A TRAVELER in Morocco started on a business trip, and entering an inn one night, ordered Turkish coffee. In a few minutes a green curtain parted, and to his great astonishment, in walked a cat on its hind legs. On his front paws puss balanced a small tray on which was a cup of coffee.
When the innkeeper appeared, the traveler remarked, “Friend, you have a very clever cat. Sell it to me.”
“No,” said the owner, “I value it too highly. Besides, we are fond of it.”
The traveler persisted, “I must have that cat. I will pay a high price.”
The reluctant owner, after talking it over with his wife, consented. The money exchanged hands, puss was put into a basket, and the traveler continued his journey.
About a month later the man decided to display his cat to a group of his friends, so many people came to see it perform. First puss made a bow. Then standing on his hind legs, held a tray on his paws, waited until a cup of coffee was put on the tray, and carried it to someone at the other side of the room. Everyone was astonished.
Puss returned to his master, and a second cup of coffee was put on the tray. He was told to carry it to someone at another side of the room. The clever animal was halfway across when someone took from under his loose jacket a small box and from it released several mice. In a moment the tray and the cup of coffee crashed to the floor, as puss, on all fours, dashed after the scampering mice. In a flash all his education and special training disappeared, as the old cat nature triumphed. He was still a cat!
How many there are, boys and girls, and older folks too, who live and look and act like Christians, but they have never really owned Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. They have never been “born again.” They do not realize how sinful they are in God’s sight, and even if they do feel they are not quite what they should be, they try to improve themselves by going to Sunday school or church. They try not to do wrong, but seek rather to do good and to be kind to everyone and upright. These, along with many other good things, they practice, until by and by they acquire a very good opinion of themselves and become quite satisfied.
Now these things are all very good in themselves, but they do not bring salvation. Deep down the heart is deceitful and wicked as ever, as we read in Jer. 17:9, and the old nature, which is enmity against God, remains the same. What every son of Adam must have in order to be saved is the new birth. “Ye must be born again” are the words of the Saviour in John chapter 3. We must be born of His Spirit through His Word. And this we experience when we believe that we are sinners in His sight, but by faith trust the word of His grace which tells us He has died for us on the cross.
God does not seek to change our old nature—that is corrupt, ruined beyond repair—but He gives us a new nature and a new life which is His own; “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27. We are made partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter) which delights in holiness — in Christ and all that pleases Him.
“VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” John 3:3.
ML-04/24/1960