Lessons
From the First Epistle of John
Mrs.
E. G. White
The knowledge that men and women must have in order to be
"followers of God, as dear children," is clearly defined in the Holy
Scriptures. "That which was from the beginning," writes John, the
beloved disciple, "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ...
that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have
fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his
Son Jesus Christ."
"This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth: but if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." The apostle here refers to
that which every soul may experience. "These things write we unto
you," he declares, "that your joy may be full."
What is sin? John tells us in plain, decided language: "Sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and
in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him
sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little
children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,
even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil
sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of man was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil."
The apostle thus refers to our union and communion with
God. Communion with God is the life of the soul. It is not a something which we
can interpret, a something which we can clothe with beautiful words, but which
does not give us the genuine experience that makes our words of real value. Communion with God gives us a daily experience that does
indeed make our joy full.
Those who have this union with Christ,
will declare it in spirit and word and work. Profession
is nothing unless, in word and work, good fruit is manifest. Unity, fellowship
with one another and with Christ,—this is the fruit borne on every branch of
the living vine. The cleansed soul, born again, has a clear, distinct testimony
to bear. With unfaltering accents he bears the message, We
"declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at
all."
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us."
He who lives a
cold, selfish, halfhearted life, reveals that he is
not walking in the light. He knows not the truth; he does not practise its
principles. Deceived by the enemy, he leads others out of the right way. If the
truth interferes with the promptings of an unsanctified heart, he does not
hesitate to disobey it. He does not make it his rule of conduct in all his
dealings. Kindness and unity and love are not the fruit that he bears. His
defects are plainly condemned in the Word of God. Plain reproofs come to him,
but he justifies his course of action, and denies his wrong. Such a man lies
against the truth. He will not humble his heart to confess his sin.
This is the course that Satan followed in the heavenly
courts. He justified every movement that he made. There are those who, though
they know that they are wrong, will throw over themselves the robe of
righteousness. Such ones use Scriptures when they see a possibility that it
will cover up misleading statements.
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the
devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he can not
sin, because he is born of God."
To know God is, in the Scriptural sense of the term, to
be one with him in heart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of him,
holding reverential communion with him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere
obedience can this communion be obtained. Where
this communion is lacking, the heart is not in any sense a temple of God, but
is controlled by the foe, who is working out his own purposes through the human
agency. Such a man, whatever his profession
or claims, is not a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The experience is perfected by fruit-bearing. He who does not bear good fruit in words and deeds, in the
strength of elevated, ennobling principle, is like a bad tree. The fruit that
he bears is unpalatable to God. His professed knowledge of Christ is a
falsehood, a deception.
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he can not sin, because he is born of God. In
this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever
doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth
not his brother."
The light is all contained in the great commandment of
love. In the light of the love of Christ, the gospel is an open book. This is
the true light, which Christ came to bring to the world. The Saviour's true disciples have received this love, and
they do not perform one deceptive action.
They do not, to gain advantage for themselves, make movements that would place
others in a position of sore trial.
From the light that God has given me, I know that one
great danger of those who claim to be followers of Christ, is in being self-deceived. Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in
human form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against
them the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds
and hearts are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ
revealed, they will fall under Satan's power, and will do and say and write
strange things, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.
"He that hateth his
brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and
knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his
eyes." Not long before his crucifixion, Christ said to his disciples,
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love
one to another."
Why was this called "a new
commandment"? The disciples had not loved one another as Christ had loved
them. They had not yet seen the fulness of the love
that he was to reveal in man's behalf. They were yet to see him dying on the
cross for their sins. Through his life and death they were to receive a new
conception of love. The command to "love one another" was to gain a
new meaning in the light of his self-sacrifice. In
the light shining from the cross of Calvary they were to read the meaning of
the words, "As I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
Following Christ's example of unselfish service, trusting
like little children in his merits, and obeying his commands, we shall receive
the approval of God. Christ will abide in our hearts, and our influence will be
fragrant with his righteousness.
The End