The Rice belt journal., 1921-11-12

- -
W&%N to promote and
""~N y " >~ cultivate it is the
believers greatest duty.
Fellowship is the result OF a coh'
Ihunity Of life. The relationship Oh
child to his father is determined Dy
the fact of birth; the fellowship 0t
the child with the father is determined
by behavior us we'll as by birth.
These two truths concerning births
and behavior are the prominent feat
ures which mark this epistle Of thal
mature saint, John the Apostle. lie
that believeth that Jesus is the CHRIST
is born of God" The life OF God Is
communicated to the christian believer
This is clearly taught all through the
New Testament, and must be tenacious
ly held. A recent Sunday school quar-
terly prepared for the intermediate
grade asserted that nothing new was
impaired to us, that development from
within was all that can be expected
This is unScriptural and perniclouS
teaching. Fellowship with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ Will
never result from such teaching.
He that believeth is born OF Cod
The Eternal Life which was from the
beginning, which was manifested III
Christ which was declared TO the
world by chosen and credible Wit
nesses, is impaired to those who be-
lieve the testimony that God has CIV
en- concerning His Son.
1t is this vital and vitalizing ex'
perience, this life of God communi'
Gated through the channel of talth 10
the soul, that makes fellowship with
the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ a possibility an an actuallty
1t is this that makes the apostle won
der. He calls US to consider the mat
ter, to "behold what manner OF love
the Father hath bestowed upon US thaI
we should be called the children o.
God" and we are.
The promotion of this holy and gior
ious fellowship depends on the emil
dren's behavior or walk. The mrs
condition for its preservation is ex
pressed in the words, IF we walk II
the light" What does this meanF
In this epistle the nature OF GOD
revealed in the two-fold declaration
"God is light" and God is love-" w
must recognize not only these tW
facts but the order in which they az
pear. The revelation that God
love- can never be understood and eT
tered into apart from the knowiedg
that "God is light" and I'm him
no darkness at all"
The prevalent idea of God Is tha
he is loving and will deal lenientl
with sin. Nothing could be more mli
leading. "God is light" What h
does in love will meet the require
ments of his holiness. Herein is low
that God sent his Son to be the pr'
initiation of our sins. The oiferin
which the righteousness Of God n
D quired, the love of God provided 1
walk in this truth is to walk in tn
light, to get away from this truth
c to walk in darkness and to break IL
{ very condition of continuous fellow
d ship.
'If we say that we have no sin
II we have false views of sin WhiC
r lead us to ignore or forget "the pr
pitiation," if we think that we CO
y climb up "some other way" I'VE d
ceiye ourselves and the truth is n
in u.s." Notwithstanding all religion
profession there will be no real ft
Iovship with God, no light, no peaC
no JOY.
o The second condition for growil
ID fellowship with God is found in Il
,f words, "If we confess our SINS" u
Re first condition, "If we walk In t
W light" may be regarded as the dc
is trinal test; this second condition,
:. we confess our sins" may be call
~ the ethical test.
There is a constant need Of res
iustment In Christian experien,
). "Must Christians sing asked preac
or at a recent Bible conference.
: mo" replied SOME one in the au
y ence, ''but they do"
" ALI present felt the force Of the
re swer. 1t is true and experience C
IS roborates 1t. Sin of any kind hlndl
y and prevents fellowship with G.
he Reimbursement is necessary and for L
M. the Father has made gracious p
vision: IF we confess our sins
Is faithful and just to forgive US
sins and to cleanse us from all
:. Righteousness"
tn The retaining of any unconfes'
IS sin grieves the indwelling Holy Sp
and makes fellowship with God imp
chile until the sin is put away. Tn
"a something in the nature of sin t
ne demands a Precipitation for 1t and c
:. fession of 1t. To walk In the light
- these plainly revealed facts leads
= progressive fellowship with
JH N. LI,o, ond with his Son Jesus Chr