Son or the Spirit, but all three form that one triune God whose name and nature is love. In summarizing, we may say that the character of love is God. We, therefore, celebrate the Christmastide as a season of love when God in love for man gave His best for man’s salvation. III. T h e C onfession of L ove (15-19). The true confession of love consists of much more than merely saying that Jesus is the Son of God. It involves the recogni tion of the essential character of Jesus as being very God, the only One in whom God can be found and known, the only One in whom God is made manifest. Not only did God give His Son, but in that Son He gave Himself. God was in Christ, and if we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, we confess God Himself. Such a confession guarantees the presence of God with, and in, the confessor (v. 15). Once again are the words written, “God is love” (v. 16). The former statement (v. 8) speaks of experience; this reference speaks of the nature. He that loves dwells in God, for one could not love without dwelling there. The next reference presents the assurance given by love (vs. 17, 18). “Herein is love made perfect with us” (R. V.). No fear or dread of judgment distresses the believer; there is no fear in love; “fear hath tor ment” ; the believer who fears is lacking either in love or the understanding of love. The word “boldness” applies to the believer in relation to the day of judgment, and the reason is that “as he is, so are we in this world.” The believer has as little cause to fear the day of judgment as Jesus Christ has. The two little words, “as” and “so” are very meaningful in this promise: As Christ, so the Christian: both born of the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, and quickened by the Spirit (cf. Lk. 1:35 and John 3:5; John 6:27 and Eph. 1:13; Lk. 4:1 and Rom. 8:14; Lk. 4:18 and 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; Lk. 4:14-18 and Acts 1:8; 1 Pet. 3:18 and Rom. 8:11). The foundation of all love is that “we love, because he first loved us” (v. 19, R. V.) It is true that we love Him be cause He first loved us, but the thought of this verse is that without His first loving us, we would never love either God or man. When we rise above all sentiment and be gin really to love, there is no considera tion of the character of the object of our love, but instinctively, because of the na ture within us, there is a welling up of pure love toward all. There is no shutting of the eyes to faults, no lessening of the demands of righteousness, no covering up of wrongs, no presuming that “love is blind,” but there is full recognition of all wrongs, and then the assumption of those wrongs as one’s own, even as Christ as sumed all of our wrongs. Then is real love manifested in and through us. “Love is of God.”
Points and Problems 1. The "love” discussed in this lesson is not mere sentimentalism. Love does not shut its eyes to sin, nor does it forbid the passing of judgment upon the teachers of false doctrine, as some leaders would have us believe. The Apostle John, preluding his great discourse on love, calls upon be lievers everywhere to “try the spirits” and prophets which are in the world, and he gives the doctrinal formula by which they are to be tested (1 John 4:1-6). Since men are either saved or lost by their faith atti tude toward Jesus Christ, we cannot be partakers of the divine love and not have deep concern about what men teach with regard to the Son of God. 2. The “love” of this chapter does not spring from any source in human nature. It is from above. “Love is of Godjj (v. 7). The writer specifically denies its origin in humanity by saying, “not that we loved God” (v. 10). The divine love becomes a possibility in men only as they are born of God. Apart from the new birth, the love about which John speaks is utterly un known in the world. This is diífícult for i people to accept who believe in the inherent goodness of man, but it is true. There is in the world a great deal of human senti ment and affection, both admirable, but there is no love. Those who are born of God have love. The others do not have love. 3. Verse 7 of this chapter is sometimes wrongly used to prove that we become children of God by exercising love toward others. But notice that John does not say every one who loves voill be born of God; he says that one who loves is born of God. Love is the evidence, not the procuring cause of the new birth. 4. The entrance of Christ into the wprld and His death for our sins is the great proof that God is love (vs. 9, 10). It should be noted in this connection, that if Christ be not God in His own person, then we have no conclusive proof that God Is love. This, doubtless, is one reason that John makes confession of the Incarnation the primary test of truth and error (vs. 2, 3). Golden Text Illustration The monument of Christ on the cordillera of the Andes has a grand significance. Fourteen thousand feet above the sea, upon a pinnacle it stands, surrounded by peaks of perpetual snow. Chile and Argentina have lifted it as a tangible witness of in ternational brotherhood. The statue cost about a hundred thou sand dollars and was paid for by subscrip tions from the people, the working classes contributing liberally. On this colossal monument of the Christ is the inscription on its granite pedestal: “Sooner shall these mountains crumble to dust than Argentines and Chileans break the PEACE which, at the feet of Christ, the Redeemer, they have sworn to maintain,” and on the opposite side of the base are words recalling the angel’s message of Bethlehem: “Peace on earth, good will to all men!”— The Bottles of Heavent by Revilo.
ETERNAL VALUES r p IME is an im partial yet severe test of value. -A- Money comes and goes, stocks rise and fall, buildings are used and decay. R eturns from in vestm ents in this world are a t best uncertain. W hat a contrast then is a work which “gather- eth fru it unto life eternal” (John 4 :36) 1 I N V E S T I N T H E L O R D ’S W O R K When you use your money to further men's work, pass ing good or growing evil may result. When you put your money in trust with us to further the Lord's work, only lasting good can come of it. The Bible Institute Qolportage Association of Chicago is an undenominational (interdenominational), thoroughly evangelical society, founded by D. L. Moody in 1894. Its object according to its charter is: “To circulate, distribute, make, publish, buy, sell and give away books, pamphlets, tracts, singing books. Bibles. Testaments, and evangelical religious publications, and to use any surplus funds of the Association iln and about Bible and evangelical work." The years have tested and proven the soundness of Dwight L. Moody’s vision. The Gospel in its simplicity and power has been made available to rich and poor that men might understand the plan of salvation, grow in Chris tian living, and more effectively work for the Lord. True believers, who desire to attach themselves to a liv ing, vital, progressive. Gospel agency such as this, are invited to fellowship in the support and enlargement of our ministry. This may be done in various ways: 1. Direct gifts—checks or currency. 2. Donation of bonds or stocks. (If the income is needed during life, the security may be placed with us in trust.) 3. Provide for a legacy or bequest by last will and testament. 4. Assign to the Colportage Association any rights to unsettled estates, or rents and income from any property. 5. Name the Association as a beneficiary under a life insurance policy. 6. Loan funds to be used without interest; or give an estate note. LEGAL FORM OF BEQUEST “I hereby give, devise and bequeath unto The Bible Institute Colportage Association of Chicago, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Illinois, the sum of___________ ____________ Dollars. to be paid out of any real or personal estate owned by me at my decease.*' Write today for free copy of booklet “These Forty Years.*’ Please mention King’s Business, and indicate how you would prefer to help this work. “These Forty Years” will inspire you with the “eternal value” that our Gospel efforts can create with your aid. Write today. The Bible Institute Colportage Ass'n. 810 N. Wells Street Chicago, Illinois
Why Christmas Comes 1 J ohn 4:7-12
Memory Verse: “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). Approach: Christmas time has come again. Have you ever wondered why we have Christmas? Yes, on Christmas we
think back for many hundreds of years to the time when the Lord Jesus was born in B ethlehem . This was a very wonder ful event — so won derful that it should never be forgotten. Lesson Story: We u su a lly celebrate a special day in honor
H f f l i
of a person because of some great deed which he has done, or because we know and love him very much. We should cele brate Christmas for both of these reasons. What was the great deed that Jesus did which should make us want to celebrate Christmas? He came down from His beau-
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