The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-13
SERMON ON GOD
BY Mr.. WADMAN
The Wonderful Words of John
Exp0unded-" God
Is Love-"

OF hoEedH HiIsSloHs, preached XSSLSr-
day morning in the First Methodist
Episcopal church of which he was for
rnerIy pastor. Afterward he admins
tered the sacrament of the Lords Sup
per The topic of Mr. wadman's dis
course was God is love" I John As,
and he spoke in substance as follows:
Johns thoughts are majestic. OF all
the New Testament writers this may
be predieated more accurately of the
Jshanean writings than of all the
others His thoughts are kingly, sub
lime. heavenly and yet his words are
always simple. natural and easily TO
be understood. A little child can sit
at the feet Of John and spell out the
rich meaning of his sunlight pages,
The rrast profound mysteries in the
redemDtion story OF Gods salvation,
the great scriptural and moral rela-
tons Of the human soul TO eternal
veriries and eternal destinies. the broad,
deep. Fundamental principles Of Chris
tian ethics and Christian evidences are
here ro~traved in language 50 simple
and natural that he who runs may
read
And vet while his languages is so
profound The Truths he defines have
their roots in the infinite and the
divine
You recall Dante's experience in the
happy worl7 and be suddenly meets
the immortal Spirit OF John face 10
face and "out OF a flame refulgent,
that had quenched il, issued a breath
ing which attentive made me- Indeed
there can be little doubt that the
writings Of John are the revelation Of
one who very frequently climbed the
Holy Mount Of prayer and eommuned
with God face 10 face.
GOD IS LOVE"
Elsewhere John had written God IS
Spirit and later he stated God is
Light" and now here God is Love"
Three brief statements and Yet preg-
nant with sublime truths-these brief
statements foraning the subject matter
of his whole writing. God is Spirit
The gnostics of Johns day would be
able to understand this in part. More /
over they would also fairly well COM /
rrehend the meaning of the Second /
statement. God is Light and how +
could they or the other teachers and 4
religionists of his day understand the 4
truth comprised IN the third enuncia- +
ton God is Love"
AS we put these three brief sentences
together We can readily see which is
greatest. God is Spirit" This is
rather vague. More positive than
Negative God is not material He
is subject 10 the limitations OF flesh
ard blood as we are for He dwelleth
ret III temples made with hands"
@zo7 is Light" This is little more
easily apprehended- 1t is more posi-
tive than negative and conveys the
thought that God is intelligence. purity,
holiness.
But when we reach the third-"God
IL I.ove''-ah. here the veil is lifted.
The language is mother ike, conlpre-
henssble. tender and comforting. If no
refiqion-nos even the jewish
had attained unto the thought that
Gods is Light" still less had any
reached the truth that God is Love"
TT the heather God is Powerf'-a
cruel. autocratic. arbitrary. exacting,
Furnishing power.
To the Jew God was Justice"-the
ST am what I an''-self-existent in
His eternal consciousness and burn
ing fire of jealousy. But to the Chris
tan God is Love" and this is the
browning truth in the general evolu-
tionary and progressive system OF d.
vine revelation
-s-cod Is Love" .'AgaDe'' is the word
aeea BY John and nowhere else is this
word used 81 frequently as in John aud
pfterest in this fourth chapter Of his
first epistle It's meaning is lofty-ex-
rrasSfve of love as an act OF the viii.
Not love springing from sensual
emotion or animal passion IT is rather
the love implying moral affection as
, distinct act of the viii. thus denot-
ing strong. intelligent, pUrposeful
ove. God is Love- John does not
state that God is Loving nor God
: fun Of Love- nor God is Lovahle.
But God is Love" Love IS the es-
sence of His Being, the secret OF his
existence. the outflow and overflow or 1
HIS Infinitely compassionate nafu@e-
Cod Is Love" and His love is intelh-
zent. deliberate and personal. develop I
NO into a relationship Of F'atherhood
.or the Father Ioveth tagape1 the son ]
Behold what manner OF love (agape) J
ne Father hath bestowed uoon US"
All love is Of God for God is the
All Love" Our love for each other ;
Your love for husband, wife. child,
,e~ God IS Love"
do not think that John was here !
attempting a scientific definition az :
Gods character. II for no other rea-
.on than that love cannot be defined; ,
md hat this brief statement God is :
Owe is the best definition Of the ethi-
al character 81 God found in all the 1
worlds theologies. Three lessons are
"a be learned ,
l. Love implies oneness Johns
teaching is the unity OF the Father !
With the Son and 50 the unity Of all J
Love rs the law Of our :
Christian life. It IS the Law Of one
a spiritual likeness to God and in
united fellowship with ali who love G
he God Of Love C
III. Love implies asaCrificer-a truth c
Hearty seen in human relationships and a
in human experiences a
And God 50 loved that He gave q
gave as the expression Of His love Il
III Love perfects religion. 1t is r
he maturity OF our manhood and the