By John Thiel, mp3

The messages that have been currently conveyed from this pulpit have been prefaced by the words of the book ‘In Heavenly Places’.

I want you to fall in love with the Man of Calvary, {HP 354.3}    

This term “fall in love” as used by the Spirit of Prophecy here, has deteriorated into an emotional, love-sick, sentimentalism in this generation, so that the true meaning of those words are all smudged in our mind. It is a term that is used that generates divorces nowadays, because people emotionally fall in love with one another governed by the passions of the flesh and love-sick sentimentalism. The old-fashioned meaning of falling in love is better illustrated in another page.

The light of truth should be allowed to shine so that men, by seeing the righteous course of those who know the truth, will acknowledge that there is power in the truth, because it has accomplished so great a work for those who have received it. They will fall in love with the principles of holiness that shine forth in the lives of the representatives of truth, and they will accept the truth and glorify God by consecrating themselves to Him to become lights to the world in their turn. {HP 315.3}     

They will fall in love with the principles of holiness that shine forth. Here is something that is not love-sick sentimentalism. This is falling in love with principles of holiness. This is the illustration of the meaning of falling in love.

Will this sovereign King of glory condescend and will He write His name My Father and my Friend? I love His name, I love His word. That is falling in love with the Man of Calvary, with the God of the universe. This is a love that is generated from a totally different influence than merely an emotion.

Indeed, it has been my effort to uplift the love of God and it must not be seen as a replacement of the upholding of the rectitude’s and standards of holiness. When one enlarges the love of God there is a tendency to put a picture into place that makes it all so lovely and woozy, so beautiful emotionally that we lose the stamina, the rectitude and standards of holiness. This has come to me by certain individuals who have given me the sense that my past upholding of standards and principles was a harshness, that now I am becoming a bit more soft, a bit more loving. May God draw very close to us here and help us to understand that the love of God that I am uplifting here is not a soft touch. The love of God is well described in our scripture reading where a stamina a firm foundation is portrayed in this love. The Holy Spirit is speaking here.

Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

This is a description of the love of God. It is a rock. Have you ever tried to move a really heavy rock? How successful are you? You push and pull and it doesn’t budge, does it? You can’t push it over. That mighty Rock does not move, God does not move. He is rock solid in regards to justice, in regards to right, in regards to truth and judgment; there is not the slightest deviation of absolute rectitude in avoiding iniquity. This is the love of God. This is beautifully illustrated in the experience of Mary that was caught in adultery.

John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Can you see the rectitude that is contained here? These sinners were telling the Lord, Jesus we’re supposed to be stoning her, aren’t we? Jesus conveys this amazing statement that he that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone at her. By saying that and by writing on the pavement their sins, their conscience was smiting them. They could not cast a stone because if they would have cast a stone at her they would themselves have to be stoned as well. This is God’s rectitude. This is God’s love.

This woman was brought before Jesus whom she had great respect for and she also had great respect for these ministers of religion.

The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,” had come to her as a death sentence. {DA 462.1}

This was the loving Jesus. To her His words came as a death sentence. This is the rectitude of God’s love.

She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins. {DA 462.1}

This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy. {DA 462.2}

“With self-sacrificing love”. Here is the rectitude of God’s love for us to mediate upon.

In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. {DA 462.3}

This act of Jesus shows the stamina that is contained in God’s love. It infuses into a soul a beautiful appreciation of firmness of obedience and doing what is right, because it revealed a character of a love that is beautiful in its perfect righteousness.

While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. {DA 462.3}

Those words are so precious for us. “While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt.” See how He did it? Those of you that are without sin cast the first stone. This did not lessen her guilt, did it?

He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, “Go, and sin no more.” {DA 462.3}

This is the love of God.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

This love is definitely not indulgent tolerance of rebellion. I want us to meditate on this as we behold God in His dealings with the Hebrews in their wilderness wanderings. I have heard people say and some of you might even have thought so too, that the God in the Hebrew wilderness wanderings is different to the God that Jesus represented, that He was so cruel there.

There is a perfect description of the rectitude of God’s love in His dealings with the Hebrews. God is speaking to Moses in the burning bush.

Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

See His compassion? He sees their suffering, their cry, and the cruel treatment of the Egyptian taskmasters and His heart goes out in compassion to them. In Ezekiel it says that already in Egypt they were not perfectly sinless at all, they even were complaining against God there, but He had compassion on those sinners. As in His compassionate love, He says, I can’t take any more of this, I have to go and reach out and help them out. He sends Moses there. Notice what He says in regards to this compassionate love, like He said to the woman that was caught in adultery. I have saved you, now what? This is Moses speaking to the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 5:2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. 4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

Remember that terrible scene? The earth was shaking, the mountain was flaming and the people were shaking through and through, they were really overwhelmed. God was love, He was speaking to them.

Deuteronomy 5:5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying, 6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

God is saying to them, can you remember my love? I reached down into your bondage. Can you remember the horrendous holocaust of your life? I am the Lord that brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 5:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

Then He gave the Ten Commandments. God in His compassion saves sinners and then He says, here is the standard. This is His love.

Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Remember your past. Take this directly from their time to our time. Can you remember your past? Can you remember what God has done to reach into your life as He reached into the Hebrews’ life, and in compassion gave me a future with Him? Now we have Christianity lulling away in emotional rocking chair experience. He says; this is not what I am doing for you. Remember the Sabbath day and do all my commandments that I am laying out before you. I am the one who has redeemed you so that you and all my people may live under my love. His love and compassion was expressed to the Hebrews. This is a plaintive invitation that after I have done this because I love you, I am plaintively inviting you to submit to me, so that your future will no longer be what it was.

Psalm 81:8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; 9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. 10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. 13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! 14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. 16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Can you see His plaintive cry? They should have submitted themselves to me. That’s His love. It’s a love that calls for submission to the one who loves them. In this plaintive invitation He says, but you’re not listening to me. Can you see His grief? He says, you are not listening to me therefore; “I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me.” It would have been so sweet for them, but as I give them up to their lusts, as I give them up to what they want, they destroy themselves. They were rebellious so He gave them up. What did he do? he gave them up.

Notice how this love of God is misunderstood by a people whose heart is still fleshy. When the children of Israel didn’t respond to God’s work and call, straight after the Ten Commandments, Moses was given the tables of stone and what were they doing down there? Straight into the opposite. There was a huge slaughter. Is that the love of God? It went on; Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, God showed them. What did they continue to grizzle and complain about? Rebelliousness against God. They didn’t like God’s ways, they rejected them, so what happened? The earth opened up and down they went. Is that God’s love? God’s love must be understood if we would find the benefit of God’s love.

Deuteronomy 13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: 9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

The rectitude of God’s love is portrayed here. Our message today is entitled the principled love of God. His love is principled so much so that those who will take away your love to God, are so rebellious that they needed in the time of the Israelites to be stoned. Is it going to be any different for people who do that today? Not at all. It is just that judgment is stayed, because one day they will cry for the rocks to fall upon them; they will be stoned all right. In today’s principle it is segregation. Don’t be so cruel, that is not love, is what I hear people say.

John enjoyed the blessing of true sanctification. But mark, the apostle does not claim to be sinless; he is seeking perfection by walking in the light of God’s countenance. He testifies that the man who professes to know God, and yet breaks the divine law, gives the lie to his profession…. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, and labor for their salvation, we should not make a compromise with sin. We are not to unite with the rebellious, and call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to stand, as did John in his time, unflinchingly for the right, in opposition to soul-destroying errors. {ML 257.5}

When you do that today in this generation, you are regarded as an unloving soul. We went through that in one of the church experiences. There were some rebellious elements there and the ministers acted, they sent these people off the property. There were some people there that felt that this was unloving. As a consequence of that, certain people walked away, never to walk with us. That action back there was the love of God as much as it was the love God as what I described before. This is God’s love, because He wants to protect the genuine souls in His love. If there are people there that are so un-genuine, that they will make fun of the love of God and ridicule that love, they will affect others who are longing to learn that love. God loves the genuine soul enough to eradicate the rebellion. That is what He did with Korah, Dathan and Abiram. That is what He did all the way through. God is a rock of love for the sake of the genuine. The love of God is not a licence to please myself, rather it is a stimulus.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

There is that great love that we have contemplated in the past; this amazing love of God. What for? To “redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” What does the emotional love-sick sentimental Christian say about that? You’re trying to earn your way by good works. What a bizarre mentality. This is out of God’s character. This is rebellion, because God has done something so great to bring people into total submission and subordination to all of His will. This is the Rock, in Him there is no iniquity.

What creates zeal to do the good works? There are two motives; one is legalism, self. I have to do everything right so I can get to heaven. That is self. That creates legalistic austerity, not love. Here is the beautiful motivation that creates zeal of good works:

When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; {ML 7.5}

That person has fallen in love.

…and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. {ML 7.5}

What will motivate me? I want to go to heaven because it’s a lovely place there and I don’t want to die – is that the spring of action? No. The spring of action is love to Christ.

Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; {ML 7.5}

There are requirements, that is part of the rectitude of God’s love.

they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all, and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek. {ML 7.5}

I love this statement. It portrays perfectly why people become zealous, because they are contemplating God. That is what I have decided to do more and more repeatedly through our meditations in these studies; to place God before us so that He captivates me. I want to be in heaven to be with Him. All those other things are just side issues. In contemplating Him, self will be forgotten, and I will not ask how little I can do. It’s a burden to do all these expectations of God, especially in this modern age in which we live. They do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their redeemer. Whatever you say, Lord, I love you so much I just want to do what you say. Your ears will be pricked to hear every little intonation of God’s will. This is the love of God.

The love of Christ is not a fitful feeling, but a living principle, which is to be made manifest as an abiding power in the heart. {AA 516.1}

It is not a fitful feeling. Today we feel so in love with God, He is so wonderful. Tomorrow I forget all about Him and get into something that is not right. That is a fitful feeling. If you really are filled with the love of God, it will abide with you as a forceful power. As I am sharing this with you, don’t take it as a reproach because you will see at the end that if this is the case and I have been forgetting and I do go and become negative, that the Lord is going to show me. He loves me. I am failing here and there, and He loves me enough to try and lift me out of my terrible experiences of forgetfulness.

Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another—this is the best gift that our heavenly Father can bestow. This love is not an impulse, but a divine principle, a permanent power. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. Only in the heart where Jesus reigns is it found. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action. {AA 551.2}

What does it do?

It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around. {AA 551.2}

John strove to lead the believers to understand the exalted privileges that would come to them through the exercise of the spirit of love. This redeeming power, filling the heart, would control every other motive and raise its possessors above the corrupting influences of the world. And as this love was allowed full sway and became the motive power in the life, their trust and confidence in God and His dealing with them would be complete. They could then come to Him in full confidence of faith, knowing that they would receive from Him everything needful for their present and eternal good. {AA 551.3}

Doesn’t that warm your heart? This is what I want. As you think about those words, not a fitful feeling but a living principle, not a feeling today and lost tomorrow, not an impulse but a ruling principle of action. In other words, it rules me it doesn’t let me off the hook in terms of what my flesh wants, what my past reasoning, what my un-consecrated heart wants.

Love must be the principle of action. Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth, {COL 49.1}

We want to be under that government one day.

…and it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and temptation. {COL 49.1}

How many of us have crumbled under trials and temptations? How many of us have felt that the impulse and the passion of my nature has got the better of me and I couldn’t be faithful, because I lost my cool, such as Moses did when he struck the rock when he was told to speak to it? The love of God is a ruling principle of action that will make me steadfast and will control my impulse, control and govern my passions. When my affections come into action, they will be ennobled rather than brought down low by indulgence.

As I read these statements, doesn’t your heart crave? Mine does. Lord, I want to be perfect here, I want to govern my impulses, I want to control my passions, I want to have affections that are perfectly noble not just indulging themselves in any direction. A desire to possess, an effort to engage. As you hear these things and meditate upon them in the presence of the Lord, do you have a desire to have this? The un-consecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. I want to do it and act on it and my heart can’t produce it because I am imperfect. This is what I would like to spend the closing meditation on. How can this beautiful statement that is going to give me the victory, how can this be transferred in all reality to me so that I will be absolutely controlled and modified in my character, governing my impulse, controlling my passions and ennobling my affections? That it is nothing fitful, that today I am loving and kind and tomorrow I am a schizophrenic. That is what schizophrenia is; bi-polar. A beautiful person today and tomorrow he is different. How can I stop this? How can I gain a perfect governing mental control that the un-consecrated heart cannot originate? How can it be transferred to me? Here is the word of God to me and you so that we don’t have to fail any more, only do what is written here, because this will produce it.

The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. In order fully to carry out this plan, it was decided that Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, should give Himself an offering for sin. What line can measure the depth of this love? God would make it impossible for man to say that He could have done more. With Christ He gave all the resources of heaven, that nothing might be wanting in the plan for man’s uplifting. Here is love—the contemplation of which should fill the soul with inexpressible gratitude! {CH 222.2}

What should I be doing with this story? I should be contemplating it so that this will fill my soul.

Oh, what love, what matchless love! The contemplation of this love will cleanse the soul from all selfishness. CH 222.2}

Do you have selfishness? Do you want it your way? I want it this way and there is no other way. What will the contemplation of this do? It will control, it will modify, it will govern, it will cleanse the soul from all selfishness.

It will lead the disciple to deny self, take up the cross, and follow the Redeemer. {CH 222.2}

This is what we are called upon to do. The heart that cannot originate it, will be conquered and we will succeed and be victorious.

Rest yourself wholly in the hands of Jesus. Contemplate His great love, and while you meditate upon His self-denial, His infinite sacrifice made in our behalf in order that we should believe in Him, your heart will be filled with holy joy, calm peace, and indescribable love. {SD 311.2}

Are you getting the answer? How do I transfer the ability to modify my character, to govern my impulses, and control my passions, to ennoble my affections? I am to contemplate His great love as I think what He is doing there, as I meditate upon His self-denial, his infinite sacrifice. You are to meditate upon it, it is to occupy your mind. To meditate and contemplate the sacrifice made in our behalf in order that we should believe in Him. That sacrifice was made so that it would affect me to believe in Him. As I think, what did He do that for? Me in my miserable state. Look at what He has done there. What will happen as you contemplate that, realising your own inefficiencies, realising the inabilities that we have? Your heart will be filled with holy joy, calm peace, and indescribable love.

As we talk of Jesus, as we call upon Him in prayer, our confidence that He is our personal, loving Saviour will strengthen, and His character will appear more and more lovely. We may enjoy rich feasts of love, and as we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretaste of heaven. Wait upon the Lord in faith. The Lord draws out the soul in prayer, and gives us to feel His precious love. {SD 311.2}

As you are meditating there, it will happen to you. You will think what a dreadful person I am. As you meditate on God you will see He loves you, no matter how dreadful you are. As you see the depth of this contrast, it will grab you.

We have a nearness to Him, and can hold sweet communion with Him. We obtain distinct views of His tenderness and compassion, and our hearts are broken and melted with contemplation of the love that is given to us. We feel indeed an abiding Christ in the soul…. {SD 311.2}

I have just read that this is what will happen as we contemplate these things and you have heard me bringing them out in each study, some element of this amazing love, this developing appreciation. The more time you take in contemplating it, it will affect you.

Our peace is like a river, wave after wave of glory rolls into the heart, and indeed we sup with Jesus and He with us. We have a realizing sense of the love of God, {SD 311.2}

How can you sense the love of God if you don’t feel rotten about yourself, and then you see how lovely He is to you?

…and we rest in His love. No language can describe it, it is beyond knowledge. We are one with Christ, our life is hid with Christ in God. We have the assurance that when He who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strong confidence, we can call God our Father. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. His Spirit makes us like Jesus Christ in temper, and disposition, and we represent Christ to others. {SD 311.2}

Do you want to be a representative of Jesus? You try to do it, you fail, you feel miserable because you could have said this or done that as you think about it afterwards, and why hasn’t it happened? How much time do you spend in contemplating the love of God in detail? Applicable every moment of the day, not just saying, Lord, help me. When I hear people say, I asked Him to help me, I think, they are still missing the point. You ask Him to help you. He wants you to contemplate Him, and then He will help you. If you don’t contemplate you can cry as much as you like, nothing will happen. God is not a magician. He works on the principle of cause to effect. If I want to control my passions by the power of His love, I need to meditate on that love and it needs to be indelibly imprinted and exercised in my mind. It will have its effect, as we have been reading.

The meditation, the contemplation, of this amazing love of God is found when you read Psalm 40, Psalm 22, Psalm 69, the wonderful experience of Jesus in Gethsemane. All those pictures are there in the distance and I don’t contemplate them? I must contemplate them, and see how they apply. As I contemplate them and I see God interweaving His experience with a sinner like mine, and I remember the words of Lamentations 1:12-14, is it nothing to you, all you that pass by? I love those words, because it catches me, it stops me in my tracks. I am there losing my temper and He says, is it nothing to you? Oh Lord, I am so sorry. I look back to Him again and then I conquer it. This must be our activity.

The value of a soul, {COL 196.4}

Do you value yourself? We don’t when we are wrapped up with self.

who can estimate? Would you know its worth, go to Gethsemane, and there watch with Christ through those hours of anguish, when He sweat as it were great drops of blood. Look upon the Saviour uplifted on the cross. Hear that despairing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34. Look upon the wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked all. For our redemption, heaven itself was imperiled. {COL 196.4}

These words are so easy to read, but think about it. This amazing universe, the whole universe was imperilled for this little dot of this planet. When you thing that God has put such an interest in this tiny little dot; you know the parable of the lost sheep. He left the ninety and nine. He left the whole universe to come down and care for this little lamb. Meditate about it. Contemplate it. For our redemption heaven itself was imperilled.

At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value of a soul. {COL 196.4}

And you will fall in love with God. You and I are that soul. Won’t I do that which is going to make the difference, that the rectitude of God will become mine. This is my prayer that we will take hold of this rectitude which is part of the character and love of God.

Amen.