The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-12-09
Sunday, Dec. ~.

pelienced in this life and JOyfully
expected in the life to come.
FELLOWSHIP ON EARTH
q John y
/ Enjoy Christian Fellowship in
This Life. Out of comradeship
with Christians thus affording the
richest and rarest fellowship, hu-
man and divine, that can pc found
in all the world.
CD The Source of Fellowship.
1t was from the beginning; or,
eternity unbegun: the dateless era
| antcdating creation. The person
! CJohn I'D who was in the be-
ginning with God and was God
was the infinite Word OF "Logos
of Life" Self-existent, eternal,
merciful and holy. He was God
manifest in the flesh, the Father
unveiled in the Son, our Elder
Brother who brought brotherhood
TO men.
(2) The Secret of Fellowship.
1t is eternal life" That means
more than existence that is end
less 1t is the life capacious and
abundant: the life that OvercomeS
human handicaps; the life that is
perfectly adjusted to the will of
God. 1t therefore produces fell
| lowShip with celestial flavor. 1t
is the central dynamo of all our
harmony with each other and
with God
CD The Revelation Of Fellow
ship. The "LOgoS of Life" or the
Word, was made visible in the
person of Jesus the Christ, the
Son of God. our Saviour and our
Lord. Face to face and identical
with the Father he existed I'm the
beginning" BY him were the .
worlds created. Yet he came into
the flesh rs Il tiny and helpless
babe: dwclt in mercy among
men; died for our sins according
to the Scriptures; and rose from
the Scpulchcr and assembled to the
right hand of the majesty on
high. Such fellowship was never
shown nor seen except in Christ
the Lord.
ca The Experience of Fellow
ship. Comradeship with Christ is
not a fiction nor a fancy. The
Apostle was one of those who
heard the voice OF Jesus and who
listened to him again and again.
He had seen the Lord with his
own eyes, looking upon him in
tently. He had touched the body
of Jesus with his own hands. both
before and after his resurrection.
In brief. he had experienced per-
sonal, intimate, and long continu-
ed fellowship with Jesus.
90 The Testimony Of Fellow
ship. Many years had passed
since the ascension of Jesus and
the apostle had tested his faith
and fellowship in the fires Of
trial. Now he dareS witness to it's
| abiding and enriching value: ave
testify TO it," eve are announc-
ing it to you"
CO. The Outreach of Fellow
ship. The apostle gave his testi-
mOny with hand outStretched in
invitation to his readreS that they
might have the twofold fellowship
graciouSly available to them:
FmSt-"that you may share our
fellowship" or that We also may
have fellowship Cor. partnership
with u.s." and second -- realize
that our fellowship is with the
Father and with his Son Jesus
Christ. What wider outreach or
higher upreach can there be for
our fellowship?
Gu The Joy of Fellowship. AS
John wrote these inspired and n
spring words the stream of his
happiness ran deeper and strong
er than before: 1--WE are writing
all this to you that our JOY may
be complete" But also nc con-
tributed to. the JOY of his readers,
and that aspect is brought out in
another rnedcring of the passage:
"We write this to you to make
your happiness complete"
(S) The Message Of Fellow
ship. What has John learned
from Jesus and what does he aft
er long years of Christian minis
| try announce as the giSt and
heart of his message? Here il is
in one startling sublime sentence:
God is light, and in him is no
darkness at all" Think of the
infinite knowledge, the absolute
holiness, the eternal bleSSednesS
of God. Is he not Light, the only
light, and all the light there is in
the universe? Not in him is there
streak or shade or second Of
darkness with it's dismal ignor-
ance, its corrupting sin, it's
wretchednesS and misery - none
whatever,
90 The Practice Of Fellowship.
Since God is Light we cannot
have fellowship with him if we
Turk or live in the dark. We may
profess partnership with God, but
our practice bellies it and NULL
flies it. But if we walk in the light
with God we have with him our
higher fellowship and in conse-
quence we have fellowship with
one another. The practice Of such
fellowship is the hottest and hap
piest habit of the Christian life.
G0) The Purity of Fellowship. |
The one thing that foils and spoils |
fellowship with God and good
men is sin. Fellowship to be per-
feet must be pure. But how can
purity be attained and maintain
ed? The sovereign prescription is
available and at hand: "The blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin" The blood that
saves is the blood that sanctifies;
that which regenerates also reno
Yates. spiritual CLEANSING by the |