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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
October 1926
“ Tke same came to bear wltaeaa o f the ligh t that all men through him m ight believe.” God says you must believe, (Heb. 11 : 6 ) : «H e that cometh to God muat believe that He la, and that he la a rewarder o f them that diligen tly aeek him.” God never told a man to do an im possible thing. If you will not believe, your case is hopeless, (John 3 :18 ): «H e that belleveth not la condemned already, becauae he hath not believed la the name o f the only begotten Son o f God.” (John 3 :36 ): «H e tbat belleveth not the Son rt»H not nee life» but the w rath o f God abldeth on him.” You may use as a final verse (2 Tim. 2 :13 ): «Though we believe not yet he abldeth faith ful.” While Nature and Providence suggest the goodness of God, they do not demonstrate the love of God; but His Son on the cross demonstrated that love (John 3 :16 ). Love is a fruit, and before you can have fruit, you must have seed. The Spirit of God makes this love real by applying it to our hearts, and thus producing life. The object of love is to perfect itself in life. So we have the command, “ Love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God” (v.7). As the abstract statement "God is love” is meaningless, without a prac tical demonstration, so the statement of a believer as to his love for God and man is meaningless, without a practi cal demonstration. For what is true of God, must be true of us (v.17). Therefore, the proof of our love, as of God’s love, is sacrifice and service. If “ God so loved,” then we ought to “ so love one another.” But let us remember that this is the love of God in our hearts, not our love; not mere natural benevolence. Some are gener ous by nature, but that is not the love of God. , The aim of God’s love is to bless, and the end is reached when that love is reproduced in us. The children should show the characteristics of the father (Eph. 5 :1 ,2 ): «B e ye therefore follow ers “ But theae are w ritten that ve m ight believe that Jeaua la the Chrlat. the Son o f God, and that bellevlnu ye m ight have life through Hla name.” Then tell him why he cannot be lieve, (John 8 :44 ): •How can y e believe which receive honor one o f another, and aeek not the honor that cometh from God only I” (See, alsd, 2 Cor. 4:3, 4). You will And that some sin, uncon fessed, usually hinders belief. God is true, His Word true,— they who deny must be untrue. Use (Isa. 65 :7 ): “ Let the w ick ed foraake hla w a r and the unrlghteoua man hla thoughts. and let him return unto the L o r i and he w ill have m ereyi and to ou r God fo r He w ill abundantly pardon.” God says you can believe, (John 1 :7 ): Mi. ¿Mfe M M 3ft (2 ) A special form of righteousness and mark of conduct (3:16-18). (3 ) A gift of the Spirit, in contrast with the anti-christian spirit. The basis of the argument here is "God is Love.” There are three aspects of God’s nature: (1 ) God is a Spirit (Personality) (John, 4t,h ch .); (2 ) God is light (Perfect, pure) (1 John 1 :6 ); (3 ) God is love ( P e r s u a s i o n , power) (1 John 4 :8 ). These three thoughts comprehend the fullest conception of God. For God’s Spirit the believer must have,— a spiritual apprehension, spiritual per ception of Him. "God is light,” and the believer must walk in purity of life, for fellowship. "God is love,”— and we must feel the power of His love to move, animate, control us. God is the source of love. His heart is the fountain. Love springs from Him. Love must have a subject and an object. The manifestation of love is Christ (v .10 ); the medium of com munication is the Spirit (v .13 ); the meaning of love— imparts life (v.9). God cannot reveal H im s e lf save through a medium, e. g.. Ineffable light; a burning bush; an angel; His Son (1 Tim. 6 :16 ): «W h o on ly hath Inunortallty, dw elling In the ligh t which no naan can approach on to! w hom no man hath aeen, nor can aeei to whom be honour and pow er ever lasting. Amen.” God poured out His love upon His Son, in whom that love finds a perfect response. The Son manifests love by sacrifice and service. The mere abstract statement "God is love” is meaningless. Tnere must be a practical demonstration of It. My Best,” “ Hypocrites in the Church,” etc., considering in detail those who deny the Existence ot God, and the Word ot God. This month we will take up Those Who Say They “ Cannot Believe.” Ask the inquirer, "Cannot believe who?” giving him (1 John 6 :10 ): “ He that brllevrth not God hath made him a liar.” (Rom. 3 :3 ): “ F or what It aome did not believe t Shall their unbelief make the faith o f God w ithout effect f” Then ask, “ You cannot believe what?” giving again (1 John 5 :10 ): “ He that belleveth not God hath made him a liar, becauae he belleveth not the record that God gave o f hla Soa.” (John 20 :31 ): THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN Outline of the Epistle: (1 ) Introduction (1 :1 -4 ). (2 ) God is Light: Fellowship with God in light (1 :5 to 2 :28 ). (8) God is Love. The sonship of the believer (2:29 to 3:24 ). (4 ) Source of Sonship: Possessed by the Spirit (4 :1 to 5:12 ). (5 ) Conclusion. The law of love (6:13-21). Outline o f Chapter Four: (1 ) The Discernment of Truth, vs. 1 - 6 . (2 ) The Demonstration of Truth, vs. 7-14. (3 ) The Development of Truth, vs. 15-21. Last month we considered the first six verses of this fourth chapter, and saw the necessity of bringing every thing to the criterion of the truth, the conclusion being that if the anti- christian spirits are working their seductive arts without the fold, those within should cleave close together, "Love one another," and in this way demonstrate the truth. ( 2 ) T H E d em o n s t r a t io n of . TRUTH, vs . 7-14: «Beloved, let ua love one another! for love la o f God! and every one that loveth la born o f God, and knoweth God. «H e that loveth not knoweth not God! fo r God la love. * . __ - «In thla waa manlfeated the love o f God toward ua, becauae that God seat hla on ly begotten Son Into the world, that we m ight live through him. ^ «H e re in la love, not that we toyed God, but that he loved ua, and Bent hla Son to be the propitiation fo r our alas. «Beloved, If God ao loved ua, w e ought alao to love one another. «Mo man hath Been God at any time. I f w e love one another, God dwelleth in ua, and hla love la perfected In ua. «H ereby know w e that w e dw ell in him, and he In na, becauae he hath given to ua o f hla Spirit. .. . «And w e have aeen and do teatlfy that the Father aent the Son to be the Savi ou r o f the world.” This is the third time that the theme of "brotherly love" is set forth in the First Epistle of John: (1 ) A consequence and sign o f walking in the light (2 :7 -11 ). Epistles of John Outline Studies in the T. O. Horton Turn to page 568— read, pray, act, to thwart Satan’s designs upon our children!
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