Thursday, September 30, 1937
THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON
IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
UNDAY
I
S chool Lesson
By REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
© Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for October 3
CHRISTIAN SONSHIP
LESSON TEXT—I John 3:1-«. 18-34.
GOLDEN TEXT—But as many as re
ceived him. to them gave he power to be
come the sons of God. even to them that
believe on his name. John 1:12.
PRIMARY TOPIC—What John Learned
from Jesus.
JUNIOR TOPIC—John s Way.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC—
What Makes Us Children of God?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC—
Christian Sonshlp.
“Studies in the Christian Life.’’
What an attractive title, and what
interesting and instructive studies
we are to share during the com
ing three months!
When setting out on a journey we
want to know just where we are
going. Just so when we take up a
new study we need to define the
limits of our subject. We are to
study the Christian life—not life in
general, not religious life, no, not
even life in a Christian land or dur
ing the Christian era. It is there
fore most appropriate that our first
lesson in this series should tell us
who the Christian is and how he
lives.
I. God’s Children—Who They Are
(vv. 1-6).
1. They are “Born ones” (v. 1).
The Revised Version correctly
translates “sons” as “children.” We
are sons in our position, but we
are children by the new birth. A
man may attain the legal relation
ship of a son by adoption, but he
can be a child only by birth.
2. They are separated ones (v. 1).
The world, that is, unregenerate
man, does not belong to this family
of God. How hard it is for even
church people to understand that
fact. They do not appreciate and
cannot understand God’s children,
because they themselves do not
know God.
3. They are glorified ones (v. 2).
“We shall be like him for we shall
see him as he is.” What a glorious
hope, realized even now by faith in
the hearts and lives of God’s chil
dren. The present difference be
tween God’s children and the world
is to become even greater, for in
that day when Christ “shall appear”
(for he is coming again!) God’s
children shall be like him. Spiritu
ally and morally—yes, and even
their bodies shall be transformed.
4. They are purified ones (w . 3-6).
The standard whereby the Christian
measures his life is the purity of
Christ. The question is not “How
much purer am I than my friends
and acquaintances?” No, the norm
for the Christian life is far higher,
we are to be purified as “he is
pure.”
All sin is a disregard of God’s
law (v. 4). His children do not
thus defy Him. They have taken as
their Saviour the one “who was
manifested to take away sins.”
There was no sin in him, and the
one who abides in him has victory
and does not live in sin. He may
fall into some act of sin, but in ut
ter misery and repentance he turns
from it to his Deliverer.
II. God’s Children—How They
Live (vv. 18-24).
Love is the supreme test of Chris
tian profession. “We know we have
passed out of death into life, be
cause we love the brethren,” says
John in v. 14 (R. V.). How far
should love go? “We ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren”
(v. 16).
Such a sacrifice is not often de
manded of us, but the writer goes
on to say that we may show that
spirit in daily service to those in
need.
1. In loving and sacrificial serv
ice (v. 18). Words may comfort and
strengthen, especially when they
are words of love. Love does not
stop with words, however, but acts,
reflecting the spirit of God, who not
only is good, but does good.
2. In the assurance of faith (vv.
18-21). Assurance is the blessed
privilege of the child of God. Well
may we feel condemned when we
measure our lives by his divine
tests. But after all, even “if our
heart condemn us, God is greater
than our heart.” Salvation does not
depend on either our works or our
feelings. It is of God. Does this
condone sin? God forbid. We are
rather so to walk that "our heart
condemn us not.”
3. In unquestioning obedience (w .
22-24). The hallmark of character
in a child is obedience. Scripture
does not countenance the unfortu
nate standards of men on this point.
The children of God “keep his com
mandments” which are "beautifully
summed up in v. 23 as believing
in Christ and loving one another.
Divine Purpose
What is it after all which gives
men the energy to do things seem
ingly impossible? It is, and always
has been, the result of the divine
purpose.
of Perfectness
And above all these things put
on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness.
Honesty the Best Policy
Unimpaired integrity is an in
comparable asset.
Proof
Two old darky men were having
a heated argument. The cause of
all the bother was that each accused
the other of marrying a woman who
was not quite a full-blooded negress.
“Let me tell you,” said Mose,
“mah Lindy am so black dat when
she cries Ah saves de tears an’
uses dem for ink.”
Sambo laughed sarcastically.
"Bo’,” he replied, "dat ain’t nuf-
f n at all. Mah Dinah am so black
dat ebery time she sneezes de room
am sure filled with soot.”—London
Answers Magazine.
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