Then one day while the brilliant noon sun hid its face and the earth trembled, Jesus Christ gave Himself into the hands of cruel men to die on a cross of shame (John 10:17, 18). This was not only a natural death, you understand, but a supernatural one too, for Christ died to forever exhibit the saving love o f God for a lost, condemned world of men. The story doesn’t stop there either. They laid Him in a borrowed tomb. Three days after, He gloriously rose from the dead (Matt. 28 :5 ,6 ), thus dem onstrating the truth of what He had claimed, namely that He was able to save all that come unto God by Him. This then is God’s way to become His child. Believe this story about Jesus Christ. Believe it with all your heart. Receive Him, the crucified- buried-resurrected Christ into the very blood stream of your existence. Trust Him, depend upon Him, rely upon Him for your every need. He will never fail you. Your full accepta tion of God’s Son here and now opens the way for God to bring to pass in your heart and life the miracle of the new birth. This time it’s a spiritual birth, a birth into God’s own family. This is the process by which we be come a child of God, forever and for ever. With God now as our Father, we acquire One infinitely wise and su perbly able to help us in all the prob lems of life. Have you ever come to God—this way? And if not, will you . . . now?
earnestly with every beat of our heart. Everything in life then must be judged by whether or not it con tributes to God’s plan. Our friends, our ambitions, our pleasures, our love, our companionships must be judged on this basis. Nothing is to be tol erated which detracts. God’s plan is good—it’s the last word in wisdom, it’s the quintessence of success. It includes your love life, too. All right then, how can we know God’s plan? The only answer we can give to that is: to those who really want it, God will both reveal His plan, and work it out completely. But be assured of this, God's plan will be wholly in accord with the principles revealed in His Word, the Bible. So life and all that’s in it, including love, is to be measured by the principles of Scripture. Christian Love Is Different Before we go on to talk about spe cific things, let’s pause to get this straight. Christians just don’t belong to themselves any more. They belong to Christ—wholly, rightfully (1 Cor. 6:19,20). The rest of what we have to say just won’t make sense until this is understood. Let’s be absolutely honest. What was your actual con dition before you met Christ? The Scriptures soberly declare that un- ( Continued on Page 82)
Life Now Has a Purpose Here’s a startling, thrilling truth. God has a plan for your life (Matt. 28:18-20). Yes, the God o f eternity, the same One who brought this vast unmeasured universe into existence has a purpose for your life. His plan is a complete one, foolproof, detailed, definite and one of guaranteed suc cess (John 21:15-17). We’re certainly not able to plan our lives. We can’t even predict what’s going to happen twenty-four hours from now. - Our outlook is hopelessly limited, and our power of planning tragically inadequate. Very few peo ple can even plan a day successfully, not to mention planning a life. But our God is able. He fully knows the end from the beginning. He sees all, knows everything. Nor can anything take place in His world until He ap proves. But more than that. God’s plan for us is of the highest. He seeks our true success. Because we are Christians by faith in His Son, He desires that we be a credit to our name—and His. You see, we’re here for a purpose. Life has a reason to it. It’s a race to be run, with a victory to be won. So it’s folly of the grossest sort to miss God’s plan. For the Christian it spells bitter defeat, utter frustration. Con sequently we must desire God’s plan
- A Y L gig He came to my desk with quivering lip— The lesson was done. “ Dear Teacher, I want a new leaf,” he said, “ I have spoiled this one.” I took the old leaf, stained and blotted, And gave him a new one all unspotted, And into his sad eyes smiled, “ Do better, now, my child.” I went to the throne with a quivering soul— The old year was done. Dear Father, hast Thou a new leaf for me? I have spoiled this one.” He took the old leaf, stained and blotted, And gave me a new one all unspotted, And into my sad heart smiled, “ Do better, now, My child.” —-K athleen W heeler
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