Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-16

seFIHoH IL olli MS puiPit i"9N S"A
day:
"God so loved the world that lie
gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting
life." John 3:16. .-...-
There are, indeed, many who
think it but natural that God
should love them, who are aston
lshed, when they are told that
they stand exposed to Gods dis
pleasure. Such people know nelth-
err who God Is, nor what the world
Ia. what we human beings are.
Our text which treats of the
greatness of Gods love first con-
trasts God and the world, God the
lover and the world that Is loved
by Him.
What a contrast! A contrast as
great as there is between heaven
and hell, holiness and sin, saliva
ton and damnation. Who can
unite heaven and hell? Who can
make holiness and sin agree? Who
can transform damnation into sal
walton? He who can accomplish
this may boast Of having conceived
the full meaning of the words,
"God loved the world"
There is God who loves, the eter-
nal, infinite, almighty being who
called into existence the world and
all things In the world; God, the
holy one, who knows no sin, unto
whom sin is an abomination; God,
the Just and righteous who must
give over to eternal perdition what
ever is defiled by sin.
Such is God who loves. And
now, on the other hand, what is
The world? Do you know, my
friend? Take a view at the rest
less running and busy doings Of the
children of men; are they directed
to the service and honor Of God,
their creator? The bare human
eye even may easily detect the
fact, that the world is wide realm
in which all vices are freely exer-
cised. The world is a society Of en-
emies of God governed and led by
Satan against God. And you and
I are by nature of the world. We
have all sinned and fall short of
the glory of God And-God loved
the world, not the holy angels, but
the world, these wicked wretches.
sinful creatures. His heart was
moved by affection towards them,
by compassion and mercy. Oh,
truly, the greatness Of Gods love
has no equal.
We may also perceive the great
love of God by considering God s
y Irand design in regard to the
world. Our Savior declares 1t to
be this. that men might not per-
lsh. but have everlasting life"
Notice Christ's assertion, that
I'll men are in perishing state,
Consider we'll. it Is you Christ is
speaking about. You are undoubt-
eddy part Oh the world, member
of the human family. You are the
miserable man exposed to the doom
of eternal death in hell. where
the worm of torturing conscience
shall not die and the fire is not
quenched. there to dwell without
hope for mercy. 1t Is you who
must perish. oh, would to God
that your heart be shocked by
such message, and your conscience
reused. Then you would gladly re-
ceive that other part of the mes
sage: That men should s"have ev-
erlasting life." In His great love
God contemplated and planned
your redemption, to make you His
child, to give you eternal life.
There is no difference; all have
sinned and all are naturally in a
perishing state. But now the gos-
pei affirms, 1.-THE Lord is not will
fpo tbot NV oh ou1d yor{sb h,,k ~, a .
all should some to repentance" 2
Peter 3, 9.
Grand is Gods design in regard
to the world, astonishingly great
that divine love which contem-
plated it. But how can God save
sinners whose damnation is de-
manded by divine justice? Gods
love, my friends, found and fur
nished ransom for our sins; God
found means by which He execut
ed this glorious design Of giving
to the world eternal life. God so
loved the world that He gave His
only begotten son." "None of man
can by any means redeem his
brother. nor give to God a ransom
for him; for the redemption of
their soul is precious, and it ceas-
eth forever" Ps. 40, 80. But God,
desiring mans salvation, rendered
it possible by giving Himself what
man could not offer. God gave,
and what did He give? Not gold
and silver, not q kingdom, not an
angel. He gave more. He gave
His Son, His only begotten Son.
The most precious object He had
He gave to redeem the world.
God gave His Son to assume our
human nature, to become one of
our race. our brother, He gave
Him to bear the burden of our sins.
"Christ His own self bore our sins
in His own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins. should live
unto righteousness; by whose
stripes we are healed" / Peter b:
"a. God gave Him to bear the
curse of the law. "He sent forth
His Son, made Of woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons" Gal.
4:4-5. And so st. Paul exultingly
exclaims: This Is faithful say
ing and worthy of all acceptation
LAdCNo SHIl5t OcSu6 SdIlC iIlO lilC
world to save sinners, of whom I
am chief" / Tim. lis. My
friend, how highly must your soul
be estimated in the sight of God
How amazingly great is His love,
when He, to save you, gave His
sonly begotten Son for you?
r Buried in sorrow and in sin,
AT hell's dark door we lay;
But now arise by love divine,
To see a heavenly day.
But also the mode of imparting
to us the benefits OF the giving OF
1 the only begotten Son manifests to
us the greatness Of Gods love to
the world. 1t Is stated by Christ
in the words, whatsoever believ.
eth in Him shall have everlasting
life"
Under what conditions will
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