The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-11-20
WALKING IN THE LIGHT.
OR. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

Lesson Text, I John, !, $40.
1t 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 long time among men. 1t is
| easier TO profess belief than 70 do right, and
| no doubt many affect belief who act badly
! One OF tho great advantages Of studying Il
lesson like this is that it shows how true be-
lieving is followed by right acting, and that
'he believing IL the means Of bringing out
the good living.
Some Of our lessons have been historical.
Some have been statements of truth TO he re-
ccived. This Is in good degree eyper!
mental IL 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 snles; for every truth tina
God reveals, tho devil and men guided by him
will twist and misrepnesent May the Spirit
Of God help US " $50 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
men of Other days were wont TO say. Having
asserted in the strongest way that it was
Jesus the Son OF God that he lGld declared
unto them, and this In order that they might
10 really happy ". d, he proceeds to show
how this declaration believed ought 10 act on
the life OF tho believer.
vs.. From Jesus John had learned the
character Of God He was the revealer Of
tho Father tho 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 mon over
grown, with jealousles, passions, crimes set
down To them, ~ ono sees in reading even the
classics at school Think Of what they
counted Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, not to
speak Of demigods, TO Dol God is light
There IL no darkness OF sin or Of ignorance in
him He Is the infinitely Holy One, Now
V. @ IL We profess 10 he in his fellowship,
In sympathy with him, as children with
father, as soldiers with a leader, az friends
with q friend. and yet walk In darkness
ignorance and sin, eve lie, and do not the
truth This Is plain The darkness is not
that OF grief, sorrow or doubt, but Of wrong
1t points To 4desis of darkness The pro
fession, If not attended by practice, is hypoc-
risy and lying On the other hnnd
". .. if we are walking I'm the light
not OF intellect, education, science or even
moral courage, but tho ways Of God accord
ing TO his nature tas in V. 5i-we have fell
lOwship one with anotherfor the aim Is q
common one and such walking is against sell
fshneSs -"and the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth,' or is cleansing us from all sin.
This does not refer 80 much 10 pardon, which
Is full, free ana complete, as to the moral
effect OF tho death Of Christ on us OF
course, that moral effect implies the pardon,
or, In other words, justification goes before
sanctification Here is one who says: II was
lost; Jesus came after me and saved re. To
do it he had TO she'd bis blood Through tina:
blood get pardon. ! love him for shedding
his blood for me, and because love him l
am trying to quit sin and to be holy" That
man Is being cleansed by tho blood He Is
walking in the light. He loves the holy Re-
deemer tho Image Of God, and because he
loves him he Is trying to keep his command
ments. Get this fixed in the mind
V. J. II we say that we do not need TO try,
that wo are perfect, oinle:ss, we arc cheating
ourselves, putting faise view before our
own minds and showing that whatever we
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 ms not say this, but own tho
facts Of our forgetfulness, folly and inconsis-
tency. Then we shall carry out, for We shall
feel tho need Of, the words in
" 0. We are children--often rebelious
and maynard of God. If we feel the wrong
and own it to our Father, Confess it," two
things will follow: Ia lie will forgive That
Is faithfulncss in him. He has promised it
and Ire will keep faith. Seq Ps. xXxiv, 4, g.
That is justice, Jesus Christ has made atone
mcut The law ~ fulfilled and honor,d
God is just and yet pNrdcns believer his
sins. SEQ Rom. viii, 3, 1. (b) He viii cleanse
us from all unrighteousncss He does not
deal with Us ~ with filthy matter, but as
with polluted minds When il is our way
sincerely to own sin 10 Ood and beg his for
givcucsS, w0 watch against sin; We beg his
grace To strengthen us against IL, and he
gives the grace. So we become pun, holy
and Christliko. True humility thus goes with
true religion. But with self righteousness
pride goes, and hence
V. 10 puts it strongly, "I' W. say we have
no SIM etc Why, he seat Christ 10 save us
as sinneTsi Il l., as sinner, h. invites uS to
confess If We duny that We give him the
lie, and his word which is ua4,d on this very
facts not in MS. $50 y. Il. LIE for Illus
tratlon of all this
V. |. The aged and loving apostle calls
the Christians he ndlnescd My little chill
dren." lio Is telling them these things to
keep them from Ninuiny not to make them
easy in sim "Ahl but their hearts reply,
1--WE have sinncd, oh, 5" muyh.7 The closer
the truth comes 10 IL through holy men the
moro we shall fcel this. SO he replies, If
any man sim" here is his relief, we have an
advocate with the Father, representative, a
friend, pleader, one who is tit and entitled
10 plead for US, for no is the righteous"
We hnvc Offended God, but he never dis
PLEASED him at any time And
". - not only IL he righteous in himself,
but no Is the prppitiaton for our sins (Ses
Heb. tx. ~ He c'1;no for this, be suffered
as our substitute; he is the Lamb Slain for
us; tho Shepherd giving his life for tho sheep.
Nor WA it for you and mean apostle and
handful OF belicvcrs-but for all the world,
without distinction of race, rank or charac-
tor for the chief of sinners as well rs for the
moral AMI humane No human being can
Justly stand sloof and Say, There il no hope
Tor mo in Christ