The Purification Process

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God“ (Matthew 5:8). Since only Christ was born with a pure heart, we’d best get busy purifying it ourselves. Yet that’s impossible because it’s the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit. And “work” is the appropriate term. His day-by-day purification process takes a lifetime.

There’s a difference between purification and sanctification. The former’s about getting our hearts scrubbed clean of sin whereas the latter’s concerned with our becoming holy. This Beatitude deals with our heart’s purification.

Some think baptism alone is sufficient. It’s not. It’s most definitely a significant demonstration of a person’s conversion to Christianity. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it. Even the Son of God got baptized. However, water has no ability to disinfect anybody’s heart. The Holy Spirit’s miraculous purification process occurs from the inside out, not the other way around.

For some this is a controversial subject. Why? Because only God’s elect will have their hearts rendered pure by the Holy Spirit.

Spurgeon wrote, “The Holy Spirit must come upon us and overshadow us, and when He does, then our heart’s changed, but never before that. He cleanses the soul – to follow the line of our Savior’s teaching – by showing us our spiritual poverty: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit‘ (Matthew 5:3). That’s the first work of God’s grace, to make us feel we’re poor, that we’re nothing, that we’re undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinners.”

There are many who are offended by the fact only God’s elect avoid damnation. They don’t like Reformers because they believe it’s only fair God saves everybody. R.C. Sproul wrote, “Following Paul’s lead in Ephesians, Reformed theology teaches that faith itself is a gift given to the elect, that God Himself creates the faith in the believer’s heart. God fulfills the necessary condition for salvation, and He does so without condition.”

The Scriptures confirm: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this isn’t from yourselves, it’s the gift of God; it’s not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them“ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Don’t forget that Jesus’ eight Beatitudes describe those blessed to have been rescued from the death penalty incurred by their sins against God.

It’s like this: The Father graces His chosen with the Holy Spirit, who immediately initiates the transformation of their iniquitous heart and opens their eyes and ears to see and hear how rebellious it really is. This humbles them into recognizing that, though God owes them nothing, He sent His beloved Son to die on the cross in their place. This revelation is truly liberating because they begin to comprehend how much God loves them. The result is they develop an unparalleled amount of gratefulness for His mercy and forgiveness.

Does this mean their heart instantly becomes pure? No. The process takes longer than anyone prefers. Will they never struggle against their “old nature” again? Hardly. What it does mean is they no longer love sin. They love Jesus. Their heart craves to be spotless. They desperately seek holiness. They yearn to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect“ (Matthew 5:48).

In addition, they “see God“ everywhere. They can sense their heart’s being purified supernaturally. They’re eager to tell everyone about Christ because “faith comes by hearing the word of God“ (Romans 10:17). Spurgeon wrote, “If you’re willing to have it, it’s freely proclaimed to you. If you truly desire the new heart and the right spirit, they’ll be graciously given to you. There’s no need for you to try to make yourself fit to receive them. God’s able to work them in you this very hour.”

Is it true God won’t reject any individual who sincerely seeks Him? Yes. And that truth’s not something theologians made up. It’s Biblical. “‘Come, let’s consider your options,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they’re as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white as wool’“ (Isaiah 1:18).

Perhaps you’re thinking, “What if I’m not one of God’s ‘elect’?” If so, the gospel repulses you. The verse, “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God“ (2 Corinthians 5:21) doesn’t affect you at all. The only phrase in the Bible you agree with is, “The message of the cross is foolishness…” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

What I’m saying is God didn’t instill in the non-elect a never-to-be-satisfied longing for their heart to be made pure. Or to become holy. Or to be cleansed. Or to become righteous. Or to spend eternity serving their Savior in heaven. What’d be utterly unfair would be for God to force those people to love Him. He won’t do that.

Don’t misunderstand. The process of heart purification isn’t necessarily painless. The Bible frequently mentions God’s people getting “refined” in the same manner as expensive gold or silver. “Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand” (Daniel 12:10).

After reminding Christians of their glorious inheritance, the Scriptures state: “…You may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that’s tested by fire, even though it’s passing away – and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed“ (1 Peter 1:6-7).

We can’t will our heart to become pure. And our salvation is out of our hands. Only God’s amazing grace can save us. J.I. Packer wrote, “Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who couldn’t lift a finger to save themselves.”

The Difference Between Salvation & Sanctification

Simply put, salvation is God’s gracious and totally undeserved saving of a sinner’s soul from damnation whereas sanctification is the process of that person being made more Christlike via the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, salvation’s a done deal while sanctification’s an ongoing transformation. The latter is the subject herein.

Because sanctification is purely spiritual and occurs only by supernatural means it’s no cinch to comprehend. We can’t sanctify ourselves. Plus, it’s not for everybody. It’s limited to God’s elect “who’ve been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ“ (1 Peter 1:2).

Sanctification begins by changing “the inner person of the heart“ (1 Peter 3:4) and then inundates one’s entire being: “May the God of peace Himself make you completely holy“ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It’s a matter of the reborn creation “being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One who created it“ (Colossians 3:10).

Sanctification is the most beautiful and wondrous thing that can happen to a person because once it’s underway “God’s seed resides in him“ (1 John 3:9); a seed that’ll never die. Divinely planted, it grows eternally. Thomas Watson wrote, “A believer can’t be more elected or justified than he is, but he may be more sanctified than he is.”

Sanctification can’t be faked. It’s not just behaving better or less sinfully. Paul preached, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control“ (Galatians 5:22-23). Only disciples of Jesus, those who deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23), can consistently and indiscriminately display those gracious attributes to everyone.

Dallas Willard wrote about the necessity of sanctification: “Real spiritual need and change is on the inside, in the hidden area of the life that God sees and that we can’t even see in ourselves without His help…. Without the gentle though rigorous process of transformation, initiated and sustained by the graceful presence of God in our world and in our soul, the change of personality and life clearly spelled out in the Bible, and explained and illustrated throughout Christian history, is impossible.”

Furthermore, it’s God’s sovereign will that we become sanctified so His chosen can “become partakers of the divine nature after escaping the worldly corruption that’s produced by evil desire“ (2 Peter 1:4). Sanctification isn’t optional. It’s a requirement and goes hand in hand with justification.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God“ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

All who are in the process of becoming sanctified can readily recall when they weren’t and are profoundly humbled and grateful that it’s underway. “For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another“ (Titus 3:3). Watson wrote, “A sanctified soul can remember when it was estranged from God through ignorance and vanity, and when free grace planted this flower of holiness in it.”

Most importantly, our precious Lord and Savior suffered the most agonizing death imaginable so we can become sanctified. “He gave Himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people who are truly His, who are eager to do good“ (Titus 2:14). Therefore, all Christians should do everything within their power to aid the Holy Spirit in furthering their sanctification.

J.P. Moreland wrote, “A wise life of virtue and knowledge comes to those who, with humility of heart and reverence for God, work hard at using their minds to study, to seek understanding, to capture truth… At the new birth, God implants new capacities in the spirit. These fresh capacities need to be nourished and developed so they can grow.”

So how do we most effectively assist the Holy Spirit in our sanctification? First, by reading God’s Word intently. Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples, “Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth“ (John 17:17). Second, do all that’s possible to increase faith. Faith is the foundation of your hope in Christ. As Jesus told one grateful sinner, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace“ (Luke 7:50).

Third, willingly go wherever the indwelling Holy Spirit leads. Jesus promised, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him, because He resides with you and will be in you“ (John 14:16-17).

Fourth, congregate and fellowship with like-minded believers in your church. “The one who associates with the wise grows wise“ (Proverbs 13:20). And lastly, pray for full sanctification. Job cried, “Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!“ (Job 14:4). He was dead wrong. God can. David prayed, “Create for me a clean heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me!“ (Psalm 51:10). All should pray for the same.

Charles Spurgeon preached, “One of the results of our abiding union with Christ will be the certain exercise of prayer. You will ask. If others neither seek nor knock nor ask, you at any rate will do so. Those who keep away from Jesus don’t pray. Those in whom communion with Christ is suspended feel as if they couldn’t pray. But Jesus says, ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you’ll ask what you desire, and it’ll be done to you‘ (John 15:7).” Be wise. Pray and ask to become sanctified.

Just If I’d…

…never sinned.  I’m not keen on clichés but this one fits.  Knowing I’m justified is a blessing beyond measure. It’s a designation I can’t earn and don’t deserve.  The theological definition is “the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God.”  It’s only due to Jesus’ merciful sacrifice that every believer is justified. 

However, the sin-loving culture surrounding us says only fools believe that.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “The Christian life’s a constant battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.  If this unholy trinity had its way, it’d destroy every single one of God’s blood-bought and dearly loved children.  But as our Lord assures us, not one of those for whom He shed His precious blood will be lost.  Nothing and no one can snatch a Christian, even the weakest, from the strong hands of our omnipotent Heavenly Father.  Our eternal security is guaranteed by our union with Christ.” 

There’s no better gift to receive.  Simply by sincerely believing in Him, Jesus turns filthy sinners into righteous saints!  One of the most comforting verses in the Bible is “Therefore, since we’ve been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… (Romans 5:1). 

The doctrine of justification is fundamental.  R.C. Sproul wrote, “It deals with what may be the deepest existential problem a human being can ever face: How can a sinner, an unjust person, ever withstand the judgement of a holy and just God?  The Psalmist agrees: “If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, …who could stand? (130:3).  No one. Because no one’s righteous.  For an unjust person to stand in the presence of a just God, they must first be justified.” 

I’ve declared many times before that I’m positive I’m saved “because the Bible tells me so.”  Yet some Christians become skeptical and conclude their many sins can’t possibly have been forgiven.  Why?  Because “the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16) never stop assailing their faith in the promises of our Savior.  How does one overcome spirit-distressing doubts? 

One way is to pause and take a good look at the condition of our heart.  “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD” (Lamentations 3:40).  That means honestly questioning our willingness to confess, repent, and obey.  It also entails praying for God to help us “clean house.”  “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there are any grievous ways in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 

We must regularly evaluate how much time and effort we spend reading and studying God’s Holy Word.  This fallen world can so distract us we cease paying attention to what’ll benefit us most – the gospel.  Even worse, as Hamilton wrote, “The devil will use every strategy he can devise to rob us of our gospel comforts, turn us in upon ourselves, and so overwhelm us with our circumstances that God seems far off and even heartlessly unconcerned about our sad spiritual state.” 

Being a Christ-follower isn’t easy.  The Scriptures make it clear that faithful discipleship is, more often than not, challenging. The darkness that accompanies suffering closes in at times.  That’s when we must remind ourselves we’ll never be abandoned.  “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psalm 23:4).  If we don’t let God speak encouragement to us through His Word daily, we’re a boat without an anchor.  We drift. 

We must avoid looking in all the wrong places for assurance.  Our confidence is in Christ.  Nobody else.  Our all-too-human emotions, feelings, preferences and our own understanding are unreliable sources of comfort.  When Christians begin to rely on anyone other than Jesus for guidance, they become vulnerable to following false teachers who’ll lead them astray. 

Because I find most of the programs on network and cable TV insipid, I regularly watch (probably more than I should) YouTube videos.  I’ve found some quality Reformed Theology-based channels that aren’t afraid to expose the shamelessly brazen sinful acts of the ungodly that are corrupting the moral fabric of our nation.  I often feel like Lot, who “was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard” (2 Peter 2:8). 

For example, there are preachers insisting that, in the name of love, believers should never speak a cautionary word to people who openly indulge in despicable behaviors; that we shouldn’t warn them about the wages of sin.  The Scriptures have this to say about fake ministers who mislead Christians:

“By speaking high-sounding but empty words they’re able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who’ve just escaped from those who reside in error.  Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality.  For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he’s enslaved” (2 Peter 2:18-19). 

The greatest danger in believers thinking they’re not justified in the sight of God is they might give up “working out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).  Christians have been told if we retreat to being “worldly” the eternal consequences are dire.  “For it would’ve been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them” (2 Peter 2:21). 

This doesn’t mean battling brief seasons of doubt negate a disciple’s justification.  John Calvin commented, “Believers have a perpetual struggle with their own distrust.”  But the power of Christ to save His own is infinitely mightier than our anemic faith.  We must take that rock-solid truth to heart.  Hamilton wrote, “However we might feel, however desperately wretched we might be, if we’ve believed in God’s Son and are resting the whole weight of who we are on Him alone, we’re the most blessed and privileged of beings in the whole cosmos, whether we feel it to be so or not.” 

Grace Times Two

There are hundreds of remarkable passages in the Bible.  None more so than the one Paul included in his letter to the Ephesians: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ” (1:3).  Christians don’t get most of His spiritual blessings, they get every single one.  Nothing’s held back.

John Calvin elaborated on that verse’s significance.  He wrote that it’s about duplex gratia. “Christ was given to us by God’s generosity, to be grasped and possessed by us in faith.  By partaking of Him, we principally receive a double grace: namely that, being reconciled to God through Christ’s blamelessness, we may have in heaven instead of a Judge a gracious Father; and secondly, that sanctified by Christ’s spirit we may cultivate blamelessness and purity of life.”

Justification and sanctification. They certainly aren’t the same thing, yet they can never be separated.  They’re a package deal.  When the Holy Spirit turns a rock-hard heart into one of tender flesh the resulting “new creation” receives both blessings.  Justification is instant and permanent reconciliation with God.  Sanctification is the wherewithal to become more like Jesus every day.

The “double grace” concept helps Christians clear up any confusion stemming from James’ assertion that “…faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead” (2:17).  Paul emphasized that we’re not saved by what we do.  Our so-called “righteous works” stem solely from our imitating Christ. They’re proof of our conversion.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Any professed justification by grace through faith that doesn’t manifest itself in true godliness is a complete sham.”

Think of justification as being, because of our glorious Redeemer’s death and resurrection, a non-revocable future declaration of “not guilty” in God’s courtroom.  Sanctification, on the other hand, is the enlightenment that evolves and expands as we “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).  Justification and sanctification are two fundamental spiritual blessings every Christian gets.

The Son is the gift the Father never stops blessing His chosen people with.  In Jesus we get everything.  “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we’re God’s children.  And if children, then heirs (namely heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)” (Romans 8:16-17).  God can’t give us anything better than His only begotten Son because Jesus is the true Messiah, embodying every aspect of the miraculous, soul-saving gospel.

If we were only justified we’d be spiritually useless to God here on earth.  But, due to sanctification being joined with it, we’ve been granted the necessary ambition and power to acquire an ever-increasing knowledge of the One who paid the debt our sins ran up.  All glory goes to God, for “He’s the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Pause a moment and contemplate the astounding implications of what the blessing of justification alone guarantees.  “For it’s impossible in the case of those who’ve once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they’re crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding Him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

In other words, once justified always justified.  The matter’s settled.  Thus, other than keeping our eyes fixed squarely upon Jesus, our ongoing sanctification should be our core concern.  Spurgeon preached, “The Christian life wasn’t intended to be a sitting still, but a race, a perpetual motion.  The apostle [the writer of Hebrews], therefore, endeavors to urge the disciples forward and make them run with diligence the heavenly race, looking to Jesus.”

Spurgeon continued, “He tells them it’s not enough to have on a certain day passed through a glorious change, to have experienced at a certain time a wonderful operation of the Spirit.  Rather, he teaches them it’s absolutely necessary they should have the Spirit all their lives, that they should, as long as they live, be progressing in the truth of God.”

Justification is the assurance that our salvation is a lock.  It’s the “preservation of the saints” tenet of Reformed Theology.  And that blessed assurance is vital to our sanctification’s growth.  Spurgeon taught that a Christian can fall but never fall away.  He argued, “He [a believer] had been saved once, yet it’s supposed that he’s gotten lost.  How then can he now be saved?  Is there supplementary salvation?  Is there something that’ll overtop Christ and be a Christ where Jesus is defeated?” Perish the thought.

R.C. Sproul commented, “Even the regenerated person with a liberated will is still vulnerable to sin and temptation, and the residual power of sin is so strong that, without the aid of grace, the believer would, in all probability, fall away.  But God’s decree is immutable.  His sovereign purpose to save His elect from the foundation of the world isn’t frustrated by our weakness.”

Paul confirmed it.  “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

In light of my stubborn sinful nature, it’s sometimes hard for me to accept that verse’s truthfulness.  Dane Ortlund wrote, “We all tend to have some small pocket of our life where we have difficulty believing the forgiveness of God reaches.  …There’s that one deep, dark part of our lives, even our present lives, that seems so intractable, so ugly, so beyond recovery.”

He then adds, “Those crevices of sin are themselves the places where Christ loves us the most.  His heart willingly goes there.  …We cannot sin our way out of His tender care.”  Justified and sanctified.  Rejoice, sinners! Rejoice!

Walking the Walk

Most people, even atheists, concede it’s hard to top Jesus as the exemplary role model for living.  The ideal human being set the bar extraordinarily high and we’d all do well to imitate Him.  That actually sounds doable and many proudly “talk the talk.”  But when it comes to “walking the walk” eventually everybody realizes nothing’s harder.  God knows that.  Thus, He’s provided a “how to do it” guide – the Bible.

The impossible-to-get-around requirement is to first become born again.  It’s also something only God can make happen.  To those He’s chosen to adopt He’s promised, “I’ll give them one heart and I’ll put a new spirit within them; I’ll remove the hearts of stone from their bodies and I’ll give them tender hearts, so they may follow my statutes and observe my regulations and carry them out.  Then they’ll be my people, and I’ll be their God” (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

That indicates only those who are God’s possession can even come close to successfully emulating the righteous mien of our Lord and Savior.  Paul wrote, “Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).

The next step is to forfeit our will in order to do God’s will (as if we have a choice).  “LORD, we know people don’t control their own destiny.  It’s not in their power to determine what’ll happen to them” (Jeremiah 10:23).  God is sovereign.  Therefore what we’re giving up is our illusion of being in charge and, instead, earnestly praying His will be done through us.

This includes any mistaken idea that Christ-followers have a right to rule over anyone else.  We’re to let Jesus’ will be done, not ours.  A.W. Pink wrote, “The best of men are but men at best; they have their errors and faults, and where they differ from Christ it’s our duty to differ from them.  It’s very important we be clear upon this point, for much mischief has resulted from allowing some to deprive others of a vital part of their rightful liberty.”

Another aspect of acting like Jesus is acknowledging we don’t get to cut corners in our quest for righteousness.  We’re to strictly adhere to our Savior’s teachings, which includes His admonition, “…Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).  In other words, we can’t be worldly, selfish or unforgiving.  No exceptions.  “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Having said that, it’s important we accept our inherent un-holiness.  “There’s no one righteous, not even one, there’s no one who understands, there’s no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, together they’ve become worthless; there’s no one who shows kindness, not even one” (Romans 10-12).  This passage of Scripture isn’t intended to discourage, it’s to humble us and thereby prevent us from thinking we’re in any way superior to others.

I plead guilty.  For instance, I often deem myself better than “prosperity gospel” preachers when I have no right to do that.  Jesus criticized a Pharisee who thought so highly of himself he prayed, “God, I thank you I’m not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.”  Christ then commended the repentant tax collector who “…beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’” (Luke 18:11,13).  Point taken.

When our goal is to actively strive to mimic Jesus 24/7 we glorify Him as being the holiest of all persons in the universe.  However, His isn’t an easy road to travel.  Paul wrote, “My aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection, to share in His sufferings, and to be like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

Finally, our sincere emulation of Christ and the good works that’ll inevitably result are the most effective testimonials we can share with non-believers because they display our unwavering “assurance of acceptance.”  Even though we’ll sooner or later be persecuted for our faith, we have “…the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Bear in mind imitating Jesus isn’t a suggestion, it’s a command.  It’s not optional, it’s obligatory.  “For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).  The path our Lord took led directly to the cross so we must be willing to walk that same path for His glory.

Jesus knew full well severe hardship and pain lay ahead for His disciples.  The night before His crucifixion He prayed to His Father, “I’m praying on behalf of them.  I’m not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you’ve given me, because they belong to you.  Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I’ve been glorified by them” (John 17:9-10).

That means by “walking the walk” of Christ we’ll, indeed, glorify the “Son of God.”  No blessing can surpass that honor.  God didn’t give us more laws to obey, He gave us a flesh-and-blood “Son of Man” to pattern our life after.  J.I. Packer, in his book, Knowing God, had much to say about letting Jesus guide us:

“To many Christians, guidance is a chronic problem.  Why?  Not because they doubt divine guidance is a fact, but because they’re sure it is.  …They remain anxious because they’re not certain of their own receptiveness to the guidance God offers.”

He added, “God seeks His glory in our lives, and He’s glorified in us only when we obey His will.  It follows that, as a means to His own end, He must be ready to teach us His way, so we may walk in it.”  Our job? Seeking His way with all our soul, heart and mind.

Divine Radiance

I recently watched the film about Marie Curie, Radioactivity.  She and her husband discovered radium in 1898 and it changed history.  Excellent movie.  I must admit I didn’t know much about her so it was educational, too.  I also noticed some spiritual parallels.

Marie was a determined, independent and headstrong physicist/chemist.  But women in that era didn’t earn respect easily.  She doggedly persisted in her experiments, finally gaining the recognition, fame and the Nobel Prize she thought would make her life complete.  Radium become so important to her she kept a vial of the phosphorescent element with her constantly.  She even slept with it.

The tragedy is she couldn’t see the destruction her treasure was slowly but steadily wreaking.  It was a major factor in her beloved husband’s death and ended up doing her in, as well.  Radium’s lethal poison is invisible so she wasn’t aware of the danger it posed.

That’s much the way sin infects our hearts and minds.  The worldly substances that make us feel good, validate us and nurture our insatiable egos eventually devour our soul.

It might be drugs, alcohol or pornography.  It might be adulation, our looks or social standing.  It might be money, food or just hoarding “stuff.”  Whatever it is we’re convinced can fill the God-shaped hole in us, other than Jesus Christ, will not only let us down but will eventually bring about our ruin.  Sin is spiritual radioactivity.  It’s deadly.

However, God’s radiation has the opposite effect.  It’s the best thing a person can be exposed to.  The Israelites were the first to see it.  “Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand…  Moses didn’t know the skin of his face shone while he talked with them” (Exodus 34:29).

Centuries later three of the apostles were privileged to witness a similar event.  “…Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John… and led them privately up a high mountain.  And He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:1-2).

The difference was the glory Moses beamed was a reflected radiance, whereas Christ’s was inherent.  A.W. Pink wrote, “The shining of Moses’ face was the consequence of his being brought into the immediate presence of the glory of Jehovah; the transfiguration of Christ was the outshining of His own personal glory.”  Moses’ brilliant glow was confined to his face, but Jesus’ enveloped even his tunic.

What Moses’ experience teaches us is nobody can engage in authentic fellowship with God and not be permanently altered by it.  Certainly we become less self-obsessed.  Moses wasn’t even aware of the “shining” he was projecting.  His close encounter with God had changed him forever.  However, while he couldn’t see it, everyone else could.

In fact, it freaked his peeps out so badly they insisted he wear a veil.  Why?  Because the radiance they beheld in Moses’ face exposed their own sinful nature to the revealing searchlight of God.  Ed Dennett commented, “The glory they beheld on Moses’ face was the expression of the holiness of God… They were therefore afraid because they knew in their inmost souls they couldn’t stand before Him from whose presence Moses had come.”

In the same way, Christ’s overwhelming love, tenderness and unselfish generosity humbles us and causes us to recognize how much we need His influence.  Christians don’t flee in fear of our redeemer’s warm radiance.  Rather, “…We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory” (Romans 5:1-2).  Because the Holy Spirit resides within us, there’s no need for a veil.

The apostle Paul contrasted the two “radiances.”  Moses’ was connected to the old covenant of impossible-to-obey moral and ceremonial laws whereas Jesus’ transfiguration marked the advent of the new covenant consisting of salvation by faith alone. “And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

That’s a remarkable statement.  First, note the words “we all.”  Moses alone felt the glory of God.  Now every believer can feel it radiating from Jesus.  Second, it says “with unveiled faces.”  The Israelites were spooked out of their sandals by Moses’ lit-up mug.  But Christians can look upon Christ with confidence because “…where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Thirdly, it says we’re “being transformed into the same image.”  Let that sink in for a second.  The Mosaic laws couldn’t save anyone, much less purify them, because nobody could perfectly keep them.  But the power of the Gospel wielded by the Holy Spirit is in the process of transforming us into individuals that more resemble the King of kings every day!  If you belong to God it’s because He chose you before time began.  “…Those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Romans 8:29).  Unfathomable.  I believe it, nonetheless.

I’ve never seen a Christian literally “glow.”  But I often see them “radiate” the unconditional love Jesus had for everyone.  The Pharisees didn’t approve of the lowlifes He mingled with, but Christ wasn’t ashamed.  He admitted, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” (Matthew 11:19).

Dane Ortlund wrote, “Though the crowds call Him the friend of sinners as an indictment, the label is one of unspeakable comfort for those who know themselves to be sinners.  That Jesus is friend to sinners is only contemptible to those who feel themselves not to be in that category.”

I’m a sinner.  Yet the promise I’m hanging onto is that one day I’ll be more like Christ than who and what I am now.  There’s no better prognosis.

Lumps of Clay

“…LORD, you are our father.  We are the clay, and you our potter; we are all the product of your labor” (Isaiah 64:8).  That’s a humbling analogy!  Perhaps some kind of garment is more “fitting.”  David wrote, “…You made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).  Either way, Scripture affirms God created us.  Furthermore, our salvation has been predetermined by Him.

 

The Bible says, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (Jonah 2:9).  However, He doesn’t save everyone.  Why?  If you were to answer “Because not everybody believes in Christ” you’d be right.  But there’s a Divine aspect involved, too.  Truth is, God decided every soul’s final destination before time began.  That means if you’re one of His blessed “elect” it’s not because you’ve earned that status.  You weren’t around.

 

“For who concedes you any superiority?  What do you have you didn’t receive?  And if you received it, why do you boast as though you didn’t?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).  The faith that saves your soul is God’s gift.  “For not all men have faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:2).  Now, many people find that truth offensive.  They say it’s not “politically correct” for God to be that way.  Therefore it’s important Christians be familiar with God’s sovereignty regarding salvation.

 

Paul, employing the clay lump metaphor, wrote, “Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use?  But what if God, willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?  And what if He’s willing to make known the wealth of His glory on the objects of mercy that He’s prepared for glory?” (Romans 9:21-23).

 

The proud refuse to accept where they’ll spend eternity is completely up to God.  They insist on having a say in the matter.  But the Scriptures don’t waver on this point.  Considering the overwhelming evidence presented in God’s Holy Word, our personal opinion or preference really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

 

“As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed” (Acts 13:48).  This verse can’t be dismissed.  It confirms faith is the consequence of God’s decree; that it’s only granted to some; that the “eternal life” in question isn’t based on our behavior; and that those whom God has “ordained” will, without fail, believe in Jesus.  Nevertheless, many gnash their teeth at the very notion.

 

Spurgeon wrote, “Is it wrong for God to give grace?  Would you have Him give it by accident?  If it’s right for Him to purpose to give grace today, it was right for Him to purpose it before today – and, since He doesn’t change – from eternity.”  Look, grace and works are two different things.  How “good” we are has no bearing on our salvation.  God’s grace is totally undeserved.  Else it wouldn’t be a “gift.”

 

So who, exactly, has God chosen to receive His grace?  We’re told He “…chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:28).  Why?  To display and magnify His absolute sovereignty, His magnanimous grace and His unparalleled glory.

 

God’s election of individuals wasn’t the result of Adam & Eve’s fall.  “…He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight.” What motivated God to do that?  We’re told in the next verse, “In love He did this by predestining us to adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:4-5).  Love’s behind everything God does.  So much for His being tyrannical, mean and unjust!

 

Then there’s Paul’s statement to the church: “…God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).  It’s clear there’s a process involved in our ongoing sanctification.  Christians don’t become righteous overnight.  Or on this side of heaven, really.  Our progressing sanctification depends on how cooperative we are with the indwelling Holy Spirit.  We do have that responsibility.

 

Peter taught believers are chosen “…according to the foreknowledge of God by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood” (1 Peter 1:2).  That word foreknowledge can get manipulated – and often is.  A.W. Pink wrote, “God didn’t ‘foreknow’ certain ones who heard the Gospel would believe it apart from the fact that He’d ‘ordained’ these certain ones to eternal life.”

 

The semi-Pelagian and Arminian theological views say God looked ahead in time and “saw” whether or not I’d be smart enough, wise enough, spiritual enough and sufficiently “good” enough to make the decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  That would mean I accomplished something independently that merited God’s mercy; that a conscientious work I performed saved me, not grace.

 

The Bible’s adamant: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this isn’t from yourselves, it’s the gift of God; it’s not from works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  If I had anything to do with my gaining eternal life, bragging about it would be justifiable.  But I know better than to attribute even one thing to myself concerning my salvation.  As one of my tee-shirts reads, “I’m the wretch the song refers to.”  What I deserve is God’s wrath, not His amazing grace.

 

I’d have to possess the mind of God in order to adequately answer the question: “Why did God choose the folks He did?”  But I don’t.  It’s a mystery.  I do know Jesus said, “There’s none good but one, that is God” (Matthew 19:17).  So our “goodness” has nothing to do with it.  We’re all born sinners. “There is no one good, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

 

There’s but one conclusion: God chose whom He did simply because He chose them.  Period.  That’s fair because those He didn’t choose don’t care one way or another.  It’s all foolishness to them.

Decade’s End

Soon my seventh decade will be over. Honestly, it’s been the best of all. Yes, there’s been sad times. My mother-in-law and stepson died only weeks apart in 2010 and my brother-in-law two years ago. The decade also kicked off with my marriage in jeopardy due to my porn addiction. Thus, you might wonder why I call it the best. The reason is Jesus Christ.

 

Because of Him I now have “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). I didn’t have that for most of my life. It’s certainly beyond my understanding and defies conveyance to those who haven’t received the indwelling Holy Spirit. All I can say is following and trusting Jesus through the ups, downs and in-betweens of these last ten years has made an enormously positive difference in my outlook on everything.

 

A truncated bio might help. I was born at the end of ’49 to superb, church-going parents who “raised me right” throughout the 50s. At 14, after seeing The Beatles on TV, I was never the same. A semi-talented singer/songwriter/guitarist, performing in rock bands consumed me for the remainder of the 60s. In the 70s obtaining a record contract became the goal that lured me to L.A. in ’77. Late in ’79, realizing stardom/fame simply wasn’t in the cards, I moved back to Dallas.

 

My new ambition was to marry and sire children. Did just that. Also earned a technical degree in video production while working in retail to make ends meet. Had a girl in ’82, a boy in ’85 and, out of necessity, jettisoned my plan to start at the “minimum-wage bottom” and advance in the vocation I’d trained for. I ended up managing stores, instead. (A thankless job I don’t recommend.)

 

Due to my wife’s infidelity and lack of remorse we divorced in ’89. The 80s were, except for enjoying fatherhood, less than memorable. Sick of retail, I accepted a clerical position with a cable TV provider and stayed there through the 90s. To supplement my meager income, I played “weekend warrior” gigs with a classic rock group that led me to redeveloping an unhealthy dependence on alcohol and pot. I avoided deep involvement with ladies I dated, preferring to be an introverted single dad trying his darndest to not screw up raising his kids. (They turned out okay.)

 

When I turned 50, I wised up. I stopped drinking, doping and playing smoky bars. I secured a much more financially rewarding job, too. The biggest turning point came when I met Debra, a fantastic woman who to this day remains “way above my rank.” We married in ’03 and I moved to her house in a semi-rural suburb of Dallas. Our union provided more happiness than I’d ever known until ‘09 when she discovered my secret lifelong obsession – pornography. Her trust in me vanished overnight. I felt eviscerated.

 

I knew intuitively what’d been missing in my life for 40 years – Christ. I got on my knees, begging God to show me where to go for help. He did. I’d voted in the lobby of Fellowship Church in ’04 so I drove there that Sunday morning. Not coincidentally, it’s the only one in town with a Celebrate Recovery ministry. From the first meeting I knew I was where I needed to be; in a roomful of sinners exactly like me who’d found out the hard way they were desperate for a Savior.

 

I’d been baptized at age 10 but it “didn’t take.” I’d lived my life by my own rules, followed my self-centered moral compass and convinced myself my affection for porn was harmless as long as I kept it covert. I was badly mistaken. It had, over time, adversely affected how I regarded women, undermining every relationship I’d been in by nurturing in my ego unrealistic sexual expectations. I was a pride-filled mess.

 

I began reading the Bible. Its unfiltered truth pierced my soul. The Scriptures state, “Each one’s tempted when he’s lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15). In my case the death predicted was happening in my marriage. Debra was/is a genuine Godsend and it took the threat of losing her to make me step out of denial about my filthy, degrading habit.

 

In 2011 I became a leader in Celebrate Recovery and formed a sexual integrity small group. Over the years I’ve seen men walk in with the same “please help me” look on their face I’d once sported. By diligently working CR’s 12 steps and 8 principles, many in the group have overcome their addiction to porn. But most have come for a while, only to give up because porn’s as difficult to beat as vodka or meth.

 

Truth is, it’s an epidemic ruining millions of lives worldwide. If you don’t believe it, check out these recent mind-blowing stats posted by the highly-respected author Joshua Shea (at https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/72738148/posts/2519031816) and bring your naïve mindset up to date on how thoroughly porn’s infiltrated/infected modern society.

 

While my porn-site-surfing compulsion halted immediately in ’09, it took years for me to break loose of the “want to.” How? I worked the program, kept attending meetings, studied my Bible daily, got involved helping others struggling with porn and prayed to God for the strength to turn away from temptation. Finally, about 2 years ago, God shut down the “fantasy factory” in my brain. I’m no longer a slave to my lustful imaginings.

 

My marriage survived because the “old man” in me died. Not to mention Debra’s forgiving heart. I’m a new creation in Christ who yearns to learn all I can about Him. My passion nowadays is reformed theology and blogging about it. Gifted writers/teachers like R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon and others have been a blessing. Plus, I’m composing/recording songs again. Life’s good. I pray the next decade’s as fulfilling as this last one. All glory to God!

Not Robots

Reformed theology is built upon God’s absolute sovereignty. He’s in complete control of all events that occur in the universe He created and the individuals He’s “called” cannot resist Him. Because I concur, I’ve been called a fatalist by some, implying I deem people no more than robots preprogrammed by God and that our so-called “free will” is nothing more than an illusion. I don’t believe that.

 

I’ve seen robots. I’ve never mistook one for a soul-possessing person and I’ve never felt like an automaton ever. Robots don’t have “free will.” You and I do, but we must concede it’s limited. For example, I can’t “will” my car to start if the battery’s kaput. God can. And He will if it’s in His plan I drive it where He wants me. (In that case the car would’ve started from the get-go.) We make robots. God makes human beings. Huge difference.

 

One interesting quote goes: “Calvinism doesn’t make us robots. Before God gives us faith, we are robots – slaves to sin. God frees us from being robots.” Understand that we’re born “programmed” to sin because of the animalistic instincts we’ve inherited, not because God predestined us to commit iniquitous acts. Deliverance from our sinful state is found in this Scripture: “If anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation; what’s old has passed away – look, what’s new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

The undeniable “Good News” is, “…Those whom [God] foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… Those He predestined, he also called; those He called, he also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:29,30). Hallelujah! Yet, if we’re not careful we Christians can start thinking the elect can be identified. Wrong. There’s no “E” tattooed on the foreheads of “the chosen.” However, we can know if we’re saints included “in that number.”

 

Sproul wrote, “Regeneration produces a real and substantive change in the person’s constituent nature. His will is renewed and liberated. He’s freed from the bondage of original sin. He receives a new disposition for the things of God. Saving faith is worked in the heart. As a result, the person becomes a new creature.” That means in Christ we’re freer than we ever dreamed!

 

I’ve spent weeks writing about God regenerating peoples’ hearts. There are many believers of the Arminian persuasion who assert faith precedes regeneration; that an individual must choose to believe in Jesus before God will send the Holy Spirit to initiate the process of turning them into a new creation.

 

Reformed theology insists the opposite’s not only true but more Biblically sound; that God, having elected them before time began to receive salvation, brings the spiritually dead person to life and graces them with soul-saving faith in His Son. This is accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit who not only renovates their heart but takes up permanent residence in it.

 

Thus, a significant difference between the Arminian and the Reformed viewpoint is the “free will choice” issue. The former says we must voluntarily decide to follow Jesus. The latter says that decision was made by God in eternity past. Both agree that once the Holy Spirit arrives the heart of the sinner is utterly changed but they disagree on when that drastic overhaul happens.

 

Arminians believe self-generated faith is the impetus that gets someone’s heart regenerated but that their justification (becoming righteous in God’s sight) may or may not necessarily happen immediately. Reformers aver there’s no time lapse between faith and justification; that they occur simultaneously. Thus, our knowing if we’re one of God’s elect who’s become a “new creation” possessing an identity totally enveloped in Christ depends on the answer we honestly give to the question, “Have I changed?”

 

Because of Christ’s sacrificial, atoning death and subsequent resurrection, those He’s chosen as His own (despite still being sinners) are justified in the eyes of the Father and adopted into His forever family. But it’s in our ongoing sanctification where our “free will” comes into play. Truth is, we make independent choices every day that reflect the maturation (or lack thereof) of our sanctification. Eric Raymond wrote, “Justification means we’re declared righteous, while sanctification means growing in righteousness.”

 

In my particular case, I came to realize I’d been fooling myself for decades. I “walked down front” in church and got baptized at around age 10. I did that because, having been raised in the church, it was expected of me. I don’t recall experiencing any kind of “change” in my overall attitude towards God or my spiritual life whatsoever. All I cared about those days was becoming a pro baseball player. After being duly “dunked” I considered my ticket to heaven punched and I was free to pursue whatever activities/inclinations made me happiest.

 

When I hit 18, I left the church (I knew everything by then, of course) and my Christianity became just another box to check on job applications. I pretty much did as I desired for over 40 years and gave Jesus very little of my time. My demeaning dependence upon alcohol and dope came and eventually went but my disgusting life-long addiction to pornography lingered and almost cost me my marriage in 2009.

 

In desperation I fell to my knees and prayed for rescue. Looking back, that’s when God finally regenerated my lifeless heart and gave me the gift of faith, something I could’ve never conjured up on my own. How do I know I became justified at that moment? Because I changed. The old, lust-filled man I’d been was no longer in control. I’d been born again and the only one I owed allegiance to going forward was Christ. I started reading God’s Word daily and haven’t stopped. Folks who’d known me for years could tell I wasn’t the same selfish know-it-all anymore.

 

Why God delayed turning my stony heart into flesh is something only He knows. That’s okay. Because nowadays this former robotic slave to sin knows what real freedom feels like.

 

 

The Message of the Cross

At some point the cross digressed from a symbol so controversial having one in your possession could imperil your life to a cheap piece of jewelry that can be purchased at truck stops. Even non-Christians wear them. I guess you’d have to ask them why. I don’t know. I fear they don’t either because what the cross represents has become so gutted of meaning that to them it’s no more significant than a plastic bracelet. This raises a serious question every believer should ask themselves. What does the cross mean to us?

While the man/woman on the street may or may not have an answer, it’s imperative a Christian does because our faith is founded exclusively on what happened on Calvary Hill two millenniums ago. On the cross God took a bullet for each of us. Romans 5:7-8 says, “…Rarely will anyone die for a righteous person. … But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In The Message translation it reads, “…God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.” To emphasize the importance of the cross Paul summed up his entire ministry in 1 Corinthians 2:2; “…I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Keep in mind the average Corinthian of that day wasn’t much different from a run-of-the-mill 21^st century city-dweller. Morals and ethics were flexible things and spiritual matters were low on the citizenry’s list of priorities. They thought themselves cosmopolitan sophisticates and considered Paul’s teachings about the cross farfetched and downright stupid. Their pride blinded them from the truth. Concerning their conceited attitude he wrote “…the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

Many found the cross a jagged pill to swallow. It was a boulder in the road for the Jewish people and idiocy to the philosophic Greeks. The latter in particular saw no need for a Savior. They were confident their fine-tuned intellect could unravel all the mysteries about God. Paul confronted their hubris, telling them man in his unaltered condition (lacking the indwelling Holy Spirit) is incapable of understanding the things of God. Sin has so twisted a non-believer’s concept of truth that, when the real thing comes along, it makes no sense to them. In other words, one must renounce their inflated know-it-all-ism and accept Christ before the Spirit of God can unlock their closed minds. A lot of folks find this almost impossible to do because it requires taking a leap of faith without any hard evidence they can see, feel, touch, smell or taste. But there’s a veil covering our minds as a result of our separation from God that can’t be lifted any other way. Billy Graham wrote, “To an ‘outsider’ the cross must appear to be ridiculous. But to those who have experienced its transforming power, it has become the only remedy for the ills of each person, and of the world.”

Yet, despite the countless testimonies of people who’ve been completely transformed by the power of Christ, the Gospel message is still illogical to millions across the globe. Paul referred to those individuals in 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, “Where is the wise man? … Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.” Add up the combined intelligence of all the smartest ladies and gents who’ve trod terra firma since Adam & Eve and you’d think we would’ve solved all the world’s problems by now. But everybody knows we’ve made little progress on our own. Isn’t it high time we concede our mental abilities are severely limited and admit we’re consistently puzzled by life?

I’ll share a personal anecdote. About 8 years ago I was still a pseudo-Christian. I’d been baptized as a pre-teen but in my adulthood I’d abandoned the church, never read the Bible and lived my life pretty much as I saw fit. My sister is married to a preacher in Alabama so my parents moved there from Texas in the 80s to be closer to the grandchildren. When I attended my father’s funeral in ’07 I found myself alone in their guest room one morning with a Bible. In a haughty gesture I silently dared God to blow me away with a randomly-picked verse of Scripture. I closed my eyes and opened the Word. The passage I read had no impact upon me at all. I said to myself, “just as I thought,” and set the book down. Zip ahead a few years. Due to my wife’s discovery of a sinful habit I’d kept secret from her for years my marriage was on life-support. I fell to my knees and asked God to forgive and help me. He led me to a church that had a Celebrate Recovery ministry. I rededicated my life to Christ, stepped out of denial and began the long but immensely rewarding process of letting Jesus heal me. I decided to read the entire Bible and one of the first things I did was try to find the verse God had showed me. It was 1 Corinthians 1:18; “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” I was stunned. There’s no other verse in the Holy Word the Lord could’ve selected that morning years earlier that addressed my spiritual condition more succinctly. But I was perishing at the time and, thus, considered it pure foolishness. Once I surrendered my pride God removed the veil from my mind and I beheld the truth for the first time in my life. The power of God was unleashed and His love flowed into my heart like a torrent. I no longer wanted to live for myself. I wanted to live for Him.

There’s nothing extraordinary about the cross itself. It was likely constructed of recycled, low-grade wood planks. It’s what occurred on the cross that’s of the utmost importance. Jesus’ death upon it changed everything. There are those who think God didn’t want Christ to die, that He had to alter His master plan due to unforeseen circumstances. But that notion isn’t Biblical. Acts 2:23 states that Jesus “…was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” See, Satan was running things down here. He’d succeeded in driving a wedge between God and humans in the Garden of Eden. Afterwards Satan assumed a kind of sovereignty over mankind. When Jesus came on the scene he manipulated powerful people into having Him murdered. What Satan thought was a final victory turned into defeat when he realized he’d underestimated God’s love for the world He created. The devil couldn’t believe God would send His own Son and have Him strictly adhere to the rules of this world. Satan, like so many others, didn’t grasp what was really going on. God’s love for people was so genuine and deep He let Christ be subjected to the worst punishment the devil and his demons could devise in order to save mankind.

Evil doesn’t comprehend that kind of love. The cross was Satan’s Waterloo and it was part of God’s strategy all along. 1 John 3:8 reads, “For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.” Is Satan still around? Yes, but he’s impotent to alter his sealed fate. Because of the cross he’s a dead dude walking. Hebrews 2:14 states, “…that through [Christ’s] death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil).” Plus, in the process of vanquishing Satan, Jesus rescued those in slavery to the devil and reconciled them to Himself. Paul expressed it in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 with, “…We speak 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 had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” The cross revealed something uppity “Ol’ Scratch” didn’t have a clue about. Paul called it “…the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, but now is disclosed…” (Romans 16:25-26). One man, Adam, led mankind to ruin. God, in the literal form of a man, redeemed it. “For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

I could never willingly sacrifice either of my children. My grief and regret would be unbearable. But God loved me enough to endure that unimaginable agony. It’s my belief that if there’d been any other way to forgive our sins, some other method, the Heavenly Father would’ve never allowed His Son to die. In Gethsemane the Son of Man prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me!” Anyone else would’ve given God time to ponder alternative solutions but our courageous Lord didn’t skip a beat, instantly adding, “Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Matthew 26:39). Consider that in His impassioned plea Christ wasn’t expressing fear of dying. His life was unique and so was his death. He knew what He was about to experience on the cross had never happened to anyone in the past and would never happen to anyone ever again. He took the immeasurable weight of all the sins mankind committed and will ever commit on His shoulders. To wrap our heads around the big picture we have to go into the Old Testament. God made a binding covenant with Israel. He’d take care of their needs. In return they’d worship Him as their one and only God. They’d demonstrate their love by obeying His laws. But no matter how well-intentioned they were, they just couldn’t do it. They sinned like there was no tomorrow. Since the penalty for sin is death and that would’ve exterminated the race altogether the death sentence had to be transferred to another. For the Israelites a perfect animal symbolically suffered the punishment and bit the dust in their stead.

So why’d God give them laws He knew they couldn’t uphold? The Scriptures teach they were given as a mirror. In the law we can see what true righteousness looks like. The Ten Commandments tell us how to please our Creator and live in harmony with each other. When we sin the law illuminates our flaws and we’re confronted with the image of our actual spiritual condition. It ain’t pretty. Because God is unfailingly holy sin must be paid for so He instituted the sacrificial system to balance the scales of justice. In OT times people offered spotless animals as atonement for sin. Those sacrifices were harbingers of the ultimate sacrifice yet to come. In Leviticus 4 Moses spelled the whole thing out in proper sequence. Man sins and seeks God’s forgiveness. He brings a pristine animal before the priest and puts his hand on its head. Symbolically at that juncture the guilt and punishment he’s earned because of his iniquities passes to the innocent animal. He then kills it as a sin offering and the priest sprinkles the blood on the sacred altar. In this way the man makes amends for his trespasses and gains God’s forgiveness. You may ask, “Really? What was the point?” The point is it showed folks there was hope for them yet because God would allow the punishment for their sin to be transferred to and paid for by another. But God wasn’t playing some kind of shell game. The animal sacrifices were only symbols because “…the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). However, God’s forgiveness was authentic because He knew what would take place one day on the cross. All sins – past, present and future – would be washed in the blood of Jesus. His beloved Son “…offered one sacrifice for sins for all time…” (Hebrews 10:12).

God’s not frivolous, petty or wasteful. He has a good reason and purpose for everything He does. There were two things we had to learn from this grisly ceremony. First, we had to have driven into our thick skulls the ugliness and intolerableness of sin. It cannot be abided in the kingdom of God. Second, the profound meaning of the cross upon which God Himself would satisfy forever the demands of His justice had to be made crystal clear to all. Hebrews 9:12 states that Jesus “…entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.” We can argue the whys and what fers till the cows come home but the fact remains that Christ erased all our debts that dark day on the cross. It is finished. He suffered and died for us. Graham wrote, “If God had forgiven sin by a divine decree, issuing some sort of a heavenly document written across the sky, without the atonement which involved the personal shame, agony, suffering and death of Christ, then we might assume God is indifferent to sin. Consequently we’d all go on sinning and the earth would become a living hell.” Think of it this way: God proved His love for us by coming down and participating in the act of atonement. Sin pierced the Father’s heart. He felt every lash of the whip, every nail driven through bone, the unrelenting heat of the sun on His parched body and He heard the jeers of the callous spectators as He slowly bled out. When we see a cross it should never fail to affect us. We should picture our Savior upon it, taking on the enormous guilt of our collective sins. And not just the sins of believers but the sins of those who’ll never surrender their heart to Him! On the cross the unthinkable occurred. “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Since we’re so forgetful (and sometimes rudely ungrateful) Jesus left us the communion service. While there’s nothing inherently supernatural about it, it does convey deep spiritual meaning. Christ was God’s sacrificial lamb, slaughtered for our sake. Does that make you uncomfortable? It should. The wafer of bread represents His broken body and the wine represents His blood. Both are physical reminders of what’s been done on our behalf. We can see them, touch them, taste them. It’s an important rite. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The word remembrance has lost its original meaning over the centuries. In the ancient Middle East it connoted an activity that thoroughly engaged the spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of the person. It wasn’t about simply recalling the event, it was recreating it. Malcolm Smith said, “It’s bringing into the present tense something in the past through a symbolic reenacting. Persons remembering something totally identified and participated in all the powers and effects of the original event.” Mull that over the next time your church observes the Lord’s Supper.

What the cross represents can be overwhelming because, frankly, it’s beyond mortal comprehension. The merciful side of our conscience is repulsed by the idea of an innocent person dying in order for us to be forgiven of our sins. But we must accept it on faith; else we’ll continually bear the heavy burdens of guilt. Perhaps in heaven we’ll be made aware of just how intolerable and hideous sin really is and why extreme measures had to be taken to cleanse us of the stains it puts on our souls. As Graham wrote, “Salvation is by Christ alone through faith alone, and for the glory of God alone.” The story’s told of a frustrated father. His kids wouldn’t behave but he couldn’t bring himself to spank them. One day they were being particularly disrespectful and unruly. The father took off his shirt, kneeled down and made them strap him across his back with his belt. At first the youngsters thought it silly fun but when they saw the red whelps rise and their dad’s painful tears fall they began to cry. They begged to stop but he wouldn’t let them, saying the penalty for their actions had to be paid. His children learned a hard lesson but their dad’s suffering touched their hearts and changed their behavior forever. If we embrace the true meaning of the cross we’ll be changed forever, too.