Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-19

the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Accordingly he records "reminiscences
, that occur to him that reveal the
deity of Christ, His words and His
works that proclaim Him very man
Yet very God.
His epistles are directed primarily
against the last error. He knows
that Jesus is God, and thaK those
who are born of God have the God
nature by reason of Gods work IN
Christ for them; and that it is no
more possible fox them to have the
God-nature and not manifest it in
their lives than it is for God him.
self to live uErighteouslY. The first
epiStle aboun0S in we knows the
most emphatic word he can use in
opposition to the gnostics, the know
ais"
His activity broaght him into in
favor with the officials and he was
sent in exile to the isle Of P7tmos
Off the coast of Asia Minor. Here,
in the spirit on the Lords Day. le-
Hsus unveiled Himself to him and TN
yelled His plan for His kingdom. The
visions made him more certain Of his
position and a better witness. BF
direction he wrote his visions IN a.
book. using a code that he and his
friends in Asia Minor would under
stand, and witnessed to The fact that
after a while this Jesus whose glo.
rious presence he had seen, would
come again, punish His enemies, es-
tahlish His kingdom, and afr hav-
ing completed His work OF restora-
ton, turn over the kingdom to God
unto the ages of the ages.
Our Debt
We are deeply indebted to John,
debt we can rever repay. 1t was
John who gave US the fact of the
lincarnation-nOt the method like
Paul gave us, but the great fact
Read particularly the first eighteen
verses of his gospel. The whole Cos
pei is emphasizing that fact; the
cpistles make it so strong that TO be-
!eve that Jesus is come in the flesh
becomes the standard of faith; and
in the revelation we are shown the
Man who died as the God who is
coming in judgment for salvation
and victory.
Think of what John wrote about
God-zGod is love, God Is a Spir1y,
God is Lift, Co is Light, God is our
Father. Think each of these express
sicl.s through. they are not at
tributes of God, but manifestations
of His personality. How poor would
we be unless John had borne witness
to God.
Then tine Holy Spirit-did you
If nN1yIp loo
of the Third Person in the Trinity
fas Teen given us through this mys-
tic, John, who had a Veritable pa&
sion for spiritual truth? SO filled
with this spirit was John that he
never speaks of himself as the Holy
Spirit speaks only Of Christ.
Sin-yes John bore witness 10 sin.
Sin with him was no misfortune, but
Iawlessness. the definite and dellb-
crate choice of the sinner to do his
own will rather than the will OF Coo.
Sin was the opposite of love. SIN
is everything that is not right; love
is everything that is true. for God Is
love and God is true. The man VINO
makes a habit of SHINING is by that
fact out of touch with God; but when
man is born of God, the God nature
becomes his and he no longer makes
sin a habit.
John. above all others teaches us
of the new birth-not of the will of
the flesh not of the will of man, not
of blood, but of God. And that
means something entirely apart from
! ourselves. You had nothing to do
with your birth, nor have you any
| thing to do with your new birth-lt
. is all of God. This stumped N1co-
| demus. John tells us. And John en-
phasizes it in his letters as reason
! for righteous living and God-lke
! loving. A partaker of the divine
nature will exhibit that nature in his
attitude toward God and toward his
! fellowman in need. Of whatever color
or cline.
! John gives us a closeup picture
! Of the world-the organized system
of which the devil is the head, and
/ which therefore makes it impossible
! for a. Christian to love God and the
world at one and the same time.
! 1t is John who pulls aside the veil
/ and let's us have a vision of the
! coming king-the one who has gone
/ to prepare place for us that He
might receive us unto Himself; the
/ One who has already marked out
| the way for us-a blood stained way
! though it be: the One who is now
walking in the midst Of the seven
! golden candlesticks; who is not only
| the Precipitation for our sins, but
! also our advocate with the Father;
! the White Horse Rider. the Lord of
/ lords and King of Kings who came to
destroy the works Of the devil and
who will complete the job by first
binding him and then by casting
/ him in the lake OF fire; the Lamb
! slain before the foundation of the
world, who is the light of the city
| that hath foundations; the Alpha and
| Omega who is coming quickly to
give TO every man according as his
work shall be-that is. every man
! who has not already been condemned
| for not believing on Him and receiV-
ing Him.
1t was John who bore this wit
! ness" Beloved, now are we he sons
of God; and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be but we know that
when He shall be manifested. we
shall be like Him: for We shall see
! Him as lie is" No wonder John
| cfled: EVEN SO come I'"fo Jesus
! come quickly"
The Little Gospe;
But probably the biG2~sr ;'4ing
John ever did was to write the little
eospel-John SIS. For God so
loved the world that He gave His
only begotten son. that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" More
souls will spend eternity with Christ
| because OF that testimony than from
any other one. John was ii witness,
q hot-hearted witness, who loved
Jesus, and who spake out for Him
regardless of the cost TO Himself.
God wants you as witness too
wants 10 abide in you. and have you
abide in Him. so that your life will
! hack no VOur liDs and men will turn