Food cheats used to water down milk to make extra money
and people missed out on vitamins.
When they water down the gospel
people miss out on salvation.

     "Has anyone ever told you that God loves you unconditionally?   Are you aware that Jesus Christ is willing to enter your life and become your Savior, but will only do so at your personal invitation?"    These are some of the questions from a survey by a local Baptist church, which illustrate a tendency today to water down the gospel so it will offend no one nor bring them to repentance.

     It is certainly true that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," that He sent Him to the cross to die for the sins of the world, that whosoever believes in that Son shall have everlasting life.    However that same third chapter of John says, "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)   Does this sound like God loves you unconditionally?   To me it seems that it is conditional on what you think of Jesus.   If you do not trust Him, God's wrath ABIDES upon you, until you repent and look to Jesus as your Savior.

     Moreover we are talking about the LORD Jesus, the exalted LORD of Glory, Creator of heaven and earth, into whose hands all power in heaven and earth has been given. (Matthew 28:18)   Christ is not our inferior that we should "permit" Him to come in, Christ is not our equal that we should "invite" Him to come in, but Christ is infinitely our superior, whom we on bended knee should humbly beg to come in and take the rule in our hearts and lives.    When He does this, our lives will be transformed, changed by His power, not ours.

     In this day of a lukewarm gospel and easy professions, I'm afraid that our churches are being filled with those who have only a head faith, not a heart faith, professors, but not posessors, persons who have never seen their own position before God as rebels in league with the devil, over whom the wrath of God constantly abides.   As a result there is no real repentance, no pleading for forgiveness, no surrender, and of course there is no rebirth nor love of God in their heart.

     Such professors, when they are taken into the church, often become most regular in attendance, the most orthodox in doctrine, the most proud of their personal election, the most critical of all others, and they are a great hinderance to the church's witness for Christ.   The reason is, there is no love of God in their hearts.

     The Holy Spirit in a genuine new birth sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. (Romans 5:5)   Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)    And without this love a church cannot witness for Christ.

     "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." (James 4:6)   "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18)   "A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalms 51:17)   I thoroughly believe that what is needed today is more old time mourner's bench religion, with saved as well as the unsaved on their knees pleading with God for forgiveness.   Then we would see real revivals.

                         It's not the color of my skin,
                         I'm not a foreign spy;
                         It's due to this new monstrous sin
                         That I am doomed to die.

                         You cannot blame one certain race,
                         For this would be a lie.
                         Before you ever saw my face
                         The world I bid goodby.

                         It is this new abortion law
                         That makes the angels cry,
                         For now that it is legalized
                         My birthright you deny.

                         No evil words have crossed my lips,
                         I couldn't hurt a fly.
                         I'll never climb those mountain peaks,
                         Because I'm doomed to die.

                         I'm hated and I am despised,
                         I'll never see the sky,
                         For those who are my next of kin
                         Decided I must die.

                         I'll never see the gorgeous sun
                         Or view the heavens above.
                         Have you the right to take away
                         My life and all my love?

                         Before I had the chance to breathe,
                         Before she heard me sigh,
                         My mother in her mixed up mind
                         Had destined me to die.

                         The law they passed will back her up.
                         "Abortion," is the cry.
                         No shred of love she offers me,
                         So what is there but die.

                         She conceived me in her passion
                         Ere I'd a chance to live.
                         Does she know how many talents
                         To the world I have to give?

                         I haven't harmed one single soul,
                         So may I ask you why
                         That you saw fit to order me,
                         Then doom me thus to die?

~ ~Tiger Lily, Saskatchewan,Canada.     

Letters To The Editor

     Still there have been no letters to the editor.   Folks if you want to respond to something you have read in "Baptist Landmarks" please E-Mail your response to edit@BaptistLandmarks.org   Your response will be printed here.

     I would like to have a cartoon in each issue if possible.   If there is someone reading this paper who can draw cartoons that will cause us to laugh at the foolish things we sometimes do and cause us to think of how we could better serve our Savior, please E-Mail me and let me know.

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