St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-11-26

! PRIMARY TOPIC jesus Rule Of
Love. ,.si 'i''i 100 q ,fs''' sti'-iit'l- I
JUNIOR ToPIc-rhe Loyalty of Love-
:, INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
E-What May. We. Expect to AchieYe2
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP.
fC-How Christians Become TfuftfuE = i
thanksgiving day has Just afford
ed each one of us a special oppor+
tunity to return praise to God for
the fruitfulness of Americas broad
acres It is. appropriate that We
think today of the Christian life as
manifesting Itself in the bearing of
fruit. = y,s!' : al: ns'%s-12 fs.,''s !
Christian work;of which we spoke
last Sunday may (atileast In meas
ure) be initiated, but fruit cannot be
initiated. It is the result Of life and
only those who know the new birth
bear the fruit; of Christianity,
The chapter before us lisa portion
of Scripture. which has, been.the PEI
culiarafavoriter of Gods children.in
all generations. tits at the center
of our Lords words with his 'disci.
pies Immediately before his death
on the cross" 10 '',-H - ,''.-- y. :
Many are the expositions Of this
passage, but a. beautifully simple
one which came TO the writer from
DR.. W.. Graham Scroggie is suggest;
ed as most helpfuia rs ,'.,.sl rs.
Life and Fruftfulness tvv:. 1-s9:
Life results in, fruit and there can
be no true fruit where there. IS no
life. Christ. is the vine, the Fa-
Their is the keeper Of the vine. We
who are ChriSt.E1 are thesbranclleS
abiding in him, that is, living our
whole life in and for him in such
close union with him that his life as
the vine brings forth fruit in us as
the branches. That is real Christian
living. ,. J"r.s
But. alas, there are branches that
seem to belong to the vine but they
lack the one indispensable evidence
of life which is the normal bearing
of fruit, These the Father must
take and cast away to be DESTROYED.
While we must not read into these
words more than our Lord intended.
: let us beware lest we explainsaway
their serious import. These are
grave words of warning to. false pro.
fessors of Christianity, but they are
not spoken to distress and disheart'
en- true followers Of the Lord Jesus.
Fruit in the Christian is undoubt-
edly first of all the fruit of charae-
ter but that character is also to
show in CONDUCT. Note the progress
fruit Nv. ~ "rnore fruft'tsv. %.
much fruit ": 81. IN order to
bear more fruit there is need Of
pruning and cleansing, wv. 2;s3).
Pleasant? Not always, but always
profitable. Let US thank God for
even the pruning knife when its work
. Is needed &: -. q 30!
Do not miss the prayer promise
in verse z. tits an unlimited prom-
Use with a closely limited condition.
Let us meet the conditions and claim
the promise. Is = ~. :?s.S!ss j,
II. Love and Friendship wv. 9-16l.
This is my commandment that
ye love one another" In verse 10 we
read that to- abide in the love Of
Christ we must keep his command
ments- and now we learn that it. Is
his command that we love one an
other. We are not to- await the
impulse prompted by the beauty OF
kindness or propinquity of someone.
but we are to love: one another.
Many a Christian who has obeyed
the commandments against steal
ing, adultery, !. and .blasphemy has
never noticed that heis commanded
to love. -
The joy of Christ was fulfilled on
the eve of Calvary by the love Of bis
disciples for one another and for
him. He. rejoices today when we
love the brethren and love him, Cor
thus we enter upon the beautiful
relationship Of friends. i!sg
DR.. sScroggie. says. 1--WE. may be
Gods children without being his
friends; the one is based on lbs gift
Of life to as; the other upon our of;
fering OF love for him. Are YOU q
friend Of God?5 You cannot shave
God and the world for friends at
the same time.i The friendship :ot
the world is enmity with God. The
world hates Christ and therefore
will not love you II you are like
him." Es:
But, ohl the sweet intimacy Of
fellowship with him: Read verses
IA to 16. Chosen and appointed by
him, for she first loved u.s." we are
not kept in the distant position of
servants but ara brought into his
circle of friends Gw4th1 whom he