The Sabbath School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 4, 1897

The Sabbath School

International Series.

LESSON XII.—SABBATH, MARCH 20, 1897.

THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT; THE PROOF OF LOVE; THE LEGACY OF PEACE.

Lesson Scripture, John 14:15-31, R. V.

15 “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you desolate; I come unto you. Yet a little while, and the world beholdeth me no more; but ye behold me; because I live, ye shall live also. In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my words; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe. 30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me; 31 but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”

QUESTIONS.

1. What results from love to Christ?

2. What promise did Jesus make to the disciples?

3. What is the name of the Advocate promised?

4. What is the attitude of the world toward it? Why?

5. What is the attitude of the disciples toward it? Why?

6. What assurance did Jesus then give to his disciples?

7. What difference would there be between the world and the disciples in reference to this promise?

8. What assurance would the fulfilment of the promise bring to the disciples?

9. What is the proof of love to Jesus?

10. What promises did he make to the one who loves him?

11. What inquiry did one of the disciples make?

12. How did Jesus again state the proof of love?

13. What further promises did he make?

14. What did he say shows the lack of love?

15. Whose instruction did he give?

16. What two agencies did he mention through which the disciples were instructed?

17. What did he say would be the office of the Comforter?

18. What gift did he then bestow? How contrasted with the world's gift?

19. What exhortation did he deliver unto them?

20. Of what former statement did he remind them?

21. On what condition would this statement bring them joy? Why?

22. Why did he speak of these things before they occurred?

23. How much further instruction did he propose to give them? Why?

24. What was the basis of his conduct?

25. With what words did Jesus close this lesson?

NOTES.

1. “In his farewell discourse, he (Jesus) time after time spoke of obedience to his commands as the one condition of all further spiritual blessing.”

While the freedom of grace and the simplicity of faith have been preached, the absolute necessity of obedience and holiness has not been equally insisted on. The obedient must and may look for the fulness of the Spirit. A living obedience is indispensable to the full experience of the indwelling; the full experience of the indwelling is what a loving obedience may certainly claim.

It is only when God’s will has been accepted as our only law, and the commands of Jesus are by the Holy Spirit written in the heart, that the glory of God can fill his temple.”

2. “‘I LIVE,’ the Lord says; not, ‘I shall live,’ but now, at the present time, ‘I live’; for he is indeed life, he is the Living One (Rev. 1:18, R. V.);

and, therefore, because he is life, as a necessary consequence he swallowed up death in victory by rising from the dead. But in respect to believers, he says: ‘Ye shall live,’ because their life grows not out of themselves, but as the fruit out of Christ’s life.”

3. “The love of the Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in his commandments as well as in his promises and invitations. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is to believe that his commandments are expressive of his love. . . . As often as you shut your eyes in presence of a command of the Saviour, you shut your eyes to an exquisite gift sent down to you from the Father of mercies.”

4. “If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life? When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new covenant promise is fulfilled, ‘I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.’ And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience—the service and allegiance of love—is the true sign of discipleship.”

5. “‘We will come unto him.’ What wonderful visitation! It had been dimly anticipated in former times (Ps. 8:4); but now it was to be the free and full privilege of all that would receive it (Rev. 3:20). Some indeed could not receive God, nor could they even behold or know him; from them God and Christ alike were hidden, because sin had blinded their eyes (John 12:40; 2 Cor. 4:4). But to the contrite in spirit, God will look (Isa. 66:2); to the humble he will draw nigh (James 4:6, 8). ‘And make Our abode with him,’ not as coming for a temporary sojourn, but to be with us ‘forever.’ And that our heart should be God’s home—surely this means unutterable love of God to us, and our unspeakable joy in God! For it means most intimate communing, even the sharing of his life. He that inhabiteth eternity is the willing inmate of the lowly soul. Isa. 57:15.”

6. “The Holy Ghost was to teach them all things, by bringing to their remembrance all things which they had heard from their Lord.” The Holy Spirit is the memory of “the new man.” This is the true secret of remembering the right scripture at the right time. “Only those who have the love and the longing for goodness will be wise scholars in Christ’s school.”

7. “The peace which Christ desires his disciples to enjoy is that which characterized himself. By calling it specifically, ‘My peace,’ our Lord distinguishes it from the peace which men ordinarily pursue. . . . The peace of which Christ here speaks may be called his, as being wrought out by him, and as being only attainable by others through his communication of it to them. . . . Peace amidst all the ills of life can only be attained by a real following of Christ and a hearty and profound acceptance of his principles and Spirit.”

8. “To fear is to have more faith in your antagonist than in Christ. When you have found one greater than Christ, then you may fear.”

9. “Satan had nothing in Christ. Look into thy heart, O man, and see what Satan has there.”

10. “What Christ rejoiced to do, believers should also make haste to do. They should aim to give full proof to the world that they love the Father and keep his commandments.”

Suggestions for Further Study.

1. The word “Comforter” in this lesson is translated “Advocate” in the margin of the R. V. Compare 1 John 2:1. In what sense is the Holy Spirit another “Comforter” or “Advocate”?

2. In proportion as the church loses the power to see the invisible, it demands visible representations and representations of invisible things and persons. Compare the history of the great apostasy.

3. Study in this lesson the true doctrine of the Real Presence.

4. What hinders the prayer of Christ from being answered just as fully in our day as at Pentecost?

5. Compare the ability of the world to see and appreciate Christ with the ability of the Christian. What makes the difference?

6. What is the one fundamental cause of the weakness of the present-day religion? What will be the only remedy?

7. What things only can the Holy Spirit bring to our remembrance? How does this emphasize the importance of Bible study?

8. With verse 21 compare Rom. 13:10; 1 John 5:3, etc.

9. How is life only in Christ taught in this lesson?