Why Do We Celebrate the Cross?

Sometimes it may seem strange that Christians celebrate the cross of Jesus Christ. Why would a symbol of torture and death become a fundamental symbol of our faith?

The answer, in part, is that we celebrate because of all God accomplished through the cross of Christ. Here are a few of those accomplishments:

• Our penalty has been paid: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Our sins have been forgiven: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7).
• Satan has been defeated: He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Colossians 2:5).
• Death has been conquered: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
• We have been redeemed: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
• Our hearts are now reconciled to God: All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself...(2 Corinthians 5:18).
• We have been adopted as children of God: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons...(Romans 8:15).
• We have the promise of eternal life: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).

God the Father sent Jesus the Son to do what no person could possibly do: redeem sinful people like you and like me. THAT is why we celebrate the cross!

Always Saved?

A friend of mine posed a good question about salvation: "Can a person who has been truly 'born again' lose (or throw away) their salvation?"

I do not believe that someone who is truly saved can walk away from Christ. If God is the one who did all the work (Ephesians 2:8-9), how can we UNDO that work?

In John 10:27-30, we read about how Jesus Christ holds His sheep in His hands, and how God the Father holds His sheep in His hands. God holds on to us, not the other way around.

In Ephesians 1 we have some wonderful teaching about what God has done in bringing us into a relationship with Him. The whole chapter is helpful to read, but I would especially point to verses 11-14.

In Philippians 1:6 we read about how the Lord will be faithful to complete what He started in us. In Romans 8:38-39, we read that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Still, we have a very sticky problem whenever we see someone who has seemed to walk faithfully with Christ for a long time, but now is not living at all for Him. What do we do with that?

Let me turn the coin over and show the other side for a moment. Yes, the Lord holds us firmly in His hand. But as Christians we also have a responsibility to follow the Lord in daily obedience.

In John 14:15, we read Jesus' words: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." He repeats and expands this teaching just a few verses later, in John 14:21-24. If we love the Lord, then obedience to Him will come naturally. And it is by our obedience that we show we truly love the Lord, as we read clearly in 1 John 5:3.

We have a duty as His disciples to take up our cross DAILY and follow Him (Luke 9:23) and to abide in Christ (John 15:1-17).

If we have been truly saved, then God holds on to us, and we are always His. But if a person can comfortably walk away from the Lord and not feel the convicting work of His Holy Spirit drawing him or her back, then I doubt that person has ever been truly saved. (Even Judas appeared to be a good follower of Jesus for more than three years, but Jesus said that Judas never truly belonged to Him.)

If someone has walked in long-term disobedience to Christ, I would take them back to the Cross. Whether they belong to Jesus but got involved in a sinful pattern, or they never belonged to Jesus in the first place - the Cross is still the place to go when anyone is ready to repent. And God is faithful to forgive (see 1 John 1:9)!

2012 U.S. Election Results

This morning, as I pondered the results of yesterday's elections in the United States, I realized (again) a number of important truths for those who believe in Jesus Christ:

* God is in control. The LORD spoke these words, as recorded in Isaiah 46:9-11: "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it."

* We are called to pray for our national leaders. In the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-4, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." We should note that these words were written during the reign of an evil and oppressive world power.

* Our national leaders cannot be our spiritual leaders. After these words just quoted from 1 Timothy 2, we read words of instruction for spiritual leaders in 1 Timothy 3. Although God establishes government leaders (see Romans 13:1-7), their God-given task is different from the task given to church leaders. If you're looking for examples of morality and righteousness, and you long for good Bible teaching, look not to the government - look to the church. Yes, even the most God-honoring church leaders are imperfect, but they certainly seek to honor the Lord in all things, and to encourage others to do the same. Let your church leaders help you learn Bible truth and how it applies to daily living.

* While people seek a savior, we know THE Savior. Only Jesus is the true Savior. In Acts 4:12 we read these words about Jesus Christ: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." People around the world are looking for hope. They long for peace and justice. Only Jesus can truly bring these things we need so desperately.

* Jesus has commissioned YOU AND ME to present Him to the world. That task is not given to government leaders, but to common people like you and me. We read these words in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

My fellow Christians, let's stand boldly and winsomely for Jesus Christ. Let's show the world that Jesus is the only true Source of hope and peace. In all we do, let's point men and women, children and youth, to the joy and freedom they can have through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Free Resources from Whitaker Writings

I have a number of free resources available on my main website, www.whitakerwritings.com.

Click HERE to find some free articles that might encourage you today.

Click HERE to listen to some sermons I've preached.

Click HERE to listen to a seminar I gave a couple of years ago, "Handling Hardship with Hope." On that page I have also included pdf files of the handouts I prepared for that workshop.

May these resources bless and encourage you today!

Pictures

I take tons of pictures. When I used film-based cameras, I took too many pictures; now that pictures are digital, I really overdo it.  

Pictures help tell a story of a particular point in time. When I look back at pictures from years ago, they help me recall significant events, funny moments, and cherished memories of loved ones. 

Here's the inherent challenge: a picture only records one moment in time, and by itself it cannot give us a complete perspective. A picture may be worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, but it still fails to convey anything to our senses of hearing or smell or taste or touch. A picture provides only a small glimpse of a brief moment in a person's life. 

Why have I brought up this topic? I have three interrelated thoughts about how this idea applies to our study of the Bible.

1) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of the character and nature of God. Each picture by itself is fully true, yet incomplete. We do our best to assemble the snapshots and understand how they all fit together, but our understanding is not as complete as we might really wish it to be. Still, each picture is a valuable revelation of His character. 

2) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of history. Still, there are huge gaps. Two thousand years of history are condensed into the chapters of Genesis. Large periods of time are summarized by only a few verses here and there in Scripture. Three years of Jesus' earthly ministry are conveyed all too briefly in the words of the gospels.

3) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of the future. Each picture helps us know valuable details, but they are merely snapshots. These pictures cannot begin to convey the glories of heaven, the horrors of hell, or the moment-by-moment details of the Great Tribulation. We study these pictures and we stand boldly on the things that the Bible clearly teaches, but we hold with a loose grip those things we fill in as we try to pull those pictures together.

As hard as it may be, we need to become content with not having every detail. God has told us so much, and we can study His revelation - the Bible - fervently so we can know its teachings well. We want to dwell on the things we know, and be content with the things we don't know or don't completely understand. 

One day when we are in the presence of God in heaven, we may learn more detail that will fill in some of the gaps in our understanding. For now, we rest in knowing that God is the sovereign Author of history and of the future. We live daily with gratitude for the many snapshots God has given us - snapshots of His holiness, His love, His grace, and His invitation to us to know Him more. And we fill in the gaps with our faith and trust in Him. 

What's Your Theology?

Everyone has a theology of some kind. Theology, simply defined, is a set of beliefs about God. Some people may try not to think about their own theology; some people may try to deny they have one. But everyone has some kind of view about God. Yes, you do too.

So, let me ask you this: What is your theology?
* Do you think God doesn't exist at all (atheism or agnosticism)?
* Do you think God spun the world into motion but is not involved in day-to-day life (deism)?
* Do you believe God is just a good God who loves everyone?
* Do you believe God is a vengeful or angry God who is waiting to punish sin?
* Do you believe that God sent Jesus into the world to be the Savior, so that we may have a personal relationship with Him?

I encourage you to be honest enough to admit whatever your theology may be. Don't ignore the question, because it may have big implications.

Then, if you're especially courageous, take time to study more to learn if your beliefs about God are accurate. Are you willing to learn more, even if that means your theology needs to change?