Evening journal., 1916-05-13

And why should there not be such
love? The disciples were His friends,
and if friends OF His then they ought
to be friends Of one another. This
term friend is a new word In the vo-
cabulary OF dlscipleship. But II Is in
troduced by our Master. He Is pleased
to regard His followers in the most
intimate personal relationship
Friendship, when real and worthy. is
the closest Of ties.
And that He intended to point out
the freest intimacies OF this fellowship
is evident from the statement that "all
things that I have heard from my
Faher. have made known unto you"
The counsels and revelations and eX-
changes between God, the Father. and
God, the Son. were not TO be withheld
from the disciples. Just as the Son
could understand the Father because
OF identity of interests and nature, so
there was TO be such a communion
between the disciples and their Lord
that they could grasp the deepest
things Of divine revelation. There
were friends so close and loving, that
Christ could not and would not with
hold from them anything which He
heard from the Father.
But they were still servants. Reg
ularly they represented themselves as
His servants Bond Servants" was
Pauls favorite denomination of HIM
self when considering his relation "a
Christ The greater term. friend. did
L M ftENffrHn -
Theirs was the service OF friendship
the labor OF love, the obedience OF
heart.
The support Of Love. ". 1G.l
There are almost incredible ideals
OF exactions. lie insists absolutely
arbitrarily upon a love which makes
no exception and demands no reasons
except the divine will. He insist,
upon the greatest love the love O
God. a love that sacrihcea self. II,
exhibits His love by regarding H.
unworthy disciples as his friends an,
guaranteeing to them the same conf
dental exchanges which exist between
Him and the Father.
How is all this possible? How shal
we meet such a standard? How shal
we be able to do what Christ want
us to do in this one particular love
He anticipated our question i'm tn
sixteenth verse.
A three-fold assurance Is suggest
ed. viz: His grace. His appointment
His name. The disciples did not choos
Christ He chose them And certain
ly there was no reason for choosin
any one above hundreds Of Others
Not one had aught more by which [
commend himself than multitude {
others. The reason existed entirely /
the good pleasure of His own will an
grace. He was simply pleased to ca
and bless them all. And this implie
further, "He will hold us fast" On
faithfulness Is assured not becaus
we chose Him, but because He chos
us.
Then there is the appointment Il
service-to an independent enectiv
and abiding service. Service, alon
with grace, is support TO love ant
the tulhllment of our Lords command
And finally. we are encouraged &
perseverance by the power and us
OF His name. Whatsoever We shal
ask OF the Father. In My name. II
may give it to YOU" A check carrie
an endorsement and that name Sc
cures payment. A prayer must carr
the endorsement OF Christ for that /
the real import OF asking in His name
II is easy TO name the name Of Jesu
In our prayers, but that is far differen
from having Him endorse the prayer.
1T is morally impossible TO have
real confidence that the things we ar
asking for shall be certainly received
unless our petitions are grounded O
some real knowledge Of the mind an
method Of God"
We shall love one another whe
sharing unconsciously in His grac,