Many people think of God only as a God of love, always on
hand to help when things go wrong and bound in the end to forgive everybody's
sins and receive them into heaven forever. This idea is fatally misleading. The
Bible certainly tells us that ‘God is love' (1 John 1:8), but also that he is
‘majestic in holiness' (Exodus 15:11) and that ‘the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men' (Romans 1:18).
Some thoughts on Sin and what the Cross of Christ tells us.
The cross of Christ tells us that sin is a Curse,
When used as an ornament around the neck, a cross says
little about the ugliness of sin. But when we look at sin through the cross of
Christ, we see sin as God does: ugly, deforming, condemning, separating man
from his Creator. Sin is so terrible that it made God send His only begotten
Son to the cross to pay for its cost. Las Vegas does not present a true picture
of sin. In the nightclubs and on TV, sin is glamorous, gaudy, fun, enticing,
exhilarating. But sin causes death and separation from God (Rom. 6:23, Isa.
59:1-2). Jesus became a curse for us, hanging on the cross (Gal. 3:13), and I
should see this when I see the cross.
The cross of Christ tells us that Reconciliation was
made,
So long as man was in sin, he could not be right with
God, but, was in fact an enemy. With our best intentions and greatest works, we
could not bring about this healing of enmity to reconciliation. Since atonement
was made by Jesus sacrifice on the cross, it was possible for God to invite man
back into a saved relationship. Paul said that this was the great work of the
apostles, "appointed by God to be ambassadors, entreating on behalf of
God, be ye reconciled unto God" (2 Cor. 5:18-20). Note that atonement
precedes reconciliation and that God had to initiate them both due to our
sinful condition. I should see this when I see the cross.
The cross of Christ tells us that Substitution was made,
"The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). I
sinned, therefore I ought to die. But thanks be to God that His grace permitted
it to be different. As the story of Abraham and Isaac and the substitute ram
for sacrifice foreshadowed it, the cross declares it plainly. Jesus Christ was
sent by God to be a substitute for me. He took my punishment and death.
"By his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). I should see this when I
see the cross.
The cross of Christ shows us the painful payment of
Justice served,
Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing
the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to him. It is not an
everyday word, but it is vitally important that we understand it.
‘Propitiation' means appeasing an offended person (God) by paying the penalty
(Jesus sacrifice) he demands for the offence (our sin). Here is a simple
example.
A young lady appears in court for a traffic ticket. The
judge must ask her – “Guilty or Not Guilty?” She responds, “Guilty your honor.”
After court the judge walks over to the cashier’s window,
pulls out his billfold and pays the young lady’s fine with no questions asked.
He then turns to the young lady and says, “Your debt is paid free and clear my
estranged and beloved daughter.”
The lesson is, the judge (God) by His law and justice had
to pronounce his daughters (Gods children) guilt plea, and it was painful. But
he paid the debt (on the cross) of her infraction for breaking the legal code
without question. The judge has removed (cleansed) her debt (sin) from the
ensuing charge (judgment) of guilt.
‘In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he
loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins' (1 John 4:10).
The cross of Christ tells us that fellowship with God is possible,
Now that atonement has been made and reconciliation is
possible, I can be forgiven. While atonement was made for the sins of the
world, not all men will be saved. Not all will obey the call of the gospel
through the apostles, to be reconciled to God by the cross. To some, the word
of the cross is "foolishness;" to others, it is a "stumbling
block" (1 Cor. 1). But if we reject the cross and the word of the cross,
we reject reconciliation. If we reject reconciliation, we reject the peace with
God that forgiveness brings. If we accept the cross, we may enter into a
relationship with God reminiscent of that between Adam and Eve and God in the
garden before sin intruded. Fellowship in a mutual sharing in heavenly matters
is found only in Christ. I should see this when I see the cross.
The cross of Christ tells us that I must become dead to
the world and alive to God,
"If then ye have been risen with Christ. . . "
(Col. 3: 1) presupposes that we have died with Christ. "For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). But how does one
become dead to sin? "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism
into death: that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been
united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin" (Rom. 6:2-6). Yes, we must crucify the old man of sin. We must
walk in newness of life after having been buried in Christ (Rom. 6:4). How is
all this done? The bible says it is done when we are baptized “into Christ”
(not prayed into) for remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16, Col. 2:11-12, Gal
3:27). I should see this when I see the cross.
There is a cross for us to bear,
It is not a silver or gold ornament with no real meaning
but that of vanity and false humiliation. The cross that Jesus bore was that of
"obedience unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8). All
the ornamental jewelry and superstitious architecture in the world will not
bring us any closer to the service of God unless we in fact understand the cost
of bearing one’s own cross.
Sacrificial Service,
Christ stated on more than one occasion, "And he who
does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds
his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it"
(Matthew 10:38-39, 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24, 14:27).
Are you wearing your cross, or are you bearing it?
