A REMARKABLE story of a lion is told by an African missionary. He had caught the lion while it was very young and brought it to his house. It was carefully and tenderly brought up along with several tame animals, and as it grew, it seemed to have lost the savage nature belonging to a lion. For several years it continued to move about the missionary’s homestead, and would even walk into the rooms and play with the children. A picture showed the missionary’s little daughter, riding on the tame lion’s back!
But one day the tame lion wandered into the forest, where the savage growls of the wild lions were often heard. Very likely falling in with some of his own kindred, he got into his native den, and was seen no more. He had still the lion’s nature. It might be tamed but it could not be changed, and when he got out among other lions, he no doubt became just like them.
There is a solemn lesson here for every boy and girl. The sinner’s nature is enmity against God. One may appear very amiable, and even be outwardly like a Christian, but unless you are born again, and have a new nature implanted in you, you are liable any day to go into the worst sins that you see ungodly men commit.
The only way of deliverance is by being born again. In the new birth you get a new and heavenly life "the life of God” — which enables those who have it to rise above sin and worldly things.
And there is no difficulty, no mystery, as the way in which this new life is to be had.
ML-03/03/1974