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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November 1926
pleaded, "I cannot keep the command ments.” A good answer to make to this would be: "Well, I congratulate you upon being in perfect accord with the Word of Ood. If man had been able to keep the commandments there would have been no necessity for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The com mandments were never given as a means of salvation; they were given to Israel to show what the righteous ness of Ood demanded, and to compel Israel to recognize the need of the blood offerings which were made for sin.” Use. (Rom. 8:3, 4 ): “For wbut the law could not do. In that It wan weak through the flesh, God^ sending his own Son In the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin In the flesh t “That the righteousness o f the law might be fulfllled In us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The righteousness of the law cannot be fulfllled by any man; but it can be fulfilled in men (Gal. 3:11-13):
"B a t that no man la Juatlded by the law In the aiarht o f Ood, It la evident, for The Just ahall live by faith. "And the law la not o f faiths bat. The man that doeth them ahall live In them. "Chrlat hath redeemed na from the enrae of the law, b elli, made a enrae for nas for It la written, Caraed la every one that hanareth on a tree." ( ETph. 2 : 8 ) : "F o r by arrace are ye aaved through faith, and that not o f yoaraelveai It la the gift of Gods not o f works, lest any man ahonld boast.” Next month we will show how to deal with those who feel that they have committed "The Unpardonable Sin,” those who "Fear Persecution,” those who say there is "Too much to Give Up,” etc. (The suggestions given above are taken from a Correspondence Course on “P e r s o n a l and Practical Christian Work,” by T. C. Horton, one of the many courses offered by the Correspondence School of The Bible Institute of Los An geles. Further information concerning these courses will be cheerfully given by the Secretary, Keith L. Brooks, 636 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.) be the constraining power in us to bring others to know and love Him. (2) THE CONFESSION OF LOVE. "Confession” is here brought in for the third time (1 :9 ; 4:2, 3; 4 :16 ). Love confesses its object, so John says, “ We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (v. 14), and “ We have known and believed the love that God hath to us” (v. 16). In other words, “ Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent by the Father,— sent to save sin ners; and we live to bear testimony to that fact.” Almost every ’ Christian grace is, really, love— in some form. Repentance is love grieving. Faith is love leaning. Hope is love anticipating. Courage is love daring. Confession is love overflowing. Oh, for lives that would always be bearing testimony to God’s love in Christ! This would make us lovely. (3) THE COURSE OF LOVE, “ Perfect love easteth out fear” (v. 18). Constraining love leads to con fession, and confession gives boldness. Three times in this epistle the thought of “ love perfected” is expressed. ( 2 : 6 ): "B a t wboao keepeth bln word, la bias verily Is the lové of God perfected I here by know we that we are la hlm.v (4 :1 2 ): “ No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one anotker* God dwelleth in na, and kls love la perfected In na.” (4 :1 7 ): “ Herein la onr love made perfect* tkat we may hnve boldneaa In tke day of judgments becauae aa ke la* ao are we In tkla^ worlds” Love bears us along until it puts us into the "heavenlies” and drives away all fear. We have in these two verses (15 and 16) a two-fold statement of the means
utreiftkeii thee; Tea, I will help theet yea* I will uphold thee with the right hand o f my righteousness.” (Jude 24 ): “ • • • him that Is able to keep yon from falling* and to present yon fault less before the presence o f his glory with exceeding Joy.” No man can pluck us out of the hand of the Lord (John 10:28, 29 ): “ And I give unto them eternal life* and they shall never perish* neither shall any man pluck them out o f my hand. “My Father, which gave them me, Is greater than alls and no man Is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (2 Chron. 32:7, 8; 2 These. 3 :3 ). A life-boat was pitching and rolling in a fearful storm, when the old cap tain cried aloud to all, "Hold on! Hold on !” The response came, "Ay, ay.” But one little voice answered, " I can't hold on.” Instantly the strong arm of the captain was thrown around the trembling child and he was safe. That is how Ood holds us, when we let Him. Similar to the excuse of "Cannot Hold Out” is that which is often
f t I ) f t Outline Studies in the Epistles of John T. C. Horton THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN Outline o f the Epistle: (1 ) Introduction (1 :1 -4 ). (2 ) God is Light: Fellowship with God in light (1 :5 to 2:28). (3 ) God is Love. The sonshlp 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 (5:13-21). Outline o f Chapter Four: love is perfected through love' for the brethren. A helpful outline of these seven verses would be as follows: (1 ) The Constraint of Love. (2 ) The Confession of Love. (3 ) The Course of Love.
(4 ) The Communication of Love. (1 ) THE CONSTRAINT OF LOVE. “ We love Him because,— ” . Here the affirmation is “ We love Him," and the explanation is “ Because He first loved us.” That-is to say, God’s love originated with Himself. In every other relation of life, love is kindled by love. A child learns to love through the love of the parents. Like pro duces like, and love produces love. This is a law of the universe. vThe constraining power of God is not His wisdom,— that is too great. Not His righteousness,— that is too holy. But His love won us (v. 19). As His love constrained us, so love will BY NAME “ And He calleth His own sheep by name.” John 10:3. He calleth His own by name, by name! And nothing is ever quite the same, Since we have heard His voice. Such a loving voice that bids up trust, For He remembers that we are dust,— He knows how weak our frame! And that we are His, we khow, we know! He’s called us by name and told us so, And how our hearts rejoice! Well worth the struggle, the grief, the pain, When we hear His tender voice again, Calling us by our name. — Maud E. Cramer. Chattanooga, Tennessee.
(1 ) The Discernment of Truth, vs. 1 - 6 ) . (2) The Demonstration of Truth, vs. 7-14. (3 ) The Development of Truth, vs. 15-21. Coming now to the third and last di vision of Chapter Four, we have (3 ) THE D E V E L O P M E N T OF TRUTH, vs. 16-21. "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus Is the Son of God, God dwelleth la him, and he In God. _____ ____„ . . "And we have known and believed the love that God bath to ns. God Is love: and he that dwelleth In love dwelleth la God, and God In him. "Herein Is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness In Ik e day of Judgment! because as he Is, so are we la this world. “There Is no fear In lovei but perfect love easteth out feari because fear bath torment. He that feareth la not made perfect In love. "W e love him, because he nrst loved us, " I f a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he Is a lla n for he that loveth not his brother whom he bath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.1* Here we have a development of truth. God is the source of love, which is manifested in Christ, through the medium of the Spirit, finding its meaning in the life of the believer, for
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