THE FAMILY ALTAR
July 3.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life". John 3:16.
NOTE: Not 'one and only son,' but only Begotten Son - we, too are sons and daughters through the adoption)
The devil knows no greater trick than to make sinners believe
that God hates them, when, in fact, God loves them. For what
is this world that God loves so marvelously that He gives His
Son to die for it in order to save it? It is a world of sinners.
Yet all the iniquity, the idolatry, the ingratitude, and the enmity
of which the world was and is guilty could not kill God's love
for it. The wicked world could and did kill God's only Son, but
it could not and did not kill God's saving love. Whosoever
(0 blessed whosoever!) learns to believe in that burning love of
God for sinners and makes the crucified Savior his Savior by faith,
shall not perish, no matter how vile he may be, but he shall escape
death and have everlasting life. A young soldier was shot on the
battle-field, and a comrade dragged him aside to die. He shut
his eyes, and all his past life flashed before him. In the gaiety
of life he had forgotten his God and Savior. Now his many sins,
like so many weights, seemed to sink him deeper and deeper into
everlasting perdition. Then the only legacy which his pious mother
had left him came to his mind. It was this thrilling Bible-verse
of God's love which his mother had taught him at her knee. He
caught at it as at a saving rope let down from heaven. "Lord,
I believe," he cried ; "save me for Jesus' sake or I perish !" That
was his dying prayer, a prayer never uttered by a penitent soul
in vain. We — you and I — are sinners whom God loves so mar-
velously in His dear Son. Do we believe and rejoice in that saving
love? If so, our hearts must fill with burning gratitude, and we
cannot do otherwise — we will daily give ourselves anew to God
a living sacrifice. "Love so amazing, so divine, Demands our soul,
our life, our all."
