Evening journal., 1911-06-08
Topic ior sunday, June II. 1911, ~Why
Love Christ" Peter j; S-s5.


Love Christ" Peter Il S-s5.
Primarily because He first loved me
John gave a fine answer to the ques-
ton when he said, I'VE love Him be-
cause he first loved us What a
glorious thing to have God whom We
can love for such reason. An
American gentleman once said to a
converted Chinese who had come TO
this country to study and was about
to 20 back to China and pour out her
life as a missionary to her own peo-
pie. "Why don't you let your country
men alone. haven't they gods enough
already without you telling them Of
another?n "Ah yes,' she replied, I'VE
have many gods we dread, but do you
know sir that we haven't a single god
that We lover Their gods are sup
posed to have evil intentions toward
humanity and their worship Is large
ly in the form of sacrifice by which
they hope to please the gods and ward
of their wrath How different is our
Cod We need not fear TO approach
Him. and it is not necessary TO offer
sacrifice because Christ opened the
way to God for us by His death on
the cross and made thereby once and
for all time a full and complete sacri-
fce for our sins. Why shouldn't we
love Hint
Because God is SO mighty and com
mands the great forces of nature we
are at first inclined 10 look upon Him
IN fear. but the soul that has caught
the messages OF love that Jesus
taught soon loses its timidity and
comes 10 love and adore Him and TO
bask in the glory Of His perfect love
Christ is the fulfllment Of the long
ing in every human breast for a great
Friend and Companion, one who is
more than human, and who can bridge
every chasm that satan digs across
the path OF a struggling saint. In that
beautiful hymn. Jesus is Nine" the
author has put words that compress
into a nutshell the thought: All that
my soul has tried left but a dismal
void. Jesus has satisfied; Jesus is
minel
He saves me. Paul expressed the
thought most beautifully when he
wrote to tho Romans, saying, God
commendeth his own love toward us,
in that. while We were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" and then goes on
70 add that III while we were enemies.
we were reconciled 10 God through
the death OF His Son, much more, be-
ing reconcilcd. shall we be saved by
His life; and not only so, but we also
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom We have now
received the reconciliation" Think
OF the great affection that stirs the
heart Of the intimate that makes Him
love even the rebel soul that will have
nothing to do with Himi When We
consider the words OF Christ and hear
Him say "the Son Of Man is come to
seek and TO save that which was lost, -
and then reflect on the sorrows lie
bore while here on earth. all other
loves pale into insigniicancc, and
even mother love. tho highest type OF
earthly love. becomes but a shadow in
the glorious light Of Him who gladly
laid down His life that His enemies
might live. His sacrifice was not for
selfish reasons: He might have lived
on forever in the perfect bliss OF
heaven and never have suffered the
pain and anguish. both mental and
physical. Of His earthly sojourn, but
Tic gladly laid II all aside that Hg
might be the Precipitation for the sins
OF those who were living in spiritual
darkness Think what this meantl
Bavo we ever stopped to consider the
great love and compassion bound up
in John 3: 16? For God so loved
the world (this means you and ID that
He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believoth on Him should
not perish but have eternal life"
That's the greatest love story ever
told and we might search the ages and
never find its equal.
He inspires me. He is the source Of
every lofty aim and purpose We can
not live in His holy presence and not
be filled with a great desire to become
more like Him, to loose our personali-
ties by having them become part OF
His. If we really love Christ our lives
viii show it by the manner in which
We put to death the selfish, unholy
parts of our nature. The Spirit must
rule where God is. and Christ will not
make His home in a heart that has not
put to death the vile things OF the
nesh; but il we give Him the right of
way He viii come in and abide with
us and the consciousness Of His pres
ence viii be a never falling source
of inspiration and comfort.
A story is told OF a temple In the
Orient called the Sacra where in-
sence is burned. the odor Of which is
OF such a powerful clinging nature
that even though the worshiper spends
but a few moments within the holy
place the perfume clings to his gar.
ments throughout the day and mer
say he has been to the Sacra." Man
We not today. as We commune with
Jesus Christ, catch something OF His
spirit that We shall not be like the
men Of the world. but like the apos.
hes OF old, so carry out In our lives
the spirit and teachings Of Him thar
men shall say Of us as they said o.
shem, they have been with Jesus"
De keeps me. There is not a sou
wno has put his trust in Christ II 4
~ but for a day, who cannot testif,
10 the marvellous keeping power o
the Saviour. Often when We are OF
the very verge Of perdition and 1
seems that all the forces of the evi
one are arrayed against us. and w
cannot hold out longer. Jesus comes
and in that quiet, majestic manner Ii
which He Quelled the tempest. bring
peace to our troubled souls and give
US the victory because Wa trustee
Him. If VIC loved Him for no othe
reason We ought TO give Him our un
divided allegiance because of the mi
raculous way In which He throw
His protection about us. Christ nev
er changes; and when He said. II