A New/ Old Book

I started reading a new book to the twins today. They responded exceptionally well. This is an old, old out of print book that I distinctly remember my dad reading to us and the impression it made on me. I have read it over and over to my girls when they were young and we have used this same book as material for VBS in the past. I have an old copy with no cover. It's called: Naughty Heart, Clean Heart. The drawings are simple but illustrate perfectly the intent of the book. The twins are captured by those pictures. They need visuals to help them understand and so I appreciate the simplicity of the pictures. The songs stick in your head. Actually, we sing them a little differently than the printed music indicates they should be sung, but back in the day when my parents were using the book they couldn't read music and made up their own tunes and I'm perfectly happy with those tunes. The book teaches the principles of salvation, how to come to Christ and how to have a living relationship with Him as a 5 or 6 year old.They are excitedly showing Vanessa the book this morning and telling her all about it. It's fun to watch. We've already referred to the happy heart picture a dozen times as we struggle with our human nature and deciding to obey or choosing to be unhappy. So far, they have made the right choices when it's put before them in that light.

We all need to contemplate this theme on a daily basis. The book is based on this quote:

Because of his (Adams) sin our natures are fallen 

and we cannot make ourselves righteous. 

Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly
obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which
to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way
of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such
as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and
now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If
you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then,
sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted
righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and
you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.
More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart
by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and
the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do
this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. 
So you may say, 

“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. ..... Then with Christ
working in you, you will manifest the same spirit and do the same
good works—works of righteousness, obedience.
So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. . . . Our only ground of hope is in the
righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His
Spirit working in and through us."

Steps to Christ pg 62, 63