The Coolidge examiner., 1936-12-31

YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-The Fact and Purpose of the In
carnation
The opening of a new year always
brings with it a sense of solemn re-
sponsibility for ones life and serv-
ice, and at the same time a thrilling
expectancy. No better way can be
found to begin this year of our Lord,
1887, than in the study of God S
Word, not only by ourselves, but
in the fellowship of others in the
church and Sunday school.
The series of lessons outlined for
the year gives us the eagerly ap-
pretended opportunity of studying
during the first three months the
Gospel of John. Space does not
permit of a suitable introduction to
that study here, but we trust that
no one will fail to read John 20:31, :,
which states the purpose of the
apostle in writing.
Three great and fundamental
questions are answered in chapter
lib, namely, Cd Was Jesus Christ
God or man? (2) Does it matter
how we regard him and relate our
lives to him? 60 Is there suitable
evidence upon which we may rest
our faith in him?
I. Jesus Christ Is God (John 1:
1-5.
''In the beginning of Genesis IL,
Jesus Christ already was" not only
with God" but he was God" He
is the living Word" the complete
and final revelation of God. He is
infinite, eternal, divine, both the
Creator and Redeemer. He is both
the Life and the Light of men. That
Light shines in the darkness but
the darkness does not comprehend
it.
III. Men Are Either Believers or
Unbelievers (vv. 6-10.
There are only two classes of peo-
pie who will read these lines-the
saved and the unsaved. What a SOL
emn thought! To which class do I
belong?
The Lord of Glory, the Creator of
all things, came to his own world
and it ''knew him not" ". 1O. How
tragic is that fact, but how much
deeper is the stab of the next verse,
his own people received him not. |"
The Light still shines in the world,
and it is still all too true that men
love darkness rather than light be-
cause their deeds are evil'' (John
3:19. Such men are lost, dead in
trespasses and sin" (Eph. 2:D.
But, thank God, there are those
who receive him" ". 12), and to
them he gives the power or authori-
ty, to be the sons of God. This
change is expressly declared to be
a. Not by reason of family, or
heredity, mot of blood;
b. Not by natural instinct or de-
velopment, not "of the will of the
flesh; and
C. Not by human volition or will
power, not ''of the will of man, but
of God"
These are important matters and
some one may well ask, what evil
dence is there for these things?"
Faith is not a venture into the
dark. We have the strongest of all
foundations in the sure Word of
God. The evidences of Christianity
are many, thoroughly full, and sat-
isfying to any honest inquirer. We
refer to but one.
III. Our Faith Rests on the Testi-
mony of Eye Witnesses wv. 14-18).
John the Baptist and John the
Apostle both beheld the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father"
i'm the One who as the Word was
made flesh and dWelt among" them.
The law was "given by Moses"
". I'D, that is, God sent the law
through a human messenger. But
grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ" No messenger, no matter
how great or worthy, would do to
bring the gospel of the grace of
God. His only begotten Son brought
it; it came by him.