Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-11-18
WALKING IN THE LIGHT.
Or. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.


First Chapter of L John, Verse !.
Lesson Text, John, 1, 5-1O.
It is frequently objected that Christian
teaching is too much about what we should
believe and too little about what we should
do. When this letter was written by John
he was quite old, and the truth had been
tried for a long time among men, 1t is
easier to profess belief than to do right, and
no doubt many affect belief who act badly.
One of the great advantages of studying
lesson like this is that it shows how true be-
lieving is followed by right acting, and that
the believing is the means Of bringing out
the good living
Some Of our lessons have been historical
Some have been statements of truth to be re-
ceived. This is in good degree expert
mental. 1t teaches the actual feelings of
believers, the practical religious life of men.
Probably there were men teaching at this
time in the name of Christianity that they
were personally sinless; for every truth tha'
God reveals, the devil and men guided by him
will twist and misrepresent. May the Spirit
of God help us to see and hold each truth in
its fullness and in its proper place to other
truths! Then we have a true, living and
symmetrical "body of divinity" as the good
mon of other days were won't to say. Having
asserted in the strongest way that it was
Jesus the Son of God that he had declared
unto them, and this in order that they might
be really happy ". A, he proceeds to show
how this declaration believed ought to act OH
the life of the believer
IS. From Jesus John had Elearned the
character of God. He was the revealer of
the Father the brightness of his glory, the
very image of his person. He, Jesus, had
| taught men that God is light, with no dark
ness in him. Heather gods were men over
| grown, with jealousies passions, crimes set
down to them, as one sees in reading even the
classics at school, Think of what they
counted Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, not to
speak of demigods, to bel "God is light"
| There is no darkness of sin or of ignorance in
him. He is the infinitely Holy One. Now
". g if we profess to be in his fellowship,
| in sympathy with him, as children with a
| father, as soldiers with leader, as friends
| with q friend, and yet walk in darkness,
| ignorance and sin, 1--WE lie, and do not the
truth" This is plain. The darkness is not
| that of grief, sorrow OF doubt, but of wrong.
| 1t points to "deeds of darkness" The pro-
fession, if not attended by practice,.i is hypoc-
risy and lying. On the other hand
". q, if we are walking ''in the light
not of intellect, education, science or even
moral courage, but the ways of God accord
ing to his nature las in V. 5)--we have fel-
lowship one with another-for the aim is
common one and such walking is against sell
fishness-"and the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth," or is cleansing US, from all sin.
This does not refer so much to pardon, which
is full, free and complete, as to the neral
effect of the death of Christ Oh us. OF
course, that moral effect implies the pardon,
or, in other words, justification goes before
sanctification. Here is one who says: "Iwas
lost; Jesus came after me and saved me- To
do it he had to she'd his blood Through THAT
blood l get pardon. l love him for shedding
his blood fo Inc, and because l love him
am trying 20 quit sin and to be holy" That
man is being cleansed by the blood. He is
walking in the light He loves the holy Re
deemer, the image of God, and because he
loves him he is trying to keep his command
ments. Get this fixed in the mind
v s. If we say that we do not need to try,
that we are perfect, sinless, we are cheating
ourselves, putting false view before our
own minds and showing that whatever we
may know about other things, "the truth"
| about God and his salvation has not possession
| of us. 1t may be about us, in our hands; it is
not shaping our thoughts nor affecting our
hearts. Let us not say this, but own the
facts of our forgetfulness, folly and inconsis-
tency. Then we shall carry out, for we shall
feel the need Of the words in
V.9 We are children-often rebellious
and wayward-of God. If we feel the wrong
and own it to our Father, Confess it," two
things will follow: (a) He will forgive. That
is faithfulness in him. He has promised it
and he will keep faith. See Ps. xxxiv, 4, 5.
| That is justice. Jesus Christ has made atone
ment The law is fulfilled and honored.
God is just and yet pardons a believer his
sins. See Rom. viii, 8, 4. (J) He will cleanse
us from all unrighteouSness. He does not
deal with us as with filthy matter, but as
with polluted minds. When it is our way
sincerely to own sin to God and beg his for
giveness, we watch against sin; we beg his
grace to strengthen us against it, and he
| gives the grace. So we become pure, holy
and Christlike. True humility thus goes with
true religion. But with self-rghteousness
! pride goes, and hence
V. 10puts it strongly, "If we say we have
no sin," etc. Why, he sent Christ to save us
as sinners! 1t is as sinners he invites us to
confess. If we deny that we give him the
lie, and his word-which is based on this very
facts not in us. See Ps Ii. 1-12 for illus
tration of all this.
V. 1. The aged and loving apostle calls
| the Christians he addressed "My little chill