GOD IS LOVE.

Hoa Maori, Issue 16, 1 April 1890, Page 5

GOD IS LOVE.

(TO the CHILDREN).

w B SJfijEY ear young friend, would you •V% <gsi not wish to go to heaven ?" " Yes."

“ And how do you think we are to get ?” “Pray to God.” “ But how can we know when we hare prayed enough ?” There was no answer. “ Who won’t get to heaven ?” “ Those who tell lies and disobey God.” “ Well, have we not all done that ? I am sure I have done so, and I’m sure I have a heart that is very had; and did you ever hear of any person in this world who lived without any sin ?” . “No.” “ Then does any person get to heaven ?” “ Yes.” “Indeed! then it must be in some other way than what you said. Tell me, what kind of children does God love ?” “ Good children.” “Most certainly, God loves everything that is good. Now, where do we find the good children ?” “Are those the good children that sit quiet at table, and all the time their little hearts are coveting something that their elder brother is getting? Are those the good children that can so sweetly sing the nice hymns, and feel proud when they are praised ? are those seen by God to be good children that are called good by kind friends and loving fathers and mothers ? No, no. God says there is none good ; there is none righteous, no, not one.—(Romans iii. 10-12.) Of course it is far better to see children quiet, obedient, and kind, than to see them rude, peevish, and selfish; but all these things will never save their souls; and all the prayers, and learning lessons, and obedience to parents, and trying to love God will never make them ready to die, and though it is quite true that God loves everything that is good, I’ll tell yon something more . “ Do you think God loves bad people ?” “No.” . Now this is what I have to tell you: He Commends His love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, He sent His Son to die for us. Romans v. 8. He loves bad boys and bad girls, not because they are bad, but in spite of their badness. He was

so displeased at their badness that when Jesus, His own Son, lay under it, having taken in grace and love their sins upon himself, He could not look upon Him; it was so hateful to Him that He could not spare the meek and lowly Jesus. “ Hod was so angry at our badness that Jesus had to cry, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me ?’ (Matthew 27, 46). But He so loved bad boys and bad girls that He gave Him ' to die for us. You know that if He had wished to destroy us He never would have sent some other one; hut He .wished to destroy our badness, to put away our sin, because He loved us and wished us to he with Himself in His own family. Now, don’t you feel that you have a naughty heart ?” “Yes.” “Well, Jesus died for people that have naughty hearts, and we have just to put esus instead of us, and believe that God is quite willing to look at Jesus for us, and is satisfied with Him in our place. This is the good news that the Bible tells. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His onlybegotten Sou, that whosoever helieveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting —John 3, 16. “God has said, yea, written it, that ‘ Whosoever helieveth . . . should not perish.’ ‘Whosoever’ takes in you, does it not ? Then ‘Believe on the lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ Acts 16, 31. Then God loves bad people, and Jesus died for bad people, for bad men and women, boys and girls. He loves us, but hates our sins. It was a lad world God loved, and a bad world Christ came to save—to save all who will believe on Him.”

" Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."— Matt, xii, 28.