Our Purpose

Almost four centuries ago a group of English and Scottish theologians compiled the Westminster Shorter Catechism wherein they presented the answer to some of the most fundamental questions anyone can ask. The first was: “What’s the chief end of man?” They answered: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The second was, basically, “How do we accomplish that?” Their response was: “The Word of God, contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.”

I agree. Like it or not, our purpose is to glorify God. But some folks can’t accept that. A.W. Tozer wrote, “Perhaps it would be correct to suggest that many people in their frantic pursuit of life have forgotten the purpose of their creation, from God’s point of view. Keep in mind that whatever God created, He created for His purpose and pleasure. To entertain the idea that God would do anything capriciously or without purpose is to misunderstand completely the nature of God.”

The respected 17th century theologian Thomas Watson commented on both of the catechism’s answers, starting by quoting from the Bible: “That God in all things may be glorified“ (1 Peter 4:2) and “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God“ (1 Corinthians 10:31).

He explained, “Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; now, man being a rational creature, must propose some end to himself, and that should be that he lift up God in the world. …The great truth is asserted that the end of every man’s living should be to glorify God. Glorifying God has respect to all the persons of the Trinity; it respects God the Father who gave us life; God the Son, who lost his life for us; and God the Holy Spirit, who produces a new life in us; we must bring glory to the whole Trinity.”

Concerning the second answer, Watson wrote: “I wonder whence the Scriptures should come, if not from God. Bad men could not be the authors of it. Would their minds be employed in inditing such holy lines? Would they declare so fiercely against sin? Good men could not be the authors of it. Could they write in such a strain? Or could it stand with their grace to counterfeit God’s name and put ‘Thus saith the Lord‘ to a book of their own devising? Nor could any angel in heaven be the author of it, because the angels pry and search into the abyss of gospel mysteries. …It’s evident the pedigree of Scripture is sacred, and it could come from none but God Himself.”

There are some who believe Christ is the Son of God yet dismiss the Holy Word as irrelevant. Dallas Willard wrote, “Anyone who rejects the general counsels of Scripture is in fact planning not to be guided by God and cannot then rely on being able to be delivered from their difficulties by obtaining God’s input on particular occasions.”

It’s a matter of listening to what God has already said. This doesn’t mean you’ll hear an audible voice speak directly to you from heaven regarding a certain dilemma you’re facing. Willard commented, “If I’m given nothing, my next step is to say, ‘Is there anything in me preventing You from speaking clearly about this matter? If there’s something in my attitude, please tell me.’ That answer may come in various ways. I don’t believe God messes with our minds. He’s not mean, and if He has something to say to me, He’ll say it. …Generally, it’s much more important to cultivate the quiet, inward space of a constant listening than to always be approaching God for specific direction.”

Frederick Buechner reliably provided a unique take. After admitting the Bible can be intimidating he opined, “And yet just because it’s a book about both the sublime and the unspeakable, it’s a book about life the way it really is. It’s a book about people who at one time and the same time can be both believing and unbelieving, innocent and guilty, crusaders and crooks, full of hope and full of despair. In other words, it’s a book about us. And then it’s also a book about God. If it’s not about the God we believe in, then it’s about the God we don’t believe in. One way or another, the story we find in the Bible is our own story.”

No life is meaningless. If someone thinks they have no purpose they’ve probably never studied the Scriptures. Within its pages God truly speaks to us about our purpose. Brennan Manning wrote, “In our faithful listening to God’s Word, we often neglect His first word to us – the gift of ourselves to ourselves: our existence, our temperament, our personal history, our uniqueness, our flaws and foibles, our identity. Our very existence is one of the never-to-be-repeated ways God has chosen to express Himself in space and time. Because we’re made in God’s image and likeness, you and I are yet another promise that He’s made to the universe that He’ll continue to love it and care for it.”

One of the simplest yet most profound statements I’ve ever heard is when a radio preacher proclaimed one day, “It’s always been about Jesus. It’s never been about anyone else.” Therefore, our purpose as Christians is to strive to know, imitate, and glorify our Savior better moment by moment.

James S. Stewart suggested, “Let us open our lives to Jesus by removing the barriers that habitually keep Him out. Let us turn ourselves over to Him, remembering that this isn’t the act of a day, but the work of a lifetime. …For the giving of oneself to Christ is never finished, but always to be reaffirmed, with a new existential decision every morning and a fresh surrender every night, until one day death seals the offering and makes our commitment complete.”

Christ Within

“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory“ (Colossians 1:27). A mystery? That’s an understatement. “If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness“ (Romans 8:10). So, Jesus lives in me? Amazing.

“God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me…” (Galatians 1:15). Sadly, most of the time I don’t feel His presence. “I’ve been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me“ (Galatians 2:20). There it is again. How’s that possible?

The Scriptures have strong words for Christians like me. “Do you not realize Christ Jesus is in you?“ (2 Corinthians 13:5). Evidently, I don’t realize it often enough. I know it’s true because God’s Word never lies. Yet when I inventory my sinful actions and thoughts, I’m stunned by the very idea that my Savior, the Creator of the universe, literally abides in me. I’m sure it’s not always a comfortable place for Him to dwell.

Yet it’s a blessed assurance knowing that despite my lustful, covetous and prideful human nature Jesus remains. Not just “close by” but within me and all who belong to Him. Therefore, we never go it alone. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I’ll fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psalm 23:4). James Stewart wrote, “Whatever happens He’s quite certain to be there. This is the way to peace… For it’s no weak Christ with whom we have to do, but a Christ of power – stronger than the stress of life, stronger than the tyrant sins that seek to smash us, stronger in the end than death itself.”

You’d think with all the Biblical info and encouragement believers have at our disposal, our faith in His constant presence inside our very being would never flag for a nanosecond. I don’t think it’s that we doubt it. It’s more that we forget it. Stewart posed this question: “If the fact and face of Jesus have gradually faded from before our eyes, if the decisive personal relationship has been damaged by sin and carelessness and the march of inexorable years, how shall we recapture what’s been lost?”

A moment’s consideration will always reveal that we’ve neglected to stay focused on all that God has graciously provided for the nurturing of our faith and the furthering of our salvation. Jerry Bridges wrote, “We must behold Christ in the gospel, we must learn the proper relationship of dependence and personal discipline, we must make a commitment to holiness, and we must develop Bible-based convictions. Though we’re continually dependent on the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, we must fulfill our responsibilities. God doesn’t do that for us.”

Another contributing cause is our mostly subconscious tendency to shut Jesus out. Since our Lord lives in us He should be prominently situated front and center in everything we do. Stewart wrote, “For the giving of oneself to Christ is never finished, but always to be reaffirmed, with a new existential decision every morning and a fresh surrender every night, until one day death seals the offering and makes our commitment complete.”

Imitating Jesus is the most spiritually beneficial activity I can engage in. And in order to imitate Him it’s vital I study my Bible daily, contemplating again and again everything He said and did while He was here. In other words, the more familiar I become with His profound Sermon on the Mount, His parables, His graciousness, etc. the easier it is to know how to display His perfect countenance in any circumstance I find myself in. Does doing that render me perfect? Hardly. But it does make me better.

J.I. Packer wrote, “Life means relationships: with God, men, and things. Get your relationships right, and life’s a joy, but it’s a burden otherwise. It’s natural to love life, and against nature to want it to stop; yet today, as when Christianity was born, many experience life as such a meaningless misery their thoughts turn seriously to suicide. What’s gone wrong? Probably relationships. True joy comes only through meaningful relations with God, in tasting His love and walking Christ’s way. This is the real dolce vita, the life that’s genuinely sweet and good.”

Getting saved is easy. “Believe in the Lord Jesus“ (Acts 16:31). Behaving/thinking like Him is anything but. We’ve got our work cut out for us. “Don’t conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you’ll be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will“ (Romans 12:2).

R.C. Sproul wrote, “True transformation comes by gaining a new understanding of God, ourselves, and the world. What we’re after ultimately is to be conformed to the image of Christ. We’re to be like Jesus, though not in the sense we can ever gain deity. We’re not god-men. But our humanity is to mirror and reflect the perfect humanity of Jesus. That can’t happen without a mastery of His Word. The key to spiritual growth is in-depth Christian education that requires a serious level of sacrifice. That’s the call to excellence we’ve received. We’re not to be like the rest of the world, content to live our lives with a superficial understanding of God. We’re to grow dissatisfied with spiritual milk and hunger after spiritual meat.”

It’s important we bear in mind that our generously forgiving Healer who lives within us changes us according to His plan, not ours. Making slow progress can be frustrating. We yearn to become holy. Still, we’re blessed beyond measure. Spurgeon preached, “We aren’t what we ought to be! We’re not where we want to be or what we will be! But we’re something very different from what we used to be.” To that I say Amen!

What About the Church?

Fair question. When I was growing up in the 60s almost everybody in my neighborhood was a church member and they, along with their family, darkened its door at least once a week. It’s not that way anymore and it’s contributed to our country’s moral standards plummeting to an all-time low. I pray that situation turns around because what we Christians can’t do by ourselves the church can.

I humbly confess that for the majority of my adult life I shunned church. I considered myself a believer, but I was convinced the church Jesus established had exceeded its expiration date. I was a “self-contained” Christian. I didn’t feel any compulsion to be part of a congregation. I was also a fool.

When my world imploded 15 years ago I had nowhere to run. I prayed to God for help and the word that came to mind was church. It left no doubt in my consciousness as to where I’d receive the healing I desperately needed. Not only did my Savior guide me to a Bible-based church but to the only one in town that had a Celebrate Recovery ministry. They welcomed me. It’s where I should’ve been all along.

Is the church I belong to perfect? Nope. Pastor Donny Parrish said, “If you find one that’s perfect don’t join it because it’ll no longer be perfect.” The positive influence the church can have on society isn’t based upon how “perfect” its members are. It’s about how faithfully they obey, worship, praise and serve its founder who’s personally in their midst – Jesus Christ.

James Stewart wrote, “Think of the thrill of singing out with all the heart the great songs of the Christian ages when it’s Christ Himself to whom we’re singing; the joy of celebrating the great festivals of the Christian year; the expectant eagerness of coming to the House of God quite certain Jesus will be there, and Jesus you’re going to meet! If this faith is lacking in the life of the Church, there’s literally nothing that can make up for its absence.”

If Christ’s actual presence is something you find impossible to accept, then you’re assuming He preached a lie: “Where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them“ (Matthew 18:20). The Church is vital. In it our Lord has gifted certain men to be shepherds of His flock, teaching and reinforcing Gospel truths, encouraging the congregation to go share the Good News with every person they come in contact with. Every believer’s effectiveness grows stronger due to what occurs in the Church environment. Christians need fellowship.

What’s wrong with the modern-day church? It isn’t necessarily the lack of attendees. It’s the unoffensive, non-convicting message it proclaims. As Voddie Baucham quips, “We’ve added an 11th commandment – Thou shalt be nice.” In other words, too many churches are reticent to emphasize the comfort-disturbing fact we’re all born “dead in our transgressions and sins“ (Ephesians 2:1). Human beings aren’t just dysfunctional bipeds. Without Jesus we’re spiritually dead as doornails.

Michael Horton wrote, “If we’re merely wayward, we only need direction; merely sick, we need medicine; merely weak, we need strength. Radical grace, on the other hand, answers to radical sinfulness – not simply to moral mistakes, lack of zeal, or spiritual lethargy, but to the condition the Bible defines as nothing less than condemned ‘children of wrath.’ Today the preaching of the law in all of its gripping judgment and the preaching of the gospel in all its surprising sweetness merge into a confused message of gentle exhortation to find our ‘best life now.'”

This doesn’t mean we’re to rudely confront non-Christians with a “holier than thou” attitude. We’re also not to employ scare tactics to frighten unbelievers into converting. If we witness to anyone without radiating sincere love and compassionate concern, we’ll always fall short. The apostle Paul stated:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but I don’t have love, I’m a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but don’t have love, I receive no benefit“ (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Church congregations must never forget that the Holy Spirit works in and through us, not because of us. Spurgeon preached, “Would you know the mind of God? It’s not merely in a book – it’s still incarnated in men in whom the Spirit of the Lord is present! The Lord still makes known His mind and will by the earnest, fervent teaching, pleading, and lives of those in whom the Spirit of God dwells! Do you think this to be a small glory?”

Jesus said we’re the glorious “light of the world“ (Matthew 5:14). Spurgeon added, “The glory of possessing the Spirit of God; the glory of knowing the eternal God; the glory of having received His Word distinguishes the chosen man above his fellows infinitely more than all the crowns, titles and decorations monarchs can bestow! To be made partakers of the Holy Spirit and guardians of the truth of God is a greater glory than the princes of this world can so much as imagine.”

Stewart wrote, “It’s when the Church passes beyond debating about Christ and really begins to see Christ, risen and alive, Very God and Very Man, ‘Joy of loving hearts, fount of life and light of men’ – it’s then the springs of everlasting zeal and passion are gloriously set free. For back of all barriers and divisions there’s a point at which Calvinist, Pentecostal, Evangelical and Roman are basically one: ‘If any man be in Christ, he’s a new creature‘ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?‘ (Romans 8:35).

It’s high time the Church rise up and shine brightly again. This world’s gotten too dark.

What the Spiritually Blind Can’t See

The day after Jesus miraculously fed the hungry multitude with five barley loaves and two small fish, many who were there found our Lord in Capernaum and peppered Him with questions, the last of which was “What miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you?“ (John 6:30). Ponder the audacity required to ask Him that. Their blindness was staggering.

No proof that Jesus is the Son of God is ever enough for hard-hearted unbelievers. Christ said it Himself, “They won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead“ (Luke 16:31). Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes and ears of the lost to see and hear the soul-saving truth. I’m very glad that their salvation isn’t dependent on my persuasiveness. I’d fail every time. My job is to share the Gospel with them and let God do the saving.

Of course, skeptics are happy to present plenty of reasons why they deem Christianity bogus and believers gullible fools. They’ll accuse us of having been buffaloed and brainwashed, not by facts, but via sheer “emotionalism.” James S. Stewart spelled out the secular world’s attitude thusly: “All this talk about personal passion and communion is just romantic untheological mysticism, muddle-headed mawkish sentiment, with no relevance to the dust and blood of life’s arena, sure to collapse in times of strain and trouble.”

“If religion is to make any impact on this atrociously needy world, it must divest itself of all that kind of thing and show itself realistic. No doubt such mystic flights are all very well for people who are made that way and happen to like that sort of thing – a legitimate if eccentric hobby – but they’re certainly not for the plain man immersed in the practical business of life. A plague on your mysticism!” That’s a commonly held attitude of the unconverted. Yet we can’t let them silence us. So how are we to respond?

We must appeal to their rationality. First of all, the history of Christianity is on our side. Sane people don’t endure and suffer desperate situations, horrific persecutions and faith-testing periods of disillusionment for the sake of some unfounded fantasy. Millions of believers throughout the ages have steadfastly clung to the source of all hope because they knew their heart and mind had been transformed. No one willingly jeopardizes their life, family and loved ones for what they have doubts about. Nobody.

Secondly, conversion involves a serious, existential decision being made about who Jesus claimed He was. And, if one chooses to believe in Him, they’ll soon discover consequences will follow. Some will be welcome. Some not so much. Jesus said, “Do you think I’ve come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on there’ll be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. …Father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother…” (Luke 12:51-53). There’s a lot at stake. People don’t invite disruption into their life for a “fictional story”.

Thirdly, our Lord said “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age“ (Matthew 28:20). That promise is a blessed assurance, indeed. But I confess that for a habitual sinner such as myself having Jesus with me constantly doesn’t always make for a comfortable experience. He knows my bad habits and covetous thoughts. He sits inside my conscience. He sees everything. There are some urges I would rather remain covert but there’s no hiding my sinful nature from Him.

Stewart wrote, “When we’re inclined to relax discipline and take some line of least resistance – a kind of moral holiday – He’s there then. When we’ve done things of which we should be terribly ashamed that they should ever come to His knowledge, He’s been actually present, and His pure eyes have seen it all.” Mental privacy is something every Christian forfeits when they become a disciple of Jesus and that requires sincerely loving, trusting in and continually asking Him to have mercy on us.

Fourthly, Jesus’ being the only man who’s been resurrected from the grave has nothing to do with our emotions. Not one Jewish or Roman leader denied His tomb was empty on Easter morning. It had been officially sealed and guarded around the clock so the preposterous idea that Christ’s body was stolen is absurd. The authorities had no decaying body to parade before the public. Else they would’ve. Therefore, simple logic confirms that Jesus, the Son of God, the promised Messiah, is alive.

Now, I’m not saying that sharing any of these facts will open the eyes and ears of a determined skeptic. The Holy Spirit alone can do that. We’re to calmly tell them what we know in our heart is absolutely true. It doesn’t mean we don’t care if they believe us or not. However, we won’t let their mockery of our faith rob us of our joy.

Charles Spurgeon preached about debating non-Christians: “I find it immeasurably more profitable to my own soul to believingly adore than unbelievingly to invent objections, or even industriously to try to meet them. When you’ve killed one regiment of them, there’s another regiment coming on, and when you’ve put to the sword whole legions of doubts, doubters still swarm upon you like the frogs of Egypt. It’s far better to firmly believe what you profess to believe and to follow out to all the blessed consequences all the truths of God that, in your own heart and soul, you’ve received of the Lord.”

We’re not “saviors.” What we’re to obediently do is what Jesus commanded – sow good seeds. Dallas Willard wrote, “Only when those who really do know that Jesus is the light of the world take their stand with Him and fulfill their calling from Him to be children of light will there be any realistic hope of stemming the tide of evil and showing the way out of that tide for those who really want out.”

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Most unbelievers consider Christianity “just another religion” in a world full of them. They lump it with all others, saying, “They’re basically the same.” Yet only one has a Savior who rose from the grave. Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, etc. all died and stayed dead. Jesus expired on the Cross, but then defeated death. That fact alone sets Christianity apart.

Still, some demand harder evidence (they don’t believe in “miracles”), and most Christians are eager to provide it. High on the list is what our Lord spoke. He was the focal point of His own message. His words were always straightforward. For instance, He didn’t preach “Truth is subjective.” On the contrary, He announced, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me“ (John 14:6).

Jesus didn’t offer “suggestions” on how to overcome anxiety or hardships. He said He is the answer, proclaiming, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I’ll give you rest“ (Matthew 11:28). Nor did He offer philosophical principles to guide us through uncertain times. He promised He personally would. “Remember, I’m with you always, to the end of the age“ (Matthew 28:20).

Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “All other religions are oblique; the founder stands aside and introduces another speaker; they themselves therefore come under ‘religion’ – Christianity alone is direct speech.” James Stewart added, “There’s no question that if Christianity is to be true to the intention of Jesus, it must be a relationship between real persons. It’s either this or nothing.”

Perhaps that’s not sufficient evidence for stubborn skeptics. Therefore, it’s proper to bring up the many eyewitnesses who were there, starting with the apostle Paul. He was an educated scholar whose mastery of Greek and Hebrew elevated his inspired writings to among the greatest in literature. Yet his profound letters aren’t what made his contributions so impactful. It was his unwavering devotion to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He openly confessed, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain“ (Philippians 1:21) and “I’ve been crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me“ (Galatians 2:20). His complete surrender of all he was to serve Jesus epitomizes what Christianity is: not some lofty idea, but an intimate, uncompromised relationship with a living person.

Then there’s Paul’s exact opposite, personality-wise, Simon Peter. If ever there was a man on fire for revolutionary social reform, it’s him. He was an impatient leader. He wanted to turn civilization on its head in a hurry. But, like Paul, his zeal became centered upon Christ alone. He was the disciple who answered Jesus with, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life“ (John 6:68) and the evangelist who brazenly preached, “There’s salvation in no one else, for there’s no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved“ (Acts 4:12).

Perhaps the most persuasive proof of all is the resilience of Christ’s church. All efforts to crush it have failed because its dedicated members never abandoned it. Take for example the Church of the Catacombs in Rome. No congregation in history endured more persecution and vicious extermination attempts than those who opted to live in caves rather than deny their Lord. On its ancient walls is painted and sketched one recurring image – Jesus the Shepherd, Fisherman, Bridegroom, Savior, Priest and King.

In more modern times the Church of the Reformation has defied all the odds of its enduring well into the 21st century. Stewart wrote, “Where did that great movement originate? Not, as is sometimes stated, from a sudden upsurge of dialectical controversy. Not from any outburst of partisan emotion. It had its origin and authentic beginning precisely where Martin Luther himself said every true Christian must begin. “Begin,” he said, “from the wounds of Christ.”

Dr. T.W. Manson summarized, “What the church possesses isn’t immunity from sin and error but the abiding presence of Him who is the way, the truth, and the life. She is promised not safety but victory.”

If that’s not enough evidence to establish the veracity of Christianity, then the historical record of the millions of saints who’ve testified about how Jesus transformed their life is proof impossible to ignore. They’re the folks who Stewart described as having “one common center of their life, one burning heart of their experience, a communion with – almost an absorption in – Jesus, a clinging to this living person with every fiber of their being.”

He’s not talking solely about the heralded heroes of the faith, but also the multitudes of plain, ordinary men and women who willingly and humbly submitted to letting God’s will be done, come what may. From the day of Pentecost all the way to today there’s been an unbroken line of believers who’ve known without a doubt that Christ paid for their sins on the cross, rose again and has now gone away “to make ready a place for you“ (John 14:2) in heaven. It would be illogical, and certainly absurd, to label all of them fools.

The overwhelming evidence is there to substantiate far beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is the only true religion. But some still refuse to surrender their heart to Jesus. It leads we who believe to wonder what it is those folks are really after. Dallas Willard commented, “The Bible says that if you seek God with all your heart, then you’ll surely find Him. Surely find Him. It’s the person who wants to know God that God reveals Himself to. And if a person doesn’t want to know God – well, God’s created the world and the human mind in such a way that he doesn’t have to.”

In other words, we can lead spiritually blind unbelievers to the water of life, but we can’t make them drink.

Questions

The Bible teaches Christians to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t rely on your own understanding“ (Proverbs 3:5). Most believers adhere to that sage advice. Yet, because we’re human, we do have questions that continually confound us. I.e., “Since God is sovereign, why can’t we who follow and obey Him establish peace on earth?” as well as “What’s God waiting on?”

On a personal level, “Why do I so easily succumb to sin’s temptations?” and “Why can’t there be one united church that’s fervent with faith, free from petty divisions, and brimming over with a determined worldwide congregation whose sole aim is to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit‘ (Matthew 28:19)?”

It’s not that Christians don’t trust in God’s promises. We’ve seen Him work genuine miracles in our own lives and in the lives of others. Yet when we read passages such as “God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you’ll overflow in every good work“ (2 Corinthians 9:8) we wonder why we don’t see more people in the pews, eager to hear more about our precious Savior.

There’s certainly no lack of secularists telling us what we’re doing wrong. I often come across headlines that spout things like “12 things Christianity needs to change in order to appeal to Millennials.” That’s the devil talking. Sadly, many denominations listen to him. In response, they downplay preaching sound doctrine in favor of being less “closed-minded” and more “entertaining.” But that never works for long.

Some churches go to the opposite extreme by making Christianity overly complicated. That doesn’t work, either. James Stewart commented, “It’s by no means an unknown phenomenon – a theological intellectualism which is spiritually sterile.” The Gospel message is incredibly simple – believe. Even an adolescent can comprehend it. Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you the truth, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it“ (Mark 10:15).

So, what are we not emphasizing enough? Well, the answer hasn’t changed in 2,000 years. We must tell lost souls that being a Christian consists of nothing less than actively engaging in a liberating, life-enriching relationship with the gracious, glorious and very forgiving Son of God. Stewart wrote, “The indispensable center of Christianity is Christ. We ruin our religion if we center it anywhere else.”

The Bible’s instructions to believers haven’t changed. “Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. Everything you do should be done in love“ (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). We don’t have to be degreed theologians or charismatic preachers to be effective evangelists. We’re to sow seeds of truth. God takes over from there. The great British evangelist Charles Spurgeon’s conversion serves as an excellent example:

Burdened with doubts and despair one snowy Sunday morning, he stumbled into a tiny church. Treacherous weather conditions prevented the minister from arriving, so a local farmer stood up and read from Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” He then said, “Now lookin’ don’t take a deal of pains. It ain’t even liftin’ your foot or your finger; it’s just ‘Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. Anyone can look; even a child can look. But the text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Ay! Many of ye are lookin’ to yourselves, but it’s no use lookin’ there. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto Me.'”

Spurgeon recalled, “I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said – I didn’t take much notice of it – I was so possessed with that one thought.” The point is we don’t know what word or phrase uttered from Scripture could be the one that transforms a sinner’s stony heart into flesh. For Spurgeon it was “Look.” For the person we witness to it may be just as innocuous in our estimation, yet it may be exactly what they need to hear most.

If the Holy Spirit should “quicken” our listener, we must be prepared to lead them further into the truth. “Set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess“ (1 Peter 3:15). However, we must be careful not to toss them into the deep end. Be loving, concise and patient.

Dallas Willard wrote, “What has to be done, instead of trying to drive people to do what we think they’re supposed to, is to be honest about what we and others really believe. Then, by inquiry, teaching, example, prayer, and reliance upon the Spirit of God, we can work to change the beliefs that are contrary to the way of Jesus. We can open the way for others, Christians or not, to heartily choose apprenticeship in the kingdom of God.”

Returning to the theme of this piece, there are going to be nagging questions that both old and new Christians will seek answers for. I’m an avid fan of R.C. Sproul and one of the things I most admire about him is that he was never hesitant to humbly confess, “I don’t know.” He accepted unequivocally God’s right to withhold truths we’re not equipped to handle. He relied heavily on Abraham’s statement, “Will not the judge of the whole earth do what’s right?“ (Genesis 18:25).

Brennan Manning cited the true story of a man who sought out Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta. He wanted her to pray that he’d gain spiritual clarity. She firmly replied, “No, I won’t do that.” Stunned, he asked her why. She smiled and said, “Clarity’s the last thing you’re clinging to and must let go of. I’ve never had clarity, what I have is trust. So, I’ll pray you’ll trust God.” We should do likewise.

Ramifications of the Resurrection

The most significant result of Jesus’ Resurrection is… God won. (It was never in question.) James Stewart wrote, “The power that brought Jesus out of the grave will remake the dark and ruined world. The Resurrection isn’t just a personal survival: it’s a cosmic victory. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil, and this was the act which assured his ultimate destruction.”

Yet evil repeatedly rages across the globe, and that causes some to doubt Satan is defeated. Nevertheless, Christ’s tomb remains empty. The fact is Jesus conquered our greatest enemy of all – death. He told the Pharisees, “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears My message and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and won’t be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life“ (John 5:24).

Paul urges Christians to always “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead“ (2 Timothy 2:8) and to never forget that “Death has been swallowed up in victory“ (1 Corinthians 15:54). The same power that resurrected our Lord will one day resurrect us! Stewart wrote, “The identical divine energy which took Christ out of the grave is available still – available not only at journey’s end to save us in the hour of death, but available here and now to help us to live.”

The Resurrection should be the crux of the message we’re to convey to the downhearted, the depressed, the lost. The turmoil we’re witnessing won’t last forever. Jesus will return, bringing with Him a new earth and a new heaven. Folks must be told if they belong to Jesus, they’ve nothing to fear; that only unbelievers should be fearful. John MacArthur wrote, “The future of the unrighteous and the future of the righteous could hardly be more starkly different. The implication is plain: the time to think deeply about one’s destiny is now. The time to prepare for judgment is now. The day of salvation is now. And those who wait until Christ returns will find it’s already too late.”

Therefore, the answer to the question of “Why is God subjecting His elect to the horrors of this fallen planet?” is that we, like the prophets and disciples of old, have been commissioned to spread the Good News despite the hardships doing so may incur. Jesus never said being a “preacher” would be easy. Yet preach we must. “Faith comes from what’s heard, and what’s heard comes through the preached word of Christ“ (Romans 10:17). What to preach? Simple. Christ is risen and His own will rise as well.

We should also point out the importance of belonging to and supporting our Lord’s church. It has withstood every assault and attempt to destroy it for two millenniums. Obviously, Jesus was spot on when He proclaimed, “The gates of hell will not overpower it“ (Matthew 16:18). That’s because the church isn’t a brick-and-mortar building that can be demolished. It’s a supernatural fellowship of believers protected by the Holy Spirit’s invincible power.

Spurgeon preached, “Christian people have things to talk about that others don’t understand, and they pursue one common objective that others disregard. Whether they have little or much, they yield their all to one common cause and objective. Whether possessed of little ability or great ability, they are alike consecrated. One spirit breathes in them.”

We’re God’s messengers. Stewart wrote, “In every age, the man who has seen the risen Christ is the man with a mission; his true home is a missionary community; and God wills that through him others may be drawn into the fellowship.” “What we’ve seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ)“ (1 John 1:3).

Church congregations consist of sinners. Thus, it has inherent deficiencies. I.e., It’s not perfect. Thus, I’ll reiterate that Christ’s defeat of death is the greatest event in history. Why? Because the dread of dying has haunted mankind since Eden and to no longer fear it is something all men and women yearn for. Belief in our Savior removes that fear. Death has no hold on believers who understand that this life is transitory. However, we’re not to despise the life God has gifted us with. Calvin commented, “The Lord has assigned us a post, which we must maintain till he recalls us.”

It’s certainly okay to love, admire and rejoice in the beauty that abounds on this unique orb God created. Most of us have been blessed to take in magnificent vistas that steal our breath away. Yet we mustn’t lose sight of what lies ahead. Paul described our pending resurrection wonderfully: “What’s sown is perishable, what’s raised is imperishable. It’s sown in dishonor, it’s raised in glory; it’s sown in weakness, it’s raised in power; it’s sown a natural body, it’s raised a spiritual body“ (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Dallas Willard wrote, “We will then be in possession of ourselves as never before, and the limited universe that we now see will remain – though that universe won’t be as interesting as what we’ll then see for the first time. We won’t disappear into an eternal fog bank, or dead storage, or exist in a state of isolation or suspended animation, as many seem to suppose. God has a much better use for us than that.”

He added, “Our experience will be much clearer, richer and deeper, of course, because it’ll be unrestrained by the limitations now imposed upon us by our dependence upon our body. It will, instead, be rooted in the broader and more fundamental reality of God’s kingdom and will accordingly have far greater scope and power.”

The Bible states: “We’re God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it’s revealed we will be like Him [Jesus], because we will see Him just as He is“ (1 John 3:2).

If not for the Resurrection that glorious day would never arrive.

Christ’s Miraculous Resurrection

Jesus walked out of His tomb as He said He would. Some didn’t believe it. Paul wrote to the skeptics in the church, “If Christ hasn’t been raised, your faith is useless; you’re still in your sins. Furthermore, those who’ve fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone“ (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). But no pity is warranted. Our Savior lives!

Since the awesome day of Pentecost, the fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The entire New Testament is built upon it. James Stewart wrote, “Not one sentence, whether of Gospels, Epistles, Acts or Apocalypse, was penned apart from the conviction that He of whom these things were written had conquered death and was alive forever.”

Stewart added, “The one and only God the apostles worshiped was the God of the Resurrection. The one and only Gospel they were commissioned to preach was the overpowering, magnificent Good News of the Resurrection. …Without the Resurrection the Passion itself is robbed of meaning, the whole of Christian structure falls to pieces, and all talk of atonement is empty words.”

C.D. Moule challenged all doubters: “If the coming into existence of the Nazarenes, a phenomenon undeniably attested to in the Bible, rips a great hole in history – a hole of the size and shape of the Resurrection – what does the secular historian propose to stop it up with?”

J.I. Packer explained its significance clearly: “It marked Jesus as the Son of God; it vindicated His righteousness; it demonstrated victory over death; it guaranteed the believer’s forgiveness, justification and his own future resurrection; and it brings him into the reality of resurrection life now. Marvelous! You could speak of Jesus’ rising as the most hope-full thing that’s ever happened. And you’d be right!”

Calvin wrote, “In the cross, death and burial of Christ, nothing but weakness appears. Faith must go beyond all these in order that it may be provided with full strength. Hence, although in His death we have effectual completion of salvation, because by it we’re reconciled to God, satisfaction is given to His justice, the curse removed and the penalty paid; still it’s not by His death, but by His Resurrection we’re said to have obtained a living hope. Jesus, by rising again, became victorious over death, so the victory of our faith consists only in His Resurrection.”

How do we effectively tell nonbelievers about this incredible event so profound it didn’t just alter the history of this planet but of the entire universe? Paul showed us how to when he presented Christianity to the Hellenic philosophers in Athens. There two incompatible worldviews met. Initially Paul emphasized their similarities to put his audience at ease. And, as long as he stuck to pantheist and humanist leanings, they weren’t offended.

Emil Brunner commented, “It’s so much more comfortable to have a pantheistic philosophy of life than to believe in a Lord God, because a pantheistic philosophy doesn’t commit you to anything. But faith in the Lord God means obedience to His will. A God who is neuter makes no claims; He simply allows Himself to be looked at.”

Up to that point Paul had his listeners’ attention and respect. However, when he brought up Christ’s resurrection, dissention followed. “Some began to scoff, but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this’“ (Acts 17:32). In other words, God opened the ears of some while others remained spiritually deaf. We can anticipate the same response when we testify.

Stewart wrote, “It’s a familiar sound: the wisdom of this world jeering at the wisdom of God, the pride of reason denouncing the credibility of the faithful. Preach an abstract pantheism and no one will disturb you. Preach an impersonal God – the sum-total of the ethical and religious values – and you’ll be left in peace. But resurrection – this is another matter. This is the scandal. This is the palpable absurdity.”

Nevertheless, there were those who wanted to hear more about Jesus. Something he’d preached had piqued their curiosity. Being told the sovereign God of the cosmos was knowable, approachable, loving and forgiving intrigued them. Even so, some of them eventually walked off. When we’re witnessing, we must recall Christ’s parable of the Sower. Only one of the five “good seeds” settled in fertile soil. Some folks will never get it. They’ll “fall away“ (Matthew 13:21)

Yet a few of the Greek seed-receivers “heard the word and understood“ (v. 23). They accepted what this foreigner was teaching was true. Paul sowed seeds and some took root. Therefore, those in attendance who were converted became the unheralded messengers who helped pave the way for the Christian faith to spread throughout the region. It was God’s plan.

What we’re to promote is what’s technically called Christology – a theology centered on Jesus “…who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead“ (Romans 1:4). We’re to proclaim that “God exalted Him and gave Him the name that’s above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father“ (Philippians 2:9-11).

Sadly, many of those we’re closest to won’t believe despite our conviction. But we can’t let their obstinance keep us from completing our mission. We’re not Jesus. Spurgeon preached, “You’ll not be a great as He is, you’ll not be as glorious in degree. Still, you shall in a measure, share the same honors and enjoy the same happiness for a little while. Be content to bear the sneer, the jest, the joke; to walk your weary way through the fields of poverty or up the hills of affliction. By and by you’ll reign with Christ, for He has ‘made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth‘ (Revelation 5:10).”

Our Willing Savior

Previously I wrote that religion, politics and mankind in general wanted Jesus executed. Yet nothing could’ve forced Christ to the cross. When the armed mob came to arrest Him, He told them, “Do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that He would send Me more than twelve legions of angels right now?“ (Matthew 26:53). Those angels could’ve decimated His foes instantly. But He didn’t want to be rescued. He’d complete His divine mission as a flesh and blood man voluntarily.

Earlier He announced, “This is why the Father loves Me – because I lay down My life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again“ (John 10:17-18). Our Lord chose to go to the Cross and suffer the punishment each one of us deserves. Jesus was willing to remain obedient to His Father.

Calvin wrote, “He came forth to meet the soldiers. In the presence of Pilate, instead of defending Himself, He stood to receive judgment. This He did not without a struggle, for He’d assumed our infirmities also. In this way it behooved Him to prove He was yielding obedience to His Father. It was no ordinary example of incomparable love toward us to struggle with dire terrors, and amid fearful tortures to cast away all care of Himself that He might provide for us. …Our acquittal is this – the guilt which made us liable to punishment was transferred to the Son of God.”

James S. Stewart commented, “By His entrance into the world Jesus was brought into contact with, and in some measure made subject to, the invisible rulers of this world, and to one of these in particular, namely, “the one who holds the power of death“ (Hebrews 2:14). It was only by meeting those forces on their own ground, only by getting into history where they were entrenched, that He could break their power.”

And break it He did. Satan underestimated Jesus’ power and has regretted it ever since. “We speak of the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they’d known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory“ (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).

P.T. Forsyth wrote, “The holiness of Christ was the one thing damnable to the Satanic power. It was His death, therefore, which consummated that holiness. His death was Satan’s final doom.” The devil and his horde of demons are a vanquished adversary. “Disarming the rulers and authorities, He’s made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross“ (Colossians 2:15).

In other words, the devil’s been tried, pronounced guilty and sentenced to eternal punishment. However, he still stalks the earth “like a roaring lion on the prowl looking for someone to devour“ (1 Peter 5:8) while his conviction is on appeal. Forsyth opined, “The wickedness of the world is, after all, ‘a bull in a net,’ a chained beast kicking himself to death.”

Stewart wrote, “Men still have to die; yet in the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, death – this most omnipotent of the principalities and powers – has been finally conquered; so that of those who are united with Christ and His victory it’s true to say they “have passed out of death into life“ (1 John 3:14).

Unbelievers (and even some Christians) consider the cross paradoxical. They ask, “Where was God that day? Why didn’t He prevent the crucifixion from happening?” But that’s a question Jesus’ disciples never posed. On the contrary, they openly preached that Christ “was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God“ (Acts 2:23). Stewart wrote, “This is the Gospel whose divine dramatic paradox is too startling for the wisdom of men.”

Paul, perhaps better than anyone, understood that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it’s the power of God“ (1 Corinthians 1:18). Along with the other apostles, he grasped the profound truth that Jesus wasn’t just another symbolic lamb to be sacrificed on an altar. He was the Second Person of the Trinity, the physical incarnation of God, who willingly paid the exorbitant price of our sins.

For most of history the majority of the world’s pagan cultures and tribes had believed in dualism; that there were two gods in charge of the universe – one good, one bad – and that they were equally powerful. Jesus, by defeating death, demonstrated the falsehood of that idea.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “Christianity isn’t dualism. We don’t believe in two equal powers locked in an eternal struggle for supremacy. If Satan were equal to God, we’d have no confidence, no hope of good triumphing over evil. We’d be destined to an eternal standoff between two equal and opposing forces. Satan’s a creature. He’s evil to be sure, but even his evil is subject to the sovereignty of God, as is our own evil. God’s authority is ultimate; His power is omnipotent. He is sovereign.”

Jesus didn’t drag His heavy cross up Calvary Hill because He had to. He did it willingly because He’s our gracious Savior who dearly loves His own. Stewart wrote, “The Suffering Servant who deals with evil by taking its full effect upon Himself is the express image of the person of God. That’s to say, the inexorable terrible consequences of the divine judgment upon sin are not abrogated but borne by God Himself.”

No doubt many find God’s way of doing things incomprehensible. I sometimes do, too. But thank heaven, Jesus requires only a childlike faith to be saved. If we think we could’ve come up with a better plan we’re ignoring our sinful nature. Stewart wryly commented, “God pity the facile imagination which assumes our own policies are blameless and our own hands clean.” Trust God.

The Necessity of the Cross

Reason #1: For centuries secularists have tried to resolve the mystery of what Paul called “the hidden power of lawlessness“ (2 Thessalonians 2:7). They refuse to acknowledge that “our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens“ (Ephesians 6:12). Despite overwhelming evidence, they underestimate immensely the profound seriousness of sin.

The unproven theory of evolution and advances made in the fields of sociology and psychiatry have rationalized away any notion that an “imaginary” devil and his demonic legion have anything to do with the mess mankind’s in. Sadly, the erosion of belief in Satan’s existence has infiltrated Christianity to a large extent. Some find it easier to believe extraterrestrial aliens from a parallel universe are responsible than “spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

When Paul said of his tendency to do the wrong thing, “It’s no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me“ in Romans 7:17, he was confirming that a powerful outside force was continually working to override his desire to please God. In other words, the same fallen angel that tempted Jesus in the wilderness tempts us. Our Lord wasn’t fighting His psychologically “divided self” in that desert but a genuine enemy hellbent on corrupting His perfection.

Spiritual warfare is real. Calvin wrote, “If the glory of God is dear to us, as it ought to be, we should struggle with all our might against him who aims at the extinction of that glory. If we’re animated with proper zeal to maintain the kingdom of Christ, we must wage irreconcilable war with him who conspires its ruin.”

Our sin’s so corrosive it made the horrendous spectacle of the Cross a necessity. James S. Stewart wrote, “The theologies which stress mainly or solely the revelatory aspect of the death of Christ – as though all that was needed by a sinful world was for God to show how much He loved it – have failed to take seriously the New Testament’s concentration upon the demonic nature of the evil from which the world has to be redeemed.”

Reason #2: The Cross was necessary to restore our relationship with God the Father.

The ripping of the veil in the Temple the moment Jesus surrendered His spirit is crucial. That thick curtain surrounding God’s holy “residence” had a dual function. It kept people out and it shut God in. It represented the heart of the Jewish cult that maintained Jehovah dwelled in a dark place, that He was some kind of awesome and formidable entity. Most of all, that He was inaccessible to the common man or woman.

Jesus’ sacrifice tore down the spiritual barrier sin had erected between us and our heavenly Father. In Christ we have free and unfettered access to the Creator of the universe. That’s the liberating message the early heralds of the Gospel preached. Shamefully, many pastors leave that amazing fact out of their sermons. The result being the souls who most need to hear the Good News haven’t heard it.

Stewart wrote, “So many to whom preachers preach are back where those Jews were before this event happened. They believe there’s something behind the veil, some hidden power behind the world they see. But what? That’s the haunting uncertainty.” Yet Jesus permanently removed the barrier between us and God. Stewart added, “The death of Christ gives us the very heart of the eternal, because it’s not words at all, not even sublime prophetic utterance: it’s an act – God’s act – against which I can batter all my doubts to pieces. We proclaim Christ crucified; God’s truth revealed.”

The Cross was necessary. If the religious elite who’d preceded the Incarnation could’ve done what our Lord accomplished there would’ve been no need for the Son of God to suffer and die in our place. But they couldn’t. Ironically, it was the Jewish hierarchy that not only demanded Christ be crucified, but then manipulated the malleable crowd into shouting, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!“ (Matthew 27:25). Stewart commented, “When organized religion branded Jesus as anarchic and subversive, the Cross was coming in sight.”

The Cross was necessary. If government and politics could’ve remedied the havoc original sin has wreaked our Messiah would’ve remained in heaven. But they couldn’t. Occupied Israel wanted a nationalistic-minded warrior who’d organize and successfully lead a revolt against their oppressors. When Jesus didn’t even try, the populace reacted vengefully. The Romans? They could tolerate lots of things but never anti-Caesarism. Christ had to die to “preserve the state.”

The Cross was necessary. If the fabled “goodness” of humankind could’ve figured out a way to reestablish Eden and overcome Satan’s corrosive influence on civilization, then Jesus needn’t have drunk from the cup of wrath we deserved. But it couldn’t. The collective sinful nature we share hogties us. The same folks who’d hung on every word our Lord spoke willingly joined the ugly throng hurling insults at Him as His naked body slowly suffocated on Calvary. Mob rule is Satan’s tool.

Organized religion, politics and fallen humanity were all present at the Cross. But none of them prevented the cruelest of travesties from happening. It’s my belief that if Jesus came again the same way He did before the world would crucify Him again.

Stewart summarized, “The people who thus judged Christ – religious people, power politicians, average citizens – were at their core very like ourselves. When our religion grows complacent (it often is), and our politics self-centered (they often are), and our society apathetic to the great moral and spiritual issues (it’s often dreadfully apathetic), in relation to Christ, the whole tragic situation is recurring and being perpetuated.”

Spurgeon preached, “We fell federally in our covenant head. It looks as if God’s mercy caught that. He seemed to say, ‘My creatures have, according to My arrangement of federation, fallen representatively. Then I can save them representatively.'” The Cross was necessary.