The Love of God

THE love of God toward fallen man appears everywhere in the Bible. God does not love sin, nor will he lightly pass over it. But he has tender pity toward sinners and makes every effort to rescue them from ruin. He does not wait for them to turn from sin before inviting them to come to him, but while they are yet in their sins he sends to them the light of his truth, and the tender and melting influence of his Spirit to cause them to see their lost condition, and to incline them to yield to the gracious offers of mercy.

And though men reject the light which comes to them from Heaven, and resist the influence of the Spirit of God, the condescension of the God of Heaven is so great, that he continues to plead with them year after year, and entreat them to repent. There is indeed a time when the Spirit of God ceases to strive with men, but it is not till after that Spirit has been many times grieved and resisted.

God is love. His goodness is infinite. His benevolence and compassion exceed all our feeble powers of comprehension. The length, the breadth, the depth, and the height of his love are immeasurable. He will not permit men to sin against him, and he will not take wickedness of any kind into his presence. But he is not only willing to forgive those who sin but he seeks by every motive to lead men to repentance.

It is our misfortune that we inherit a fallen nature. But God has not left us in this pitiable situation without making ample provision whereby we may be rescued. We may obtain the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we may receive his grace into our hearts by which our whole nature may be transformed to become day by day more and more like Christ, till at last we shall bear his perfect image.

God graciously invites every member of our race to partake of this great salvation. He bids us to come now, and gives us the gracious assurance that he will receive us. The grace of God will change our nature until evil shall be wholly subdued in our hearts, and until the love of God shall be perfected in us. And when this great moral change shall have been wrought, and the work of grace accomplished in us, we shall then be prepared for the kingdom of God. And when the time comes for the resurrection of the just, the Spirit of God will quicken our mortal bodies and render them immortal, and we shall then be made equal to the angels of God

God wills the salvation of sinful men. He has given them the pledge of this in the death of his Son. He invites each one of us to partake of his great salvation, and he bids us come now. Let us not neglect this gracious invitation.