The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-09-30
Lesson for October 3
CHRISTIAN SONSHIP


LESSON TEXT John 3:1-6, 1924.
GOLDEN TEXT-But as many as re-
ceived him, to them gave he power to be-
come the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name. John liz
PRIMARY TOPIC-What John Learned
from Jesus.
JUNIOR TOPIC-John's Way.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
What Makes Us Children of God?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPlC-
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 months!
When setting out on journey we
want to know just where we are
going. Just so when we take up a
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 a Christian land or dur
ing the Christian era. It 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 ChiIdren-Who They Are
wv. 1-6).
l. They are "Born ones" ". y.
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 ". y.
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.
3. They are glorified ones ". q.
''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 'sha1 appear"
(for he is coming again!) Gods
children shall be like him. Spiritu
ally and morally-yes, and even
their bodies shall be transformed.
4. They are purified ones wv. 3-6).
The standard whereby the Christian
measures his life is the purity of
Christ. The question is not "How
much purer am I than my friends
and acquaintances?" No, the norm
for the Christian life is far higher,
we are to be purified as che is
pure"
All sin is a disregard of Gods
law ". ~. 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.
ii. Gods ChiIdren-How They
Live wv. 1924.
Love is the supreme test of Chris
tian profession. "We know we have
passed out of death into life, be-
cause we love the brethren" says
John in v. IA (R. W. How far
should love go? 'We ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren"
". 16).
Such a sacrifice is not often de-
manded of us, but the writer goes
on to say that we may show that
spirit in daily service to those in
need.
/. In loving and sacrificial serv-
ice ". 18). Words may comfort and
strengthen, especially when they
are words of love. Love does not
stop with words, however, but acts,
rejecting the spirit of God, who not
only is good, but does good.
2. In the assurance of faith wv.
1920. Assurance is the blessed
privilege of the child of God. Well
may we feel condemned when we
measure our lives by his divine
tests. But after all, even eff our
heart condemn us, God is greater
than our heart" Salvation does not
depend on either our works or our
feelings. 1t is of God. Does this
condone sin? God forbid We are
rather so to walk that "our heart
condemn us not.'
8. In unquestioning obedience wv.
22-24). The hallmark of character
in child is obedience. Scripture
does not countenance the unfortu-
nate standards of men on this point.
The children of God keep his COM
mandments" which are beautifully
summed up in v. % as believing
in Christ and loving one another.