_WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE SHALL BE_ ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us … for we shall see Him as He is.’ 1 John 3:1 Three important questions—Whence? Where? Whither? Whence came I? Where am I? Whither is the current of life speeding me? And yet there is another more impo... [ Continue Reading ]
_CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY_ ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.’ 1 John 3:2 We have in our text two leading ideas suggested: first, the idea of our present s... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE MYSTERY OF THE FUTURE_ ‘And it doth not yet appear what we shall be.’ 1 John 3:2 Much is known of the past, but what is to be revealed in the future who can tell? Study makes us familiar with the ages that are gone. We know what happened in past centuries, last year, yesterday; but to-morrow... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD_ ‘It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.’ 1 John 3:2 Believers stand to God in an endearing and enduring relationship. Great and glorious are the privileges which b... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE HOPE OF THE ADVENT_ ‘And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.’ 1 John 3:3 ‘The Epistles of John,’ it has been said, ‘with their ideal teaching, find the future in the present.’ In them, as in the fourth Gospel, stress is laid upon the essential continuit... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHY CHRIST CAME_ ‘Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins.’ 1 John 3:5 Here is a subject on which men have often worried and perplexed themselves; they have asked themselves, from time to time, why should the scheme of our salvation be what it is? Why must Christ come? I. WHY CHRIS... [ Continue Reading ]
_STEADINESS OF GROWTH_ ‘Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.’ 1 John 3:6 Some time or another all of us have met professing, earnest Christians who said that they never sinned, who said, ‘My conversion was so real, so true, that I never sin... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE DESTRUCTION OF EVIL WORKS_ ‘For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.’ 1 John 3:8 Here St. John tells us of the purpose of the Incarnation. I. THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.—What are these works of the devil? (_a_) _ In the human heart_. Selfish... [ Continue Reading ]
_LOVE TO CHRIST’S BRETHREN_ ‘We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.’ 1 John 3:14 In the Revised Version our text reads: ‘We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.’ ‘Out of death into life.’ I. NOTE FIRST THE MIGHTY... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SIN OF HATRED_ ‘Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.’ 1 John 3:15 To hate sin is right. Sin is that which God hates. But God, Who hates the sin, loves the sinner; and even when He punishes, does not punish in haste. God is love; and they who are born of God live in love. The apostle o... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST_ ‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.’ 1 John 3:16 We forget the sordid details, the anguish of the mother, the disappointment of the disciples, which surrounded and accompanied the Cross of Christ; we remember only that Incarnate L... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CROSS AND SUFFERING_ ‘Hereby know we love, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.’ 1 John 3:16 (R.V.) ‘Hereby know we love’—hereby, by the Cross of Christ, we know not only that love is, but also what love is; ‘because He laid down His life... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE_ ‘And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.’ 1 John 3:19 St. John refe... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE UNION OF FAITH AND LOVE_ ‘This is His commandment, That we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.’ 1 John 3:23 What is it that the Lord our God requires of us? Is it possible to answer that question? I am going to ask you to consi... [ Continue Reading ]