0144. The Love of God–The Objective of His Love
The Love of God–The Objective of His Love
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Joh_3:16).
If we are to be possessed with the "love of God", we should also possess the purpose of His love. God’s love undertakes a certain, definite thing. This is vital.
The objective in God’s love, and in His giving His Son, is that men should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Missions should have this same aim. We are not sent to the nations to teach them ethics and eugenics, but to teach them the way to eternal life through faith in Christ.
All missionaries of Christ are "separated unto the Gospel of God", the Gospel wherein the righteousness of faith is revealed, a righteousness which is upon all them who believe.
When a missionary conference in China, some years past, requested that all missionaries be given special training in Social Service before being sent to their fields; that conference stepped outside the plan and purpose of God. They certainly need to "receive the benediction."
Missions may have beneficent effects on the dress, the customs, the ethical ideals, the morals of the heathen; but the one objective of missions is to preach Christ, and not to tell the heathen how to dress and how to live.
If we will preach Christ, these by-products will take care of themselves. Even our mission schools should have as their supreme and one aim, training the young converts in spiritual things, and winning the unsaved to Christ.
It is well enough to teach "sanitation" and "dietetics," but men of the world can do this. Christ died that men might not perish, but have everlasting life. This is our mission, and the whole extent of our mission.
The text does not read, God so loved, etc., that men might have more beautiful surroundings, and be better educated and better groomed. It is redemption from sin and eternal life that is God’s purpose. Apart from Christ, surroundings cannot be really bettered; in Christ, having obtained a real salvation, environment will take care of itself, and be permanently bettered. Then let "environment" alone and preach Christ.
"We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell the message all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land,
Climb the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward!–’tis our Lord’s command:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
"Waft it on the rolling tide:
Say to sinners far and wide:
Sing, ye islands of the sea,
Echo back, ye ocean caves;
Earth shall keep her jubilee:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
"Sing above the toil and strife–
By His death and endless life–
Sing it softly through the gloom,
When the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb–
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
"Give the winds a mighty voice:
Let the nations now rejoice–
Shout salvation full and free
To every strand that ocean laves;
This our song of victory,
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!"
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR