“This Man Receiveth Sinners”
119
degraded by sin, is in God’s sight accounted precious. As the coin
bears the image and superscription of the reigning power, so man at
his creation bore the image and superscription of God; and though
now marred and dim through the influence of sin, the traces of this
inscription remain upon every soul. God desires to recover that soul
and to retrace upon it His own image in righteousness and holiness.
The woman in the parable searches diligently for her lost coin.
She lights the candle and sweeps the house. She removes everything
that might obstruct her search. Though only one piece is lost, she
will not cease her efforts until that piece is found. So in the family
if one member is lost to God every means should be used for his
recovery. On the part of all the others let there be diligent, careful
self-examination. Let the life-practice be investigated. See if there is
not some mistake, some error in management, by which that soul is
confirmed in impenitence.
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If there is in the family one child who is unconscious of his sinful
state, parents should not rest. Let the candle be lighted. Search the
word of God, and by its light let everything in the home be diligently
examined, to see why this child is lost. Let parents search their own
hearts, examine their habits and practices. Children are the heritage of
the Lord, and we are answerable to Him for our management of His
property.
There are fathers and mothers who long to labor in some foreign
mission field; there are many who are active in Christian work outside
the home, while their own children are strangers to the Saviour and
His love. The work of winning their children for Christ many parents
trust to the minister or the Sabbath school teacher, but in doing this
they are neglecting their own God-given responsibility. The education
and training of their children to be Christians is the highest service
that parents can render to God. It is a work that demands patient labor,
a lifelong diligent and persevering effort. By a neglect of this trust we
prove ourselves unfaithful stewards. No excuse for such neglect will
be accepted by God.
But those who have been guilty of neglect are not to despair. The
woman whose coin was lost searched until she found it. So in love,
faith, and prayer let parents work for their households, until with joy
they can come to God