The Love of God
By Roy Loney
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A young plastic surgeon, famed for his skill in mending disfigured faces, became acquainted with a beautiful American girl, the wife of an Italian count, while on a voyage to Italy. This wealthy girl had married a destitute man, possessed only of his title and a decaying villa near Naples. Shortly after marriage she decided to repair the villa, in which her hushand's mother and invalid brother lived with them. The wife thought it would be best if they were placed in another wing of the large, rambling structure, where they could have privacy.
On board ship this young woman cultivated the acquaintance of the doctor and urgently invited him to spend a few days at her home. Reluctantly he yielded to her entreaties, although puzzled as to her motives. She made it clear she was in love with her husband, yet she was forward in seeking the companionship of the doctor. On arriving at the villa, the doctor was informed the count would be absent for a few days. The doctor was impressed with the woman's beauty, and her brilliant mind, and found pleasure in her companionship. One day he pressed her to reveal why she desired his presence, and she told the story of her life.
After the remodeling of the villa, one night a fire broke out, enveloping the apartment of the mother and brother in flames. The count was able to reach his mother and drag her from the building, but she died, and he received horrible burns on his face that left him cruelly disfigured. He was proud and went into complete seclusion, and could not bear to have his lovely wife in his presence. Vainly she tried to make him understand her love had not lessened, but he forbade her to come into his presence except when his face was covered. This lovely woman then made an astounding proposition. She asked the doctor to operate on her face, and destroy her beauty, so that her husband would feel more relaxed in her presence. "Make me like him, so I can live with him," she pleaded. She then revealed that the count was not absent, but locked in his own room. The doctor insisted on seeing the unhappy man, then told his wife he could rebuild his face so that be could resume a normal life. The doctor was astonished that this one was willing to sacrifice her beauty for the companionship of the man she loved.
This is but a faint illustration of the wonderful sacrifice of Christ for sinful man. The finite mind is too feeble, to grasp the full meaning of infinity and divinity. God is so far above man, be could not look on God's face and live. When Moses asked to see God, he was allowed only to see his back. When sin has disfigured a life, how repulsive man must appear in the sight of God. "The Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear" (Isa. 59: 1). This expresses God's abhorrence of man in his degraded condition. In reading it, we get the impression that man must inevitably be lost. God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, yet still loves man and seeks his salvation. Here we come to the most amazing story man has ever known. Christ, the Son of God, pure and holy, possessing all the marks of divinity attributed to the Father, willingly gave up the glory he had with the Father, to take upon himself the body of man, that he might save man and make him like God. "Wonderful story of love!"
"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ was "wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
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He did not become sinful, but took on himself the burden of our sins. That is the real meaning of Calvary. He, who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might become righteous like God. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He endured the tortures of hell that we might enjoy the eternal pleasures of heaven. The Son of God, became the son of man, that we might all be God's children. Jesus was not compelled to die. The combined power of mighty Rome and the Jewish nation could not nail him to the cross. He was nailed there by the power of love. "I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again. No man taketh it from me." The proposed sacrifice of the lovely wife that she might live with her disfigured husband, was touching indeed; but is nothing compared with the wonderful love that led the Son of God to take upon him the vile sins of man, that man might become like God.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." The repulsiveness of sin is to be exchanged for the transcending glory of God, the poverty of earth for the wealth of heaven, the frailty of humanity for the strength and security of God. Will you consider reverently the nature of your debt to Christ? Your whole life will thus be changed!