Saved or Lost?–Color Tract

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Some years ago a young man was asked by a friend to go with him to a village where he was going to preach. He agreed to go, not because he was interested in the preaching, but because he thought the trip would be an amusing experience.

Nothing that was said impressed him until the close of the meeting, when his friend urged all who were listening to do one thing before they went to bed that night. He wanted each person to take a piece of paper and, as if they were in God’s presence, to write one word on it, either “SAVED” or “LOST.”

The Moment of Truth

He said that one word or the other describes the condition of everyone in the village and the whole world. The meeting closed and the young man went home, but not to rest. He was very upset, feeling he could not write “SAVED” and quite determined he would not write “LOST.”

For three months the question troubled him. The words “SAVED” and “LOST” followed him everywhere. They seemed to be written before his eyes. He prayed and read the Bible, but no relief came. He was firm in his conviction that he could not honestly write “SAVED” and equally determined that he would not write “LOST.”

One morning he started to read Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Then he stopped and quietly faced the situation, saying to himself, “I for one cannot say that the Lord is my Shepherd.” Over and over again he read the words. At last he got down on his knees and didn’t get up until he knew that the Lord was his Shepherd, because his Good Shepherd had laid down His life for the sheep whom He had come to seek and to save.

His prized possession is now a piece of paper on which is written: “Saved through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,” signed by his name and the date when for the first time he could say, “SAVED.” What would you have to write? Have you ever faced the question as to whether you are SAVED or LOST? Listen to what the Scriptures say: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Certainty

A Philippian jailer realized he was lost, and he cried to Paul and Silas (two of his prisoners), “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer rang out clear and plain for him and for you and me: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). May every reader of these words be able to write “SAVED.” “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

First Things First–Color Tract

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What can I do?” is the immediate thought of most people when the question of going to heaven is raised.

If someone asked you about salvation and the way to heaven, would your answer be, “We each have to do our very best”? Then, if you were asked for something specific, would your list include being a good parent, attending church regularly, being honest, helping others, and any number of other requirements most people assume are on God’s checklist?

Now, if I tell you that you’re wrong, will you become angry and throw this tract away? There is a right answer to the question, “How can I get to heaven?” No doubt good works are a necessary part of the Christian life, but according to what God tells us, good works don’t come first.

When you were taught the alphabet, you learned the letters in their correct order. The letter D is in the alphabet, but its place is fourth, not first. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says, “Except ye … become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Following His instruction to learn as a little child, you must begin with God’s A, B and C and not put D at the beginning.

A — “ALL HAVE SINNED”

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Read no further until you accept the fact that what God says is true and that each of us is a sinner in His eyes. But He doesn’t just give up on us because we are sinners; He loves us too much for that. He has a remedy for sinners, and it is explained under the letter B.

B — “BELIEVE”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

No one can claim they have salvation until they truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you will trust Christ for salvation and Him only, that is all that is necessary — salvation is yours! The letter C explains the wonderful work He did to provide salvation for you.

C — “CHRIST”

“Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

If you acknowledge that you are a sinner according to A and if you believe on Christ according to B, C tells you that Christ has already suffered for your sins. You committed the sins; Christ bore the punishment in your place. Now God can give you — not the punishment, which Christ has already completely exhausted — but His gift of salvation, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That’s how you can be sure you will spend eternity in heaven. Now, are you going to just forget about what you’ve read here and go on as before — without God and without heaven for your future? Or will you give this matter serious consideration and believe God’s A‑B‑C? It is God’s way of salvation and the only way to have a guaranteed future in heaven.

The matter of doing good works has not come up so far, because Christ has done it all. All that is necessary for your salvation has been completed, and you may simply rest on what He has already done. The moment you trust in Him for salvation, you are saved from your sins and assured of spending eternity in heaven.

Up to this point, there has been no mention of the fourth-place letter — D. This comes after you have understood and obeyed the first three letters.

Finally — “DOING”

The following verse applies to those who, by faith, have received God’s salvation: “We are … created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

The doing part comes last, as the result of your having received eternal life. You can never receive eternal life by earning it; the good works now prove that you really possess it.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

God’s Time Is Now–Color Tract

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“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

“I must wait God’s time to be saved,” say some.

GOD’S TIME IS NOW! Yes, an ever-present “now.”

Tomorrow may be too late. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

Every tick of the clock, every beat of your pulse, and every breath that you draw brings you nearer, nearer and NEARER still to

ETERNITY.

Where would you spend it if you were to die this moment?

In light or in darkness?

In heaven or in hell?

With Christ or with Satan?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, NOW, and you are among those of whom the Holy Spirit speaks by the Apostle Paul, in the Epistle to the Romans:

“NOW justified by His blood” (Romans 5:9).

“NOW … received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:11 JND).

“NOW … made free from sin” (Romans 6:22).

“NOW … delivered from the law” (Romans 7:6).

“NOW no condemnation … in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Thousands are already in eternity, LOST! They failed to recognize the importance of that little word “NOW.” They meant to repent and believe the gospel, but they put it off and put it off, until it was too late. Therefore, I urge you, NOW is God’s time; ignore it and it may be NEVER!

God’s Simple Message

“Verily, verily, I say unto you.” In John 5:24, there are five things the Lord says.

The first thing is:

“He that heareth My word.”

How simple to listen, to stop our efforts, to turn from ourselves, to pay attention and come to Him, to hear His voice speaking to us, showing us our need or telling of His love.

The second thing is:

“Believeth on Him that sent Me.”

If anyone can truly say, “I have heard, and I believe,” what has he received? Everlasting life.

That is the third thing:

“Hath everlasting life.”

And if you have the first and the second, you must have the third.

Then the fourth is:

“Shall not come into judgment.”

And the fifth:

“Is passed from death unto life.”

For Certain

The last opportunity of hearing God’s gospel

WILL COME.

The last opportunity of accepting it

WILL COME.

The last moment of your life on earth

WILL COME.

The judgment day

WILL COME.

“Boast not thyself of TOMORROW; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”
(Proverbs 27:1).

Just Give Me Earth!–Color Tract

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Mr. Charter, my boss, was well-known in business circles, well liked by his company and feared by his competitors. He was a very successful manager of one of the company’s largest branches. But he had no use for God and was ruthless in his dealings with others. All his energy went into getting ahead.

Mr. Charter often ridiculed me for my love for the Lord Jesus, especially if a group of salesmen were around. He took advantage of those opportunities to have fun at my expense.

One morning I met my boss in the elevator as we were going to work and gave him a gospel tract. He glanced at it and handed it back with a remark that I will never forget: “Boy, you can have all the heaven you want, but just give me earth.”

That statement fully expressed his whole desire in life. I was shocked at such a philosophy. I’ve since learned that he was only one of millions who feel the same way. Not everyone is so blunt about it. Some will even say that they want to go to heaven when they die. They realize that they can’t live on earth forever, and having heard a little of the horrors of hell, they think they would prefer heaven to hell. But earth is definitely their preference!

Sudden Death

A few years later Mr. Charter’s sister died very suddenly, and within a few weeks his brother, without warning, died of a stroke. However, nothing seemed to change him.

One Wednesday Mr. Charter spent the day at his office as usual. He was feeling full of energy, and after dinner, he and his wife went out for an evening of fun. On returning home about 2 a.m., he complained of being ill. A doctor diagnosed the flu, but the following day he had lapsed into unconsciousness. He remained in a coma most of the time until about 3 a.m. on Sunday. Then he forever left everything he had loved so dearly. He died as he had lived — without God and without Christ.

Another Fool

How like the man the Lord Jesus spoke of in the twelfth chapter of Luke! He too had all his treasures on this earth. That man planned to build larger barns and increase his wealth.

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (Luke 12:20).

Mr. Charter would not be guilty of carelessness in business, but in the most important transaction of his life, he had proved he was a fool. Even if he could have gained the whole world, he had lost his soul, a loss that can’t be calculated.

God speaks of this class in the Book of Revelation as “those that dwell on the earth.” It is also translated “earthdwellers,” which expresses the choice of millions. In that book God reveals the judgments that are about to fall on such people.

What About You?

Are you guilty of this foolishness? Are you exchanging your immortal soul for what you will leave behind when you die? God says, “Death [has] passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

God has warned you that after death comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Don’t wait any longer to come to God! Confess that you are a sinner, and accept the Saviour He has provided. Don’t wait for a more favorable opportunity — it may never come.

This night your soul may be required of you.

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

A Race for Life–Color Tract

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Even in our modern times, no roads exist that connect Nome to the rest of Alaska. In January 1925, when car and air travel were impossible, Dr. Curtis Welch of Nome diagnosed an out­break of diphtheria — a deadly and contagious disease. Sadly, Dr. Welch had none of the needed antitoxin serum. He sent out an ur­gent telegraph pleading for help. Every hour with­out the serum increased the death toll.

This dreadful disease reminds us of sin. Sin has infected every one of us, and if we don’t use the right treatment for it, sin will eventually cause our eternal death. The Bible makes it clear how dangerous sin really is: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Who is the only one who can remove the problem of sin? Before His birth an angel announced, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His precious blood. God says, “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

The antitoxin serum was located in Anchorage and was sent by train to the town of Nenana — still 650 miles away from Nome. More than twenty dog­sled teams were ready, spaced out along the route to Nome.

The crate containing the vials of serum was carefully lashed onto the first sled, and the driver yelled, “Mush!” The dogsled race to save lives had begun.

After harrowing adventures, the serum was lashed to Gunnar Kaasen’s next-to-last dogsled. With the command “Mush!” his team of dogs sprinted away. Shortly after this team started, a severe snowstorm blew in. Snow fell so fast that Gun­nar could no longer tell if he was headed in the right direction. He had to trust his lead dog to guide them. The lead dog made his way through the blizzard until he lost his sense of di­rection and stopped. Worried that they would never reach Nome, Gunnar got off the sled.

The snow was blowing so thick that Gunnar could barely see the faint outlines of his dogs in their harnesses. His glance fell on one of the dogs that was hitched at the back of the team. Instead of standing still, this dog Balto was jumping against the braces of the harness. He seemed to be saying, I know the way; trust me! Gunnar switched Balto to the lead spot. The dog paused for a moment, just long enough for Gunnar to get behind his sled, and then surged forward into the storm.

The wind blew at forty miles an hour. The temperature was minus forty and falling, and snow continued to fall fast. Balto led them through the terrible storm. At one point, a strong gust of wind hit them and lifted Gunnar, the sled and all the dogs off the ground before slamming them back down again.

The Home Stretch

When they neared the last relay station, Gunnar saw no lights in the roadhouse. Instead of losing precious time in rousing the sleeping driver, Gunnar kept going on the last twenty-mile leg of the journey. Even after working all day, Balto ran like the wind.

At 5:30 a.m., Balto led the team to the front of the tiny hospital in Nome. They had traveled over twenty hours through some of the worst conditions known to man. Gunnar put his arm around his lead dog and then noticed that Balto’s feet were bleeding. Despite danger and incredible hardships, Balto had gotten the sled carrying the antitoxin serum through to Nome.

Did you know that Jesus left His home in heaven and came here to earth to face dangers and incredible hardships so that you could be saved? The words He spoke were so powerful that they struck men deep in their hearts. Because He spoke about sin, He earned the hatred of many who “loved darkness rather than light.” At last they took Him and nailed Him to a cross. God knew that it was only through the death of His dear Son that sin could ever be put away. In His own body at the cross, He carried those sins which were bringing us down to death and judg­ment. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastise­ment of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

The Lord Jesus Christ died for you on the cross. After His death, He was laid in a grave, but a grave couldn’t hold Him. He rose from the dead. If you believe on this Sav­iour, you will receive the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life.
Won’t you trust the Lord Jesus to save you?

The Blood-Marked Door–Color Tract

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During a cruel and bloody war, a commander took an oath that he would slaughter the entire population of a certain town, and in due course his violent troops were let loose on the defenseless people.

A fugitive seeking shelter spied a number of soldiers as they broke into a house and slaughtered its inhabitants. On leaving it, one of them dipped a cloth into a pool of blood and splashed it on the door, as a sign to any who might follow that everyone inside was dead.

Quick as he could, the fugitive ran to a large house in the center of the town, where a number of his friends were concealed, and breathlessly told them what he had seen. Immediately they knew what to do. A goat was in the yard. They killed it without delay and splashed its blood on the door. They closed the door just before soldiers rushed into their street. But when they came to the blood-marked door, they made no attempt to enter! The sword, so they thought, had already entered. While many around were slain, all within the blood-marked door were saved.

The First Passover

“The Lord spake unto Moses … Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying … they shall take to them every man a lamb. … Your lamb shall be without blemish … and the whole … congregation … shall kill it in the evening. … And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood … and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood … the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

“And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt … and there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exodus 12).

The children of Israel, in the shelter of the blood, were perfectly safe, for the Lord had said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13).

And those same words apply in all their saving power. That first passover foreshadowed Christ our passover, the Lamb “without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19), who was “sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7) on the cross of Calvary. His shed blood has stopped the sword of divine judgment for everyone who by faith takes shelter in it. Have you by faith applied to yourself that precious blood? Have you put yourself under its shelter? It is the only place of safety from the judgment of God that will soon fall on this sinful, Christless world, “because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). It is foolish to remain without Christ.

“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18‑19).

“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” (John 3:16).

“We may have boldness in the day of judgment” (1 John 4:17).

A Story About Nothing–Color Tract

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This story is about nothing — nothing at all. That’s what you brought into the world with you when you were born. Just nothing … zero.

There was a man in Italy who added a great deal of money to his first zero, and he became a rich man with a lot of zeros after the number one. He had an expensive car and much more. He also had in his car one little New Testament which he had stuffed out of sight in his glove compartment, because he didn’t know what to do with it.

Think of that! The eternal Word of God, showing the way to everlasting joy with the answer to all the sins and sorrows of life and death … and he didn’t know what to do with it! He knew how to handle money and how to make more. He knew how to get a beautiful house and how to meet im­portant people, but he didn’t know God’s simple way of salvation. How poor can a rich man be?

Then came the car accident. The ambulance was called, and there was nothing he could do but wait. His injuries were not severe, but he knew very well that he could have been killed. His hand reached for the ownership papers of his car, and his fingers came up with that little New Testament. For the first time, he opened it and read that verse about “nothing.” It was 1 Timothy 6:7. “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

“I felt as if I had been struck by lightning!” he said later. He realized that if he had been killed, all his possessions would be reduced to the original zero. Nothing would be left for eternity. Not a single penny of all his riches would still be his the moment after his death.

Please Visualize This

But after death there is something that would still be his. His sins! These you cannot get rid of after death. They must be gotten rid of before death or they are yours forever, through the endless ages of eternity. Will you please, at this mo­ment, picture this awful truth — stand­ing before God in your sins!

However, the awful debt of my sins has been paid by the One who loves me and died for me on Calvary. His pre­cious blood cleanses from all sin now, and this cleansing is forever. After I’m gone, everything I own will also be left behind for someone else. But, Jesus is mine forever. I cannot lose Him because He cannot lose me. When God looks at me, He sees Jesus, now and forever.

What About You?

The rich man in the car accident be­gan to read the Bible earnestly, and he soon accepted the Lord Jesus as his Sav­iour and was then baptized. Will you also receive this loving Saviour as your own? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salva­tion” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

The Bag of Beans–Color Tract

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A depressed young man had been living for his next party. A friend convinced him to hear a well-known gospel preacher. It may have been only curiosity, but he found himself seated in the congregation. The evangelist read, “We are not ignorant of his devices,” from the Bible. Then he abruptly proceeded:

“I was walking along the street the other day, and I saw a group of pigs following a man. This made me curious, because pigs are hard animals to lead. If you want them to go one way, they invariably take another. But this man seemed to have no difficulty; the pigs eagerly followed jostling and grunting after him. I followed them and to my surprise I found they were going to the slaughterhouse. They went in, and the door closed behind them. I waited till the man came out and asked him how he had managed to lead them so easily.

The Secret Trick

“The man laughed and said, ‘Maybe you didn’t see the bag of beans under my arm. I knew I’d have a hard time getting those pigs there if I didn’t humor them a bit. So I got some beans they like and dropped them along the road. And you saw how they scampered along picking up the beans, never thinking they were going to the slaughterhouse.’

“And this is the way,” continued the preacher, raising his voice and turning his penetrating glance right on the pew where the young man sat, “that the devil is leading some of you captives at his will down to hell. He knows full well how to please you and lead you. He drops his beans right along the road, and very soon you will pick up the last bean; then the gates of hell will close behind you.”

The story of the beans, with its application to the ways of the devil in ruining souls, convicted his soul. The next day he left for New York. Anxiously his friend waited for news of his arrival.

A Surprise

Soon, to his delight, his friend heard, “I’m glad to tell you that I’m converted. The message of that speaker, especially his opening words about the devil’s beans, grabbed me and woke me up. I saw where I was going, how Satan was luring me on, and what my destiny would be. By the grace of God I’m saved to follow a better Leader and walk in a new path. I will always thank God for that good man’s words, by which I was led to the Saviour, just before I lost my soul forever.”

Are you being led on to death and hell by the devil’s beans?

Someday you will taste the “pleasures of sin,” often very delicious, for the last time. Then hell’s door will close behind you, and the doom of the damned will be your portion forever. Today a God of love intensely longs for you and wants to save you. Christ is able, ready and willing. “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?”

“If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”
(2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Almost But Lost–Color Tract

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A fierce storm raged, a storm so violent that most of the villagers couldn’t remember another one like it. Many anxious wives and mothers in the little fishing village tensely waited for their fishermen husbands and sons who were out in the vicious weather.

Finally fishing boats began appearing on the horizon. Soon they entered the bay, and before long the first boat reached the harbor. In spite of the storm, a large crowd gathered on the pier and watched as boat after boat passed from the surging waves of the bay into the calmer waters of the harbor. Every eye in the waiting crowd searched anxiously for the boat bringing their loved one.

Terror Strikes

Finally, the last boat reached the mouth of the harbor. The seven brave men on board, after an exhausting struggle with the storm, could be heard in the distance.

Terror suddenly enveloped the waiting crowd. Faces turned white, shrieks pierced the air, and women clung to one another in agonizing disbelief. In a frenzy of desperation they kept yelling, “What happened? What happened?”

Just at the point of entering the harbor and only a short distance from safety, the boat suddenly vanished! In an instant, boat and crew had been swallowed up by the raging waves. Every one of the seven men drowned. They couldn’t have been nearer without actually being inside the harbor.
But they were lost!

Dangerous Indecision

Many people are in the same condition. Driven by their sense of need and compelled by their guilty conscience, some approach the door of salvation. It stands open to all, yet some people don’t enter. The tender voice of the loving Shepherd in divine compassion calls to them again and again, “I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). Still they hesitate.

These people linger at the entrance as though they would like to go in. A single step would take them across the threshold, but they hold back. They listen with some concern to the message of mercy. They see others entering and accepting the Saviour’s forgiveness for their sins. Still they remain outside. The years slip by, and when God finally closes the door, they will still be there — so close to safety, yet still outside.

Be Decisive

If this describes your indecision, then: “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). Not far … but still outside. Be warned, that to be on the wrong side of the closed door means you will be on the wrong side forever! Will you take the necessary step before it is too late?

“Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“They that were ready went in with him … and the door was SHUT” (Matthew 25:10).

I Wish I Had Someone To Love Me Like That–Color Tract

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We live in a world where people use someone else for their own personal pleasure. When that pleasure is gone, they move on to someone else. A colleague of mine always used to nervously straighten up and apply her make-up before going home to her husband. She feared him leaving her — again — and wanted to pass his inspection. It wasn’t enough; he moved out for another woman. Have you felt that pain of rejection from a parent, friend or spouse? Do you have to hide part of who you are to be acceptable to others?
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Late one August afternoon, 75-year-old Dorothy finally got her one chance of the day to water-ski and gracefully rose out of the water on her first try while her husband Marvin steered the boat.
Only a few years later, Marvin walked very slowly with a walker or cane. Dorothy slumped her weary, medicated body in her chair, her white head bobbing sleepily while a high-pitched, rodent-repelling whining noise filled their ears.
A tragedy of old age? Hardly! Yes, it’s sad to see someone you love suffering. The Bible tells us, “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). That’s the horrible effect of our sin and disobedience to God. But there’s more to Marvin and Dorothy’s story than that — and more to ours too. A caregiver, watching Marvin sitting day after day by his wife’s side, hearing him call her “honey,” and watching him painfully walk over to serve her every need, said, “I wish I had someone to love me like that!” Who wouldn’t crave a love that keeps on flowing our way when we have nothing to give back?
We do have someone who loves us like that!
Marvin learned to love his wife from his Saviour Jesus Christ. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We’ve all done many acts of disobedience to God. One, just one, “little” lie deserves punishment by a righteous God who hates sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But God loved us when there was nothing in us to attract His love. Marvin said, not that he was living a tragedy, but that God was using his situation as part of His plan to show a love that flows from God to people like us who don’t deserve it. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Will you receive, as Marvin has, the only Saviour of sinners like yourself ?