The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 90

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90 The Lutheran Pioneer.

lasting damnation. But the merciful God pitied us
in our helplessness and Jost estate, and desired to
save us from the everlasting woe which sin brought
upon us. To do this, He must Himself bear the
punishment due to sin. Therefore God’s own Son
became man and took man’s place under the Law,
fulfilling all the demands of the Law and suffering
all punishment in the sinners’ stead. Thus God’s
own Son became our Savior, redeeming us from sin
and all its woe and opening again for us the en-
trance to our heavenly Father’s house. “This is
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,”
says the apostle. “Unto you is born this day, in
the city of David, a Savior,” said the angel who
brought the first Christmas message to the shep-
herds in the holy Christmas night. No wonder
these glad tidings were followed by the joyful song
of the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

It is this coming of the Lord in the flesh for
our salvation that gives Christmas all its worth
and blessedness. It is this that makes Christmas so
joyful to hearts that believe. In the Christ-child
born at Bethlehem they behold the Redeemer of
sinners, the Savior of the lost, the Helper of the
helpless, the Comforter of the sorrowing. They
know also that the joy which fills their hearts is
meant for all. “Joy to the world! the Lord is
come!” He has come as “the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world;” for in Him “the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men,” Tit. 2, 11. He has come as the Savior,
not of a favored few, but of all sinners. Therefore
the good tidings of His coming “shall be unto all
people.” “For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever-be-
lieveth in Him should not perish, but have ever-
lasting life,” John 3, 16.

How gladly should they who by faith realize
and enjoy the full blessing of Christmas help in
bringing the Gospel, the good tidings, to others, that
they also may become partakers of the joy which

has been brought to the world in the coming of-

the Lord for the salvation of sinners.

Trust in God.

When Luther saw the frightened birds fly away
as he came near, he exclaimed: “Ah, little flut-
terers, do not fear me; I wish for nothing but good,

if you could only believe me. It is thus we refuse
to trust in God, who, so far from doing us evil,
has given us His own Son.”
Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
Who to save
Freely gave
Us His dearest treasure?
To redeem us He has given
His own Son
From the throne
Of His mighty heaven.

_ oo

God Is Love.

In a large Home for Feeble-minded and Hpi-
lepties, a teacher sang with her class of epileptic
boys before the opening of the children’s service:
“God is love, He did redeem me; God is love, He
loves me too.”

Among these poor boys was one who seemed to
be more stupid than the others and who gave the
teachers and nurses much trouble, as he did not
seem to understand human speech and always
stared with a glassy look when spoken to. He also
sang the hymn of God’s love together with the
others. All at once he rose, went to the teacher,
and said: “Me too? God loves me too?” The
teacher assured him: “Yes, God loves you too.”
His look then changed, his eye beamed with joy,
and now he sang louder and more heartily: “God
is love, He loves me: too.” ‘

The singing had ended. The children’s service
was over; but the boy’s joy continued, and again
and again he sang: “He loves me too!” ‘Towards
evening the pastor of the Home came into the
room where the boy was. The boy at once went to
him and said: “Js that true, me too?” And when
the pastor asked, “What, my child?” the boy re-
peated his question, “Is that true, God loves me
too?” .

The pastor took him in his arms and. said,
“Yes, the Savior loves you too.” The boy was
satisfied.

We also may, in days of joy and in days of
sorrow, say trustingly: “God is love; He loves me
too.” And when doubt tries to creep into our
hearts, we may think of the manger in Bethlehem
where we have the assurance of God’s love in God’s
own Son who came into our misery to save us from
sin and all its woe. Above the manger of Beth-.
Ichem we find it writfen in flaming letters: “God
is love!” And the Christmas bells ring it out to