A Lenten Reflection
But for what purpose was the cross?
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Christ Jesus, only begotten Son of God, very God of very God, part of the Triune Godhead, did not die to make us better people.
He didn't journey the long road to Jerusalem, to betrayal, torture and death to make us nice.
He didn't die so that people could tie His name to political parties and platforms.
He didn't die so His followers could form comfortable social clubs and meet weekly to feel good about themselves.
He died, a horrible, painful excruciating death because we were doomed to wrath without Him. He died, a willing sacrifice, because we were drowning in our sins and could not save ourselves. He died because our selfish, fallen natures had separated us from the radiant holiness of God, and He was the only bridge across the chasm.
Jesus, who loves misfits and outcasts, the vulnerable and broken, loves us too much to have left us where we deserve to be left.
For if God is absolute goodness, absolute holiness and absolute power, as we believe, then we who have willingly sinned (and that is all of us) have by our own actions and nature made Him our enemy.
"God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible-ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. " C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
Only through the atoning gift of Christ, can we be restored unto God.
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ..." 2 Corinthians 5:18
Jesus Christ, born of Mary, raised by a carpenter, lived His life and died His death to bring us back to God, so that we might be lavished with the forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love that God longs to give to us.
But we must come to Him, to answer His call, to repent of our sins and live a life of faith; made new creations through Christ, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. When we submit to Christ's Lordship in our lives, when we surrender to Him, everything changes. He begins a new work in us that He promises will see completion...and our lives will bear fruit, will show a living testimony, of what has transpired in our hearts. (If our lives do not show such fruit, then how alive is the faith we claim?)
We must not tarry and put off coming to Jesus; for no day in this life is promised and someday we shall all stand before Christ as Lord. For some that shall be a day of supreme joy, for others, a day of terror. What shall it be for you, friend? Is your nature made new in the Lord, or does the fallen nature of man rule you? If the trumpets of the Lord were to sound would your soul leap in rejoicing? Or would you weep in fear?
We will all declare Him Lord. There is no mistaking that.
But whether you greet Him with gladness or horror will depend upon if you heeded His call and did His bidding while there was still time.
“The hour is coming when the sheep will be divided from the goats and the tares separated from the wheat. God will again divide the light from the darkness and all things will run to their kind. Tares will go into the fire with tares and wheat into the garner with wheat. The dimness will lift like a fog and all outlines will appear. Hell will be seen to be hell all the way through, and heaven revealed as the one home of all who bear the nature of the one God.” A. W. Tozer, "God Tells The Man Who Cares"
The death upon the Cross had a purpose; to save us from ourselves and reconcile us unto God, to defeat death and bring glory unto the Father. The Son, who submitted to the Cross, has been uplifted and raised, and will come again to judge the living and the dead, all power and glory are His.
Will you greet Him, when that time comes, with love or fear?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
But for what purpose was the cross?
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Christ Jesus, only begotten Son of God, very God of very God, part of the Triune Godhead, did not die to make us better people.
He didn't journey the long road to Jerusalem, to betrayal, torture and death to make us nice.
He didn't die so that people could tie His name to political parties and platforms.
He didn't die so His followers could form comfortable social clubs and meet weekly to feel good about themselves.
He died, a horrible, painful excruciating death because we were doomed to wrath without Him. He died, a willing sacrifice, because we were drowning in our sins and could not save ourselves. He died because our selfish, fallen natures had separated us from the radiant holiness of God, and He was the only bridge across the chasm.
Jesus, who loves misfits and outcasts, the vulnerable and broken, loves us too much to have left us where we deserve to be left.
For if God is absolute goodness, absolute holiness and absolute power, as we believe, then we who have willingly sinned (and that is all of us) have by our own actions and nature made Him our enemy.
"God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible-ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. " C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"
Only through the atoning gift of Christ, can we be restored unto God.
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ..." 2 Corinthians 5:18
Jesus Christ, born of Mary, raised by a carpenter, lived His life and died His death to bring us back to God, so that we might be lavished with the forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love that God longs to give to us.
But we must come to Him, to answer His call, to repent of our sins and live a life of faith; made new creations through Christ, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. When we submit to Christ's Lordship in our lives, when we surrender to Him, everything changes. He begins a new work in us that He promises will see completion...and our lives will bear fruit, will show a living testimony, of what has transpired in our hearts. (If our lives do not show such fruit, then how alive is the faith we claim?)
We must not tarry and put off coming to Jesus; for no day in this life is promised and someday we shall all stand before Christ as Lord. For some that shall be a day of supreme joy, for others, a day of terror. What shall it be for you, friend? Is your nature made new in the Lord, or does the fallen nature of man rule you? If the trumpets of the Lord were to sound would your soul leap in rejoicing? Or would you weep in fear?
We will all declare Him Lord. There is no mistaking that.
But whether you greet Him with gladness or horror will depend upon if you heeded His call and did His bidding while there was still time.
“The hour is coming when the sheep will be divided from the goats and the tares separated from the wheat. God will again divide the light from the darkness and all things will run to their kind. Tares will go into the fire with tares and wheat into the garner with wheat. The dimness will lift like a fog and all outlines will appear. Hell will be seen to be hell all the way through, and heaven revealed as the one home of all who bear the nature of the one God.” A. W. Tozer, "God Tells The Man Who Cares"
The death upon the Cross had a purpose; to save us from ourselves and reconcile us unto God, to defeat death and bring glory unto the Father. The Son, who submitted to the Cross, has been uplifted and raised, and will come again to judge the living and the dead, all power and glory are His.
Will you greet Him, when that time comes, with love or fear?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
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