Oswald Golter was a missionary in northern China during the 1940’s.  After ten years service he was returning home.  His ship stopped in India, and while waiting for a boat headed for home, he found a group of refugees living in a warehouse on the pier.  Unwanted by anyone else the refugees were stranded there.  Golter went to visit them.  As it was Christmas-time, he wished them a merry Christmas and asked them what they would like for Christmas.

“We’re not Christians,” they said. “We don’t believe in Christmas.”

“I know,” said the missionary, “but what do you want for Christmas?”  They described some German pastries they were particularly fond of, and so Oswald Golter cashed in his ticket, used the money to buy baskets and baskets of the pastries, took them to the refugees, and wished them a merry Christmas.

When he later repeated the incident to a class, a student said, “But sir, why did you do that for them?  They weren’t Christians.  They don’t even believe in Jesus.”

“I know,” he replied, “but I do!” *

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV).

“While we were still sinners…”  Note that the Apostle Paul includes himself and the Christians in Rome in the “we” of this text.  He is speaking of all humanity.  All of us are sinners.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  And, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Even though we were and are sinners, God demonstrated His own love toward us by giving His Son to die on the cross for our sins.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).

Some would question: “Why would God give His Son to die for those who didn’t ask for Him to do so?  They don’t deserve it.  God, they don’t love You.”

Through the cross, God answers, “But I do.  I love them.  I want them to be saved.”

God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4 NKJV).

The truth is…  We are sinners (Romans 3:23) and in our sin are destined for destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

The truth is…  God loves us anyway.  He loves us so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross to pay the price to redeem us from sin (Ephesians 1:7).

The truth is…  God will save those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  God will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

“Amazing love, how can it be,
That You, my King, should die for me?”
-- Chris Tomlin

It is amazing and it’s true.  Jesus died for you so that you might live.

Won’t YOU accept His offer of salvation and eternal life on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent

* From “Oswald Golter and Unconditional Love” in www.storiesforpreaching.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org