NO one in this world can be good until Jesus makes them so. Sometimes we hear parents, teachers and ministers, when talking to children, tell them, “Jesus won’t love them unless they are good; that Jesus only loves good children.”
This is all wrong. It is not what the Bible teaches us. We read in the Bible that, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” not good people. Jesus said Himself, while He was on earth, “I came not to call the righteous,” that is those who thought they were good, “but sinners to repentance.”
He said again, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” He didn’t say, I won’t cast him out if he is good—but I won’t cast him out how-ever bad he may be; though his sins be as scarlet, and though they be red as crimson, I won’t cast him out. Paul said that he was the “chief of sinners,” and yet as soon as he came to Jesus he was pardoned, and saved. Paul did not try to make himself good and then come to Jesus, but he came to Jesus while he was the “chief of sinners,” that He might make him good. We cannot make ourselves good. No one else can make us good. Jesus alone can do this for us.
He blesses men and women and children, whose hearts are full of sin, by taking away their sins, and enabling them to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in their lives,—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and thus shine for Him, and be such a blessing to others.
A little girl, whose name was May Davis came bounding into her father’s library one day. She put her arms round his neck and said, “My dear papa, I am so glad that I am your little girl. For today I walked home with Fanny Vale, to see her little kitten; and Mr. Vale was so cross to Fanny, he scolded her for being so late, when indeed she couldn’t help it, and said it was a shame for a girl ten years old to play with a cat. I know I’m often very naughty papa, but I would be ten times worse if Mr. Vale were my father. O I’m so glad that I am your little girl.”
“How did Fanny behave,” asked Mr. Davis, as he kissed his little daughter. “Did she answer back?”
“No indeed,” said May. “Fanny behaved beautifully, a thousand times better than I should have done. She told her father she was very sorry to be so late, and then putting down the pretty little kitten, she asked if there was anything she could do for him. I don’t see how she could be so good, do you papa?” “Yes, my dear,” said Mr. Davis, “for I know whose little girl Fanny is, and I only wish my little girl was a child of the same Father.”
“Indeed I wouldn’t like to have her father for mine,” said May, “and I don’t see why you should wish such a thing either.”
“About a year ago, Fanny trusted in Jesus, and now she is God’s little girl; and that is what I mean,” said Mr. Davis.
“God’s little girl?” said May thoughtfully; “and does He keep her from being naughty, and is that why she is always so happy?”
“Yes, darling; that is it,” said Mr. Davis.
“Then papa,” whispered May, leaning her head on his shoulder, “I wish—I wish that I was God’s little girl, too.”
“He would love to have you for His child,” replied her father.
“But I don’t know how,” said May, looking up sadly, “and besides I am not half good enough to be God’s little girl.”
“Jesus says, ‘Suffer little children to come unto Me,’” said her father; “He does not say suffer good little children, but all children, no matter how naughty, if you only trust Him He will enable my little daughter to love Him.”
“But is Fanny really God’s little girl?” asked May. “Why, she loves to laugh and play just like other children, and always seems so merry.
Now I thought that when little girls became so very religious, they always looked grave, and didn’t care to play as I do. I knew they would be happier when they came to die, but I never thought they would be happier now.”
“My dear May, do you remember the time last summer when you were lost in the woods?” asked her father.
“Yes, indeed,” said the child, “I never can forget that day, nor how I cried till you found me.”
“Well, my dear, did you enjoy the beautiful flowers, and the birds that sang so sweetly in the trees, better when you were lost, and wandering all alone, or when I had found you, and we were walking home together hand in hand?”
“O, after you found me, to be sure,” said May, “for then I felt so safe and happy that the flowers and birds seemed a thousand times more beautiful than ever before.”
“And just so it is with Fanny,” said Mr. Davis, “once she was lost and wandering far away from the path which leads to heaven; but now she has an Almighty Father, who is keeping her from harm, and guiding her home to heaven. Would you expect such a little girl to be always grave and sad?”
“No, indeed, I should expect her to be just like Fanny—very happy. And, papa, I mean to ask God, before I go to sleep, if He won’t make me His little girl, for Jesus, sake. It will make me so happy to know that I belong to Him.”
ML-03/21/1920