Lesson 34 September 1

Review:

 

 

He inaugurated His spiritual kingdom during the 1st advent.  He now rules and reigns those who have accepted Him as Savior  -  we are now heirs because of our relation to the King.

 

to those who love Him   - describes those who characteristically love Christ

 

2:6  Continues with the inconsistency of their treatment of the two:

The 2nd question

But you have dishonored the poor man

 

 

Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

 

 

 

2:7 Third question:

Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you were called.

 

1. The honorable name in view here would be Jesus.

 

2. These rich Jews wouldn't blaspheme the name Christ which is Gk for Messiah th4 be blaspheming the Messiah.

 

3. To bear the name of Jesus indicates that they are his people, belong  to Him.

 

4. To show favoritism/partiality to those who blaspheme that honorable name is the greatest incongruity of all.

 

5. By not speaking out about the partiality, they who belong to the Lord are giving their assent to the slandering - blasphemy.

 

 

2:8 Biblical reasons that preferential treatment  - favoritism is wrong!

 

If however you are fulfilling the royal law

 

 

*** PRIN ***  It is called the royal law because it is the supreme law to which all other laws governing  human relationships are subordinate.

according to the scripture 

 

 

Quote of Lev 19:18

You shall love your neighbor as yourself

 

 

- avgapa,w  love - unconditional love voluntarily seeks the welfare of its object - one's neighbor

 

- This calls for an intelligent and purposeful, not emotional type of  love, which is impossible apart from indwelling of the Holy Spirit, His ministry illuminating the engrafted word,  the indwelling of Christ.

 

 

*** Prin ***  In fulfilling this cmd the believer demonstrates that they are a disciple of Jesus Christ.   Jn 13:34-35 

 

You are doing well  - the conclusion of the 1cc condition clause.

 

OBSERVATIONS:

1. Applying the WOG will produce  true nobility in action - result of nobility of soul.

 

2. Being royal family as a result of our high position in Him, we reflect that royalty - that nobility as we conform our lives to the policies of the King.

 

3. The characteristic of royalty emphasized here is one's love expressed towards others.   

 

4.  Working Def of Love = Knowing what is right and best (kata WOG) for someone and then doing it, even if you'd rather be doing something else.  Those std's of conduct towards others that God expects form us.

 

5.  It should not be surprising then that  we have a continuing unpaid debt of love towards others as a Believer.  Rom 13:8, 10

 

6. The test of this love is not in one's verbal profession but in one's actions. 1 Jn 3:18

 

7. God's love was manifested in sending His Son (I Jn 4:10), it is now to be manifested in the world  through His people - R/F. And it will be as they apply this cmd to love their neighbor   to love one another.  Jn 13:34-35

 

8. This love is described as one of the fruits of the Spirit  therefore it is only produced under the Holy Spirit's empowering ministry and living out the royal law.

 

9. Love applied in the life will be manifested by certain virtues - characteristics being present in one's life. 1 Cor 13:4-7

 

10.  When we fulfill this cmd to love one another - God's love is perfected in us, it has reached its full effect in time by creating the same kind of love as His in us.

 

11. It is in this way that all men for all generations would have a witness and therefore know that Jesus Christ was and is who He said He was.