The Coolidge examiner., 1937-09-30
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BY REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
g Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for October 3
CHRISTIAN SONSHIP

LESSON TEXT John 3:l-6, 1924
GOLDEN TEXT-But as many as re-
ceived him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God even to them
that believe on his name. John I:12.
PRIMARY TOPIC What John
Learned From Jesus
JUNIOR TOPIC-Johns Way.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-What Makes Us Children of God?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP.
IC-Christian Sonship.
Studies in the Christian Life"
What an attractive title, and what
interesting and instructive studies
we are to share during the COM
ing three monthsl
When setting out on a journey we
want to know just where we are
going. Just so when we take up
new study we need to define the
limits of our subject. We are to
study the Christian life-not life in
general, not religious life, no, not
even life in Christian land or dur
ing the Christian era. 1t is there
fore most appropriate that our first
lesson in this series should tell us
who the Christian is and how he
lives.
1. Gods Children-WhO They Are
(vv 1-6).
l. They are Born ones" ". -.
The Revised Version correctly
translates 'sons" as children" We
are sons in our position, but we
are children by the new birth. A
man may attain the legal relation
ship of a son by adoption. but he
can be a child only by birth.
2. They are separated ones ". ID.
The world, that is, unregenerate
man. does not belong to this family
of God. How hard it is for even
church people to understand that
fact. They do not appreciate and
cannot understand Gods children,
because they themselves do not
know God.
There are only two classes of peo-
pie in the world-regenerate and un-
egenerate-saved and unsaved. To
which do 1 belong? Does the un-
regenerate world really have diff
Guilty in understanding me?
3. They are glorified ones ". y.
1--WE shall be like him for we shall
see him as he is" What a glorious
hope, realized even now by faith in
the hearts and lives of Gods chill
dren. The present difference be-
tween Gods children and the world
is to become even greater, for in
that day when Christ shall appear"
(for he is coming againD Gods
children shall be like him. Spiritu-
ally and morally-yes, and even
their bodies shall be transformed.
(See Phil. 3:20, 21.)
4. They are purified ones (vv. 3-6).
The standard whereby the Christian
measures his life is the purity Of
Christ. The question is not How
much purer am l than my friends
and acquaintances?" No, the norm
for the Christian life is far higher,
we are to be purified as "he is
pure"
All sin is a disregard Of Gods
law ". a.. His children do not
thus defy Him. They have taken as
their Saviour the one who was
manifested to take away sins"
There was no sin in him, and the
one who abides in him has victory
and does not live in sin. He may
fall into some act of sin, but in ut
ter misery and repentance he turns
from it to his Deliverer.
Note that the one who does con-
tinue in sin marks himself as one
who hath not seen him, neither
knoweth him" ". g.. Church con-
nection, association with Christian
people, a profession of interest in
spiritual things, none of these will
avail; we must know Christ as
Saviour.
III. Gods Children-How They
Live (vv. 1920.
Love is the supreme test of Chris
tian profession. 1--WE know we have
passed out of death into life, be-
cause we love the brethren" says
John in v. IA Or. W. How far
should love go? 1--WE ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren"
". 16).
Such sacrifice is not often de-
manded of us, but the writer goes
on to say that we may show that