The Way of the Cross
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| There can be no price on earth that is too great for eternity |
One such theme is that of power. Though there may be numerous theories and opinions that have been voiced concerning this, we need to begin at what has been called the mother of all foundations - the revealed word of God.
In the New Testament, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). It has also been pointed out that the message of the cross is the power of God for us who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18). Therefore there are at least two ways of considering the same theme, which in this case is the power of God.
Since there is no contradiction in truth, how does one tie the above references together? In this way: The divine potential contained in the Gospel lies in the message of the cross. If we deny the cross, we empty the Gospel of the fulcrum of its power.
If we are going to make the Gospel effective in our times, the answer does not lie in copying worldly styles to be socially acceptable, keep up with the times, or blend in with what is considered popular. It lies in returning to the place of the skull.
Since there is no contradiction in truth, how does one tie the above references together? In this way: The divine potential contained in the Gospel lies in the message of the cross. If we deny the cross, we empty the Gospel of the fulcrum of its power.
If we are going to make the Gospel effective in our times, the answer does not lie in copying worldly styles to be socially acceptable, keep up with the times, or blend in with what is considered popular. It lies in returning to the place of the skull.
But what is the cross and what does it really symbolize? Surely not a "christianized" image, a logo, a symbol or a decorative item at the end of a chain. It is not a tombstone marker or a woeful religious reminder on Easter Fridays. Even for those who understand sin and holiness, the cross does not stand for either moral discipline or correction.
The cross is an instrument of execution. Its deadly work is so thorough, nothing strung there can hope to survive. The cross is the place where everything is finished. It marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. Here, the glory of God is revealed, which is why He points all who wish follow Him first to the cross. In fact, cross bearers are His only true disciples (Luke 14:27). This fulfills the demands of justice as far as the flesh is concerned. It is the cross which brings to an end everything that belongs to the old nature and effects by resurrection the character of the new.
The cross is an instrument of execution. Its deadly work is so thorough, nothing strung there can hope to survive. The cross is the place where everything is finished. It marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. Here, the glory of God is revealed, which is why He points all who wish follow Him first to the cross. In fact, cross bearers are His only true disciples (Luke 14:27). This fulfills the demands of justice as far as the flesh is concerned. It is the cross which brings to an end everything that belongs to the old nature and effects by resurrection the character of the new.
Judgement may not be a popular subject in the age in which we live. However, those who seek redemption need not to fear the judgements of God. These judgements are what will bring liberation, setting us free from the things that have bound us for years to vanity and worldliness. The way from Gabbatha to Golgotha - from the seat of judgement to the place of crucifixion - represents the path each disciple is called to take.
There are many more people who want to be entertained for every one who is seeking to be changed. Modernity emphasizes self-esteem in place of what God esteems. He has esteemed the cross despite the fact that it is foolishness to men. The cross is what demonstrates both the wisdom and the power of God. See, pride was the root cause that led to the fall of man. In order for man to be redeemed, this process had to be reversed and the price had to be paid in humility. The most unjust and humiliating experience in history was when the Lord of eternity took upon Himself the curse of being hung upon a tree and became sin on our behalf. How do we recognize the operation of the cross in our lives? A bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit. A key question would be to ask what has happened to the fruit of pride that has been rearing its head? Has our character been changed or are there still forms of unyieldedness, selfishness, independence, unwillingness to repent and change?
We need to correct the false notion that only emphasizes the fact that Christ did everything for us and so nothing more needs to be done by us, the notion that because they made a decision, believers are supposedly meant to just get on with their lives in the world with the assurance of a guaranteed entry into Heaven. If that was all there was to it, there would be no reason for believers to be on earth in the first place. When we really study the scriptures, we find that this assumption comes from a void theology invented to excuse us from our responsibility. The Master Himself said, 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):
Judgement precedes execution. The judgement at Gabbatha took place before the execution at Golgotha. The reason why we can go the way of the cross daily, is our lives have already been judged by the righteousness of a holy God. On the basis of the atoning sacrifice that Christ took on our behalf, we too can reckon ourselves as having died and carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:10). This is how the door opens for us to participate in His resurrection life. There is an incomparable glory that is accessible to those who are willing to daily lose their lives on earth for the sake of Christ. May we make this our quest! Everything about the cross is repulsive to the human nature. Nothing within you or I can be attracted to it in any way. So how do we embrace it? How do we come to the place where it releases divine potential, this incredible transforming power to flow upon our lives and through us into others? We have been given a perfect example.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
How was the Master able to see joy in these circumstances? He focused on the ultimate plan of God and the eternal results. Being eternally minded gives one the strength to endure. He embraced the joy that was to be experienced after all was over and overcame because He kept the end in mind. Self preservation is the natural instinct that comes upon us when our minds are focused or set upon things on the earth. But when we begin to set our minds on things above, we see the inheritance into which we have been called and at once agree that there is no price on earth that can be too great for eternity. He won. So can we. This is the call. We have been hand picked for this race. The end of it is unspeakable, incomprehensible glory. Therefore, as all around us, entire societies are reaping the destructive results of sowing in selfishness and perversion, it is time to face the cross with resolve and hope.
We need to do away with the pride of thinking we can improve ourselves somehow, because to think this way means that God's view on the incurable fallen nature is wrong and that we are not really that bad. After all, we can still try to improve our habits here and there with psychological methods borrowed from the world and coated with our favourite scripture verses. This is not the way of the cross. It only leads to a form of godliness that denies the power. It is self-righteousness, not the righteousness acceptable before God, which is the righteousness of Christ. The latter can only be obtained through the cross and no other way. No student is above his master, so let us stop trying to avoid the real issue. The old nature that has been our enemy from the beginning is beyond any type of discipline, correction or improvement. The only solution is execution. It is important for us to humble ourselves and petition Him for the cross to become a daily reality for us. By His grace the same Lord who blesses will also allow events and experiences that will make it practical in our lives day by day.
The cross each of us has been called to bear is not punishment for sin, but a work of grace. It is our greatest opportunity on earth. It will bring about the final defeat of the flesh, elevating us where we can live with a free and pure spirit. It will revive our vision for eternity. The cross will lead you to the place where you lose what you have so that you can gain Him and what He has. Though sacrifices or experiences may come which are challenging to the flesh, they will be liberating to your spirit. The fact remains that we can never understand resurrection life unless we are willing to participate daily in the death process that ushers us to that level.
One source of difficulty is that we have been so indoctrinated in viewing the cross as a past event, we do not know how to respond when it practically shows up in our day to day life. The cross is not just past, it is present and future reality as well. Moreover, unlike Jesus, we often fix your eyes on what we are losing. This can never compare one iota with what we gain when we begin to come alive with His resurrection life. Dying to ourselves is an on-going process and the events He allows us to go through in life help us mature in this process. True change is not a smooth, comfortable affair as we may imagine it to be. In fact, during these phases, you may feel stretched beyond the limit, your mind is overwhelmed, your soul is in turmoil. Yet something creative is taking place in your spirit. You are beginning to recognize that liberty is not just a sermon, a doctrine or a song. It is reality. As we walk in the revelation of being crucified with Christ we will find a new life emerging from within us whose nature is not earthly but heavenly. And it is here that we begin to live not by our own human strength, but by the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20).
The message of the cross is crucial because it is the cross that releases the full power of the Gospel. It is the hallmark of triumph because this is the way the tide of heaven's grace is released upon the guilt and bondage of human imperfection. The cross is the ultimate solution for the crisis plaguing mankind today because of sin, as it directly unites the lives of men with the divine purposes of a holy God. This is how our lives can be reclaimed from the slavery of self and sin that controls the present evil age. Once thus salvaged, they can be brought back into rhythm with the original plan of God. The cross is the place where self-centeredness is undone and God-centeredness takes its place. It is the path to freedom.
When we recognize this and begin to die to ourselves and to this world, the nations will again hear a message that is beyond just words. It is a message that will captivate and transform because it will contain the power of the living God. When all the legacies of earth have passed away, the might of the cross will remain and all those who lived by it will find themselves clothed in victory, power and glory that defies imagination.
