Jesus Loves You

A Christian prison guard was assigned to duty on death row. He was so appalled at the crimes the prisoners had committed that at first he felt only contempt for them. It's not difficult to understand why. He told of one convict who joked about the fact that the 8-year-old girl he murdered looked him in the eye just as he was about to choke her and said, "Jesus loves you."

Gradually this Christian guard began to understand the full impact of the words spoken by that young girl. The Lord Jesus, who during His earthly ministry reached out to the most despised people in society, loves even men like that murderer and blasphemer. The guard also began to realize that he could not take credit for being different from these criminals. He saw that given the same circumstances he too could have been a death-row prisoner. His "I'm better than you" attitude evaporated. He still hates what they did, but now he loves them, desires their salvation, and prays for them.

Lord, deliver us from self-righteousness that leads us to despise people. Help us to see ourselves as Paul did: the chief of sinners. Enable us to love even the most unlovely person we know. -HVL

Naught have I gotten but what I received.
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting exckuded, pride I abase
I'm only a sinner by grace

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SINNER AND A SAINT IS THE GRACE OF GOD