The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-05
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDGYSGOOL
LESSON
RY D. o. SELLERS, Acting Director o,
the Sunday School Course In the Moody
Bible Institute Of ChicagoO
3 lcopyright 1917. Western Newspaper Union /
LESSON FOR JANUARY 7
Esus THE LIGHT AND LIFE OF
MEN.

The studies for the first six months
ef this year are devoted to the gospel
Of John the remaining portion of the
year to II Kings, Ezra and Nehemiah
being a study wi i the prophets One
year from now we begin the new
graded uniform lessons" recently
adopted by the reorganlzed Interna
tional Lesson committee.
John was younger than his brother
james, and lived to be the oldest of the
apostles, dying somewhere between A
I'd. 95 and IS. His name means
Peace" though he is surnamed the
etson o. thurder' MARK 3:1O. Five
Of the New Testament books bear his
name. He blended the gentleness of q
dove with t1e force and vision of IN
eagle.r The purpose OF his gospel is
clearly stated (ch. 2O:3D. Only about
8 per cent of 1t is found in the other
three gospels. Seventy-six times the
word witness is used. The word
father" occurs 140 times and the
name Jesus" 240 times.
I. The Word wv. 1-5). Words utter
thoughts; word is an expression OF
an inaudible and invisible thing. AS
the Word, Christ is Creator (ch. ID 20;
s;1e), he is the source of light. 1.-THE
word is God heard; the life is God felt
md the light is God seen'--Moody.
This eternally existing person is called
the Word because in him God fully ex.
presses or reveals himself. The Bible
Is the written word because in it God
speaks and reveals himself through
this person who is the eternal Word
lHeb. i :8). The first verse brings out
the fact that there are at least two
persons in the Godhead, the one divine
person In company with whom the
word was, and the word himself, was
God; that is, was also a divine per.
son. He who by his incarnation be.
came our brother and our savior was
first our creator and the creator Of all
things, and apart from him not any.
thing came into existence. The Word
did not become the light of men by his
incarnation in Jesus of Nazareth. He
was ever the Light of Men. The light
that shone in the Old Testament time
shone from him. When sin came, night
came.
u. The Witness wv. e-1O). John the
Baptizer came for witness. He was
not the light. Some might have
2 thought him to be the promised Mes.
slah. This he denied. He was lamp
which held forth light to men concern.
Ing the true light (which llghteth every
man that cometh into the world" He
reflected light ". 81. John told all that
he knew. Testimony will expand as
experience enlarges. The spoken
word Of man must confirm the expert.
ence Of the word in our lives. John
was a wonderful man, man whom
God delighted to honor, but he was
man. Men are not asked to believe
5blindly, but always upon an abundance
of testimony.
III. The World wv. 11.14). This
world WIS created by Jesus, and
throughout its existence he has been
In the world, though the world knew
him not. This living light had been
coming into the world and was not
fully come until he was manifest to
Israel at the baptismal act of John,
IN order to be made manifest the
WORD was made flesh" in the person
of Jesus. The world did not apprehend
the light ". 81 nor did the world which
he was In and which was made by him
". 10). Even his own people, literally
his own household servants, /. e. Israel,
received him not to themselves, but
whoever receives him, even the vilest
sinner Of earth, and takes him into his
heart to be all Jesus desired to be, ga.
gtor. lord, teacher, friend, that instant
he becomes a child of God. We cannot
attempt to explain this mystery. The
union Of spirit and body was in one
person, sample fact; though unex.
planned, still true. The union OF God
with human body, forming one per.
som Christ Jesus, sometimes spoken OF
separately, sometimes as whole,
sometimes as divine, sometimes as hu.
man. we cannot divide his activities
Into two sections and say this is divine
md this is human; they are inexpli.
cably blended into one. This Christ
really dwelt among us. He did not
merely appear to some persons, OF
come in vision, and yet his abode
among us was only temporary, only a
few years, and we beheld his glory, the
glory Of the only begotten Son. The
world expected Messiah and his own
creation, his own Inheritance received
frim not, rejected him, opposed him,
Tucifed him, their lord. savior. king
md messiah. Those who received him
md believed on his name became sons
10 be a child Of God we must be
born into the nature and character of
God. into his spiritual life. We are
members of his family.
We are heirs of all things through
him. his Joy, his love, his character and
his blessing and the privileges of work.
Ing for him and with him. We become
heirs by being born of God, not OF
blood, physical descent nor Inheritance
for the best Of parents cannot bestow
this gift upon their children.
Not by our own efforts or exertinns