The boys and girls who came regularly to the Sunday School were having their annual treat. About 200 merry-looking children were gathered together and after some hymn-singing and prayer, one of the teachers spoke.
“I am going to ask you two questions. The first one is for the boys, and the second for the girls. Now be ready. Will any boy tell me whether it is bad boys or good boys that God loves?”
Before he had finished the question many hands were up, and many voices shouted, “Good, good, GOOD!”
“Well, now, will any girl tell me how many good boys are here?”
The girls looked across the room to the boys’ seats, and then hung their heads. No one spoke. The boys seemed impatient to hear the verdict. Still no one answered. At last a little girl whispered, “None,” and some of the boys got on their feet to see who had said that.
“How do you know that, my girl?” asked the teacher.
“Because it says in the New Testament, ‘There is none that doeth good, no, not one.’” Rom. 3: 12.
“Right! Now you see, boys, if it be good boys and girls that God loves, there will be none to love at all, for this girl has told us there is none good. All are sinners, and unless they be saved, they will never go to heaven. Every boy and girl in the world needs to be born again to be converted, else they can never wear a crown up yonder in glory. Now, what is to be done?”
“Pray,” cried one little fellow. “Well, my boy, what will you pray for?”
“To be saved and get to heaven,” he answered.
“And are you sure that will take you there?” But the boy did not answer.
“Can any girl tell me, whom does God love?”
“Sinners,” came the answer.
“And who are sinners?”
“All of us.”
“That’s it. All are sinners — boys and girls, father and mothers too. God loves all.”
“Now another question; was it good children or bad that Christ died for?”
“Sinners,” was the answer again.
“Ah, yes! now you’re getting to understand it. And who is it that Jesus saves?”
“Sinners who believe on Him.” “Are there any here that believe on Him?”
“Yes,” answered a girl of twelve. “I do.”
“And are you saved?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because Jesus says, ‘Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’” John 3: 16.
The meeting came to a close. The teacher waited behind to talk with the girl who said she was saved, and found she had trusted in Jesus only a Sunday or two before, and she was very happy.
Dear young reader, God loves you. Jesus died on the cross to save you. Will you, like this girl, trust Him? If so, you will be saved, and happy too.
ML 07/16/1967