"And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus." (Luke 23:26)
This was not Simon's cross. In reality, it had nothing to do with him. It did not signify any hatred for him but was an extension of the hatred for Jesus Christ. It did not have his name on it, yet he would forever be connected with its famous (or infamous, depending on one's outlook) significance. Unfortunately, we are not privy to his own estimate of that day when he was pressed into service, and called upon to carry a cross for at time, with the words, "King of the Jews" scrolled at the top.
I am reminded of the (to me) enigmatic verse in Colossians, where Paul characterizes his own perspective on the trials he was suffering for the cause of Christ: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Col.1:24). To Paul, he was taking up where Jesus left off. Not that his own suffering matched in any way Christ's suffering, in either intensity or efficacy. No one has, or ever will, suffer the pain and agony that Jesus bore on Calvary that culminated in His very soul being dipped in hell; nor could such horrors, if they could be repeated by anyone else, ever pay the price for sin, since a perfect, sinless sacrifice was required. But, says Paul, I am willing to follow in this splendid succession of suffering for His sake and the Church.
I am inclined to think that not all our suffering falls under this category. Unless His name, His glory, or His cause is at stake, it would seem to me that it is "our cross," not His. This is not to minimize our own personal sufferings in any way. Jesus experienced these same afflictions while He was here on earth and was "tempted in all points like as we are," and is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," says the writer of Hebrews (Heb.4:15). Our sorrows are His sorrows. But what of those times when His sorrows are our sorrows?
Those times when our Christianity truly costs us, when denying Him or disobeying Him would ease our circumstances, or when our witness for Him brings ridicule, persecution, or even pain; then, it would seem to me, we are bearing the cross "after Jesus," like Simon, and "filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in [our] flesh," like Paul.
I may be putting too fine a point on suffering. Perhaps all suffering can be identified with the Cross. I may have read too many biographies, or seen too many exceptional saints, whose identification with Jesus Christ has brought them untold suffering. To me, there's a difference.
Charles Spurgeon says of such saints: "When you are molested for your piety; when your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ's cross; and how delightful it is to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus! You carry the cross after him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord; the mark of his blood-red shoulder is upon the heavy burden."
Our cross, or His?
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
If Christ Be Not Raised
“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Cor.15:17)
“If Christ be not raised…” Boy, that's a big “if!” For the very reasons that Paul gives. If Jesus never rose from the grave, our faith is groundless, His death ineffective, and we are still under the penalty of sin. Any onslaught against Christmas pales in comparison to the attempted marginalization of Easter and the Resurrection.
Notice the verse does not say our hope of salvation is dependent on the death of Christ, but on His Resurrection. Of course, the latter assumes the former; but not vice versa. All men die, but not all men rise from the dead. That is a supernatural occurrence that involves Divine intervention. Jesus’ Resurrection was different from others we read about in the Bible because He was God, the Son, designated by God, the Father to be the Sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The Old Testament sacrifices died, but they did not come alive again. For that reason, they had to be repeated. But Jesus Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever,” then rose from the dead, and is now sitting “on the right hand of God” (Heb.10:12). In short, there would have been nothing good about "Good Friday," had there not been a Resurrection Sunday. This is the most important reason to be more concerned with Easter than Christmas. But there is another one.
Although the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ has been under fire from a few days after its occurrence (Matt.28:12-15) till this present day, the new interest in so-called “ancient manuscripts,” seen, for instance, in all the hype about the book and movie, The DaVinci Code, has served to move “higher criticism” from Academia to the front room. Such false claims can be answered, if one is willing to take the time to do the research, but how many will? For the average man, woman, and especially young person, the high-sounding language used by these supposed “experts” will raise doubts. As Romans 16:18b says, "...by good words and fair speeches [they] deceive the hearts of the simple."
This is critical.
The Babe in the manger, and the Man who “went about doing good,” working miracles, truly lived; and it is important to recognize this. Bu the fact is, the Man Christ Jesus, who, died and rose again is the only One who can save us from our sins and give us eternal life. This is reason why we, as the early believers, worship together on Sunday, not Friday.
When we celebrate His Resurrection, we should sing “He Arose” with twice the exuberance as when we sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem. We should raise our hearts (and hands, if you like) in worship to our Savior; for Paul does not leave us with that threatening “if.” He changes that "if" to an "is." Three verses later, He assures us: “But now is Christ risen from the dead…” (emphasis mine).
No, child of God! We have not believed in vain, and, Praise God, we are not in our sins.
The Door to Heaven may have been hung at Calvary; but it only hinges at the Empty Tomb!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Free From What?
"For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness." Romans 6:20
In a world that sometimes seems overwhelmingly gray, it is refreshing to find truths that come in stark black and white. Sadly, while we're throwing wild punches in the gray areas, it's easy to sustain an uppercut or a knockout from out-and-out sin. (A little boxing lingo here!)
This verse in Romans tells us plainly and simply that every one of us is both a servant and a free individual, at the same time. There is no probation stage or interim period here. This is how it works: You are either free from sin (not its reality, but its rule) and a servant to righteousness; or you are free from righteousness (not its reality, but its rule) and a servant to sin. It's just that black and white.
Our choice here, with the measure of freewill a Sovereign God has given us, is from which we choose to be freed. I say this, because obviously, as sinful creatures, servitude, as such, will never be our first choice. However, this is like the law of sowing and reaping; one thing automatically sets the other in motion. If freedom from God's righteous demands is all-important to me, I, like the Prodigal Son, can run away. But, also like the Prodigal Son, I will end up working for the husks of this world, at the beck and call of its swine-keepers (Luke 15).
On the other hand, I can choose to throw off the heavy chains of sin, with the stipulation that I will serve a different Master; One who promises, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt.11:30).
Every one of us can rightfully claim to be free; it's just that we are free from different things. But, at the same time, every one is a servant, no matter how freewheeling we might think ourselves to be; it's just that we serve different masters.
I made the conscious decision many years ago to take advantage of God's "Emancipation Proclamation," sealed with the Blood of Jesus Christ, knowing full well it placed me in service to Him. Now I live accordingly—not perfectly, just purposely. And I tell you, I wouldn't trade places with the freest "husk-picker" in town!
In a world that sometimes seems overwhelmingly gray, it is refreshing to find truths that come in stark black and white. Sadly, while we're throwing wild punches in the gray areas, it's easy to sustain an uppercut or a knockout from out-and-out sin. (A little boxing lingo here!)
This verse in Romans tells us plainly and simply that every one of us is both a servant and a free individual, at the same time. There is no probation stage or interim period here. This is how it works: You are either free from sin (not its reality, but its rule) and a servant to righteousness; or you are free from righteousness (not its reality, but its rule) and a servant to sin. It's just that black and white.
Our choice here, with the measure of freewill a Sovereign God has given us, is from which we choose to be freed. I say this, because obviously, as sinful creatures, servitude, as such, will never be our first choice. However, this is like the law of sowing and reaping; one thing automatically sets the other in motion. If freedom from God's righteous demands is all-important to me, I, like the Prodigal Son, can run away. But, also like the Prodigal Son, I will end up working for the husks of this world, at the beck and call of its swine-keepers (Luke 15).
On the other hand, I can choose to throw off the heavy chains of sin, with the stipulation that I will serve a different Master; One who promises, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt.11:30).
Every one of us can rightfully claim to be free; it's just that we are free from different things. But, at the same time, every one is a servant, no matter how freewheeling we might think ourselves to be; it's just that we serve different masters.
I made the conscious decision many years ago to take advantage of God's "Emancipation Proclamation," sealed with the Blood of Jesus Christ, knowing full well it placed me in service to Him. Now I live accordingly—not perfectly, just purposely. And I tell you, I wouldn't trade places with the freest "husk-picker" in town!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Flame of Glory
"Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires..." (Isaiah 24:15)
The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" with the response being: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." The idea of the preeminence of God and His rightful glory above all other considerations is borne out all through the Scriptures. "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth" (Psl.108:5). And again, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psl.50:15).
There is more than one way to accomplish this. For instance, we can glorify Him with our praise, "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me..." (Psl.50:23); with our bodies and our spirits, "...glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods." (1Cor.6:20); and even when we are dying, "This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God." (John 21:19).
The cited verse from Isaiah gives us yet one more way. We can glorify God, it says, "in the fires." Not the way one would naturally choose, to be sure; but as anyone who has witnessed it will agree, a most effective way. As Hugh Latimer, 16th Century martyr, whose one death was by literal flames, remarked, "One suffering for the truth turneth more than a thousand sermons."
Suffering should not be sought as a means to glorify God, since usurping the will of God could never be said to glorify Him. But if God chooses this path for you or me, as He has, and does, for so many others, we should recognize it for the unique opportunity it provides us to give Him the glory He so richly deserves. And we can rest assured, dear saint of God, that when those times come, the Fourth Man in the flames with the three Hebrew children (Dan.3:25) will be the Second Man in the fires with us.
Make your fiery trial a flame of glory!
The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" with the response being: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." The idea of the preeminence of God and His rightful glory above all other considerations is borne out all through the Scriptures. "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth" (Psl.108:5). And again, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psl.50:15).
There is more than one way to accomplish this. For instance, we can glorify Him with our praise, "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me..." (Psl.50:23); with our bodies and our spirits, "...glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods." (1Cor.6:20); and even when we are dying, "This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God." (John 21:19).
The cited verse from Isaiah gives us yet one more way. We can glorify God, it says, "in the fires." Not the way one would naturally choose, to be sure; but as anyone who has witnessed it will agree, a most effective way. As Hugh Latimer, 16th Century martyr, whose one death was by literal flames, remarked, "One suffering for the truth turneth more than a thousand sermons."
Suffering should not be sought as a means to glorify God, since usurping the will of God could never be said to glorify Him. But if God chooses this path for you or me, as He has, and does, for so many others, we should recognize it for the unique opportunity it provides us to give Him the glory He so richly deserves. And we can rest assured, dear saint of God, that when those times come, the Fourth Man in the flames with the three Hebrew children (Dan.3:25) will be the Second Man in the fires with us.
Make your fiery trial a flame of glory!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Squeezing God Out
"Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." (Amos 2:13)
"You've put everything else on top of me, so I'm pushed to the bottom of your priorities." That's what God is saying to His people. Beginning in verse six of this second chapter of Amos, Israel is condemned for allowing commercialism and the quest for prosperity to steal their hearts from the God who brought them out of Egypt to the land of promise (v.10). But I am very much afraid this same accusation of misplaced priorities could also be leveled at some of us who name the name of Christ.
The more (and better) you and I serve the Lord, the more we are susceptible to the temptation of allowing our labor of love to become an end in itself; and when that happens, the labor can quickly squeeze out the love. In the morning, we grab our "to-do" list before we grab our Bible. God becomes the recipient of our service, not the motivation. Then, finally, He is no longer the recipient, and His praise is no longer our goal. In short, our lives can be so heavy with well-intentioned (and well-executed) service that God Himself is "pressed" down (I say this reverently) to "low man on the totem pole."
When what we're doing for God becomes more important than God, what we're doing is no longer important.
"You've put everything else on top of me, so I'm pushed to the bottom of your priorities." That's what God is saying to His people. Beginning in verse six of this second chapter of Amos, Israel is condemned for allowing commercialism and the quest for prosperity to steal their hearts from the God who brought them out of Egypt to the land of promise (v.10). But I am very much afraid this same accusation of misplaced priorities could also be leveled at some of us who name the name of Christ.
The more (and better) you and I serve the Lord, the more we are susceptible to the temptation of allowing our labor of love to become an end in itself; and when that happens, the labor can quickly squeeze out the love. In the morning, we grab our "to-do" list before we grab our Bible. God becomes the recipient of our service, not the motivation. Then, finally, He is no longer the recipient, and His praise is no longer our goal. In short, our lives can be so heavy with well-intentioned (and well-executed) service that God Himself is "pressed" down (I say this reverently) to "low man on the totem pole."
When what we're doing for God becomes more important than God, what we're doing is no longer important.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
For His Pleasure
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11)
If you have seen the movie, Chariots of Fire, you know something of the story of Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic runner, who won the gold medal for the 400-meter race in 1925. He later served for many years as a missionary in China, and died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945. It is reported that his dying words were, "It's complete surrender." Another man who was a fellow internee wrote a book about his experiences in the camp and said of Liddell, "He was the finest Christian gentleman it has been my pleasure to meet."
When he was asked why he postponed going to China as in order to prepare and run in the Olympics, Liddell's reply was, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
The verse in Revelation tells us, God created all things for His pleasure; and that includes you and me. We all know faith and obedience please Him; but I ask myself, what trait, talent, ability, or even idiosyncrasy has He given me that I can use to bring pleasure to Him...in my own unique way. Is there something I am able to do that has the potential to elicit the smile of God, so that I, too, may feel His pleasure?
I know He pleases me. It gives me untold pleasure to know that I have eternal life, and the Holy Spirit of God resides within me. It is a pleasure to drink living water every day from the well of His sweet Word. And one day, praise His name, I will see that same Word...in the flesh; and David says, at His right hand are "pleasures forevermore" (Psl.16:11).
When was the last time you felt the pleasure of God?
If you have seen the movie, Chariots of Fire, you know something of the story of Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic runner, who won the gold medal for the 400-meter race in 1925. He later served for many years as a missionary in China, and died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945. It is reported that his dying words were, "It's complete surrender." Another man who was a fellow internee wrote a book about his experiences in the camp and said of Liddell, "He was the finest Christian gentleman it has been my pleasure to meet."
When he was asked why he postponed going to China as in order to prepare and run in the Olympics, Liddell's reply was, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
The verse in Revelation tells us, God created all things for His pleasure; and that includes you and me. We all know faith and obedience please Him; but I ask myself, what trait, talent, ability, or even idiosyncrasy has He given me that I can use to bring pleasure to Him...in my own unique way. Is there something I am able to do that has the potential to elicit the smile of God, so that I, too, may feel His pleasure?
I know He pleases me. It gives me untold pleasure to know that I have eternal life, and the Holy Spirit of God resides within me. It is a pleasure to drink living water every day from the well of His sweet Word. And one day, praise His name, I will see that same Word...in the flesh; and David says, at His right hand are "pleasures forevermore" (Psl.16:11).
When was the last time you felt the pleasure of God?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Spiritual Wickedness
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)
In the Bible you will find the word "spirit" in both upper and lower case; and the difference between the two can sometimes be a matter of life or death. For instance, the Spirit talked about in 1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 4:6 and 5:22 is the Spirit of God, whose acquisition brings eternal life; but the spirit we read of in the first few verses of 1 John four will, most assuredly, send a man or woman to hell. I make this stark contrast only because the Word of God does.
There are people in this world who are aware of forces in life that are unseen, but real, and these people are often characterized as being "spiritual." But the vast majority are more alive to their senses than the Scriptures, and are dangerously open to cults, gurus, and demons. There is a "spirit of the world" (1 Cor. 2:12) in diametric opposition to the Spirit of God. Only those who are indwelt by the latter are capable of withstanding the former. Ephesians 6:12 characterizes it as a wrestling match between the saints of God and a damnable enemy set on possessing our mind, heart, and body—"spiritual wickedness in high places."
It was the Apostle Paul's desire that the people of Colosse would be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all wisdom and spiritual knowledge" (Col. 1:9 [emphasis added]). Not all knowledge is Spiritual knowledge; sometimes it's just spiritual claptrap. Then he describes such a man or woman, in 1 Corinthians 2:15, as being able to judge "all things.” In other words, you can spot them by their good judgment. Spirituality is manifested in Biblical, wise decisions, not airy, meaningless dialogue. It is more interested in holy living than in a "holistic" lifestyle.
People who are spiritual may rise above the material world, but that won’t get them all the way to Heaven. Only men and women who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His Word are partakers of the Spirit of God:
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist...” (1Jno.4:2-3)
“God is a Spirit,” says John in his Gospel, and anyone who worships Him, must worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (4:24); but Satan also is a spirit (Isa.14), and those who worship him do so “in the spirit of error” (1Jno.4:6).
Pity the man or woman who does not know the difference.
In the Bible you will find the word "spirit" in both upper and lower case; and the difference between the two can sometimes be a matter of life or death. For instance, the Spirit talked about in 1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 4:6 and 5:22 is the Spirit of God, whose acquisition brings eternal life; but the spirit we read of in the first few verses of 1 John four will, most assuredly, send a man or woman to hell. I make this stark contrast only because the Word of God does.
There are people in this world who are aware of forces in life that are unseen, but real, and these people are often characterized as being "spiritual." But the vast majority are more alive to their senses than the Scriptures, and are dangerously open to cults, gurus, and demons. There is a "spirit of the world" (1 Cor. 2:12) in diametric opposition to the Spirit of God. Only those who are indwelt by the latter are capable of withstanding the former. Ephesians 6:12 characterizes it as a wrestling match between the saints of God and a damnable enemy set on possessing our mind, heart, and body—"spiritual wickedness in high places."
It was the Apostle Paul's desire that the people of Colosse would be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all wisdom and spiritual knowledge" (Col. 1:9 [emphasis added]). Not all knowledge is Spiritual knowledge; sometimes it's just spiritual claptrap. Then he describes such a man or woman, in 1 Corinthians 2:15, as being able to judge "all things.” In other words, you can spot them by their good judgment. Spirituality is manifested in Biblical, wise decisions, not airy, meaningless dialogue. It is more interested in holy living than in a "holistic" lifestyle.
People who are spiritual may rise above the material world, but that won’t get them all the way to Heaven. Only men and women who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His Word are partakers of the Spirit of God:
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist...” (1Jno.4:2-3)
“God is a Spirit,” says John in his Gospel, and anyone who worships Him, must worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (4:24); but Satan also is a spirit (Isa.14), and those who worship him do so “in the spirit of error” (1Jno.4:6).
Pity the man or woman who does not know the difference.
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