Christ to the Cross

The Raising of the Cross was painted by Rembrandt sometime around A.D. 1633.  In the painting the artist portrayed himself as one among many who placed Christ on the cross to bear the sin of all mankind.  You can see Rembrandt in the center of the painting wearing his painter’s hat.  Rembrandt is telling everyone that it was his sin that sent Christ to the cross, and that it was his hands that lifted Him up to die.  There is a richness of Christian theology in the painting. 

       I understand what Rembrandt is communicating in the picture.  It speaks for itself.  More so, I personally identify with the artist, because I see my hands raising the cross of Christ.  I too am guilty of the sin that put Him there to die in my place.  The cross of Christ is essential to  the gospel message of Christianity (1 Cor. 1:17-18; 15:3-4), and every Christian who believes in Jesus as his Savior—at some point in his learning—should come to see himself at the cross, for Scripture teaches that “we died with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11; cf. Col. 2:20). 

       When we think about Jesus, we know from Scripture that He is simultaneously the eternal Son of God and true humanity.  At a point in time, the eternal Son of God took upon Himself sinless humanity and walked among men (John 1:1, 14, 18).  In theology, this is called the doctrine of the hypostatic union.  Though He is fully God, we must always keep His perfect humanity in our thinking as well.  While in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before the crucifixion, it was the humanity of Christ that struggled to face the cross.  In the Garden, Jesus “fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will’” (Matt. 26:39).  Jesus went to the cross as His Father willed.  When we think about the cross, we realize that it was not Jesus’ deity that died for our sins, but His humanity, as Peter tells us, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24).  Peter’s reference to “His body” speaks of the humanity of Jesus. 

       Concerning the death of Christ on the cross, The Bible reveals it was simultaneously an act of God as well as sinful men.  When delivering his sermon about the crucifixion of Jesus in Acts chapter 2, Peter declared, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23).  In one verse, Peter captures the coalescence of divine and human wills that participated in putting Christ on the cross.  On the divine side, Jesus was “delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God”, and on the human side, He was “nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men [who] put Him to death.”  Jesus was not a helpless victim, torn between the will of God and sinful men, but a willing sacrifice who chose to lay down His life for the salvation of others.  The prophet Isaiah declares:

But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:10-11)

       The language is plain, “the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa. 53:10a).  God punishes sin as His righteousness requires, and saves the sinner as His love desires.  It is at the same time true that God sent and Christ went.  Christ was willing to be put to death in our place, for the Scripture declares “Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:2).  Jesus said “I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:15), and “no one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative” (John 10:18).  Other passages in Scripture clearly reveal that Christ went to the cross willingly and laid down His life for our benefit (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:25; Heb. 7:27; 9:14).  Jesus was punished in our place so that we might have forgiveness of sins and the gifts of eternal life and righteousness (John 3:16; 10:27-28; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Philip. 3:9; 1 Pet. 3:18). 

       We must not see Christ dying at a distant time or place.  Like Rembrandt, we must see ourselves at the cross.  We should see our hands driving the nails that put Him there and then lifting the cross.  We must see Jesus bearing all our sin, and paying the penalty of the Father’s wrath that rightfully belongs to us.  In May, 2006, I wrote a poem and tried to capture in words what Rembrandt captured in his painting. 

Christ to the Cross

I and the Father led Christ to the cross,
Together we placed Him there;
I pushed Him forward, no care for the cost,
His Father’s wrath to bear.
Christ in the middle not wanting to die,
Knelt in the garden and prayed;
Great tears of blood the Savior did cry,
Yet His Father He humbly obeyed.

So He carried His cross down a dusty trail,
No words on His lips were found;
No cry was uttered as I drove the nails,
His arms to the cross were bound.
I lifted my Savior with arms spread wide,
He hung between heaven and earth;
I raised my spear and pierced His side,
What flowed was of infinite worth.

Like a Lamb to the altar Christ did go,
A sacrifice without blemish or spot;
A knife was raised, and life did flow,
In a basin the blood was caught.
Past the incense table and the dark black veil,
To that holy of holy places;
The blood of Christ was made to avail,
And all my sins it erases.

Now this Lamb on a cross was a demonstration
Of the Father’s love for me;
For the Savior’s death brought satisfaction,
Redeemed, and set me free.
Now I come to the Savior by faith alone,
Not trusting in works at all;
Jesus my substitute for sin did atone,
Salvation in answer to His call.

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

http://www.christonly.com 

Saved by God’s Grace

Romans 4:4-5 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.

      Good works do not justify us before God.  They never have and they never will.  Justification before God is a free gift to the ungodly person who simply believes in Jesus for salvation.  I know that sounds outrageous; but the biblical teaching is that God takes the ungodly sinner and declares him completely justified in His sight for no other reason than that he comes with the empty hands of faith and trusts in Jesus as his Savior.  We don’t deserve salvation.  We don’t earn salvation.  It’s completely by God’s grace, and is paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ.  Every sinner is “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

       In Scripture we learn that God is holy (Ps. 99:9; 1 Pet. 1:14-16).  Being holy means God is positively righteous and completely set apart from sin.  The Scripture states, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor” (Hab. 1:13).  God can only do one thing with sin, and that is condemn it.  The Bible teaches substitutionary atonement.  It teaches that Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin.  He died in our place, “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18).  He paid the redemption price for our sins, and we need only come to Him by faith alone, trusting that His death forever satisfies God’s righteous demands for our sin.  Scripture declares that Jesus “is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25; 1 John 4:10).  That’s wonderful grace!  

       The gospel is the good news that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  The biblical reality is that without Christ every person is spiritually dead, under the penalty of sin, and powerless to change their situation (Rom. 5:6-12; Gal. 3:22; Eph. 2:1-3).  The person who rejects Christ as Savior will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire, forever separated from God (John 3:18; 36; Rev. 20:11-15).  The person who believes in Christ as Savior will spend eternity in heaven with God (John 3:16; 14:1-6; Acts 16:31).  Salvation is completely the work of God, and those saved are the recipients of His grace (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 3:5).  The salvation provided by God saves from the penalty of sin (Jo. 5:24; Rom. 6:23; 8:1), the power of sin (Rom. 6:11; 8:13; 2 Cor. 5:17), and ultimately the presence of sin (Phil. 3:21; 1 Jo. 3:2).  Once saved, the believer is in Christ and given the gift of righteousness, eternal life, and declared justified before God.  

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

John 10:27-28  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

       Salvation is never what we do for God, but rather what God has done for us by sending His Son to die in our place and bear the wrath for sin that was due to us (Isa. 53).  We are helpless to save ourselves because we are damaged by sin (Rom. 5:12; 6:23); therefore, salvation comes to us only as a free gift from God (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).  Jesus paid the price for our sin, and we need only to trust Him for salvation (John 3:16, 20:31; Rom. 3:25; 5:8).  We do not earn or deserve salvation.  Human works are completely excluded from salvation altogether.  Salvation is said to be “the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8), “according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9), and “according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:5).  God has prepared good works to follow our salvation (Eph. 2:10), but they are never the condition of it (Acts 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3:5). 

       Too often people ask “how can a loving God send someone to the lake of fire?”  The real question is “how can a righteous God allow a rotten sinner into heaven?”  The answer is simple: because God accepts as perfect the person who trusts in Jesus alone for salvation (Rom. 10:3-4; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:8-9).

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

www.christonly.com 

Steven is the author of several Christian books.

          

1. Knowing God in Prison.
2. Suffering: A Biblical Consideration.
3. Overcoming Evil in Prison: How to be a Light in a Dark Place.
4. The Christian Life: A Study of Biblical Spirituality.
5. The Cross of Christ: Sufficient to Save.

A Demonic Encounter

       It was summertime in southern California.  As best as I can remember, it was sometime around 1975 or 1976 and I was about nine years of age.  My parents put me on a church bus and shipped me off to Camp Cedar Crest for a week.  It was great.  The sights and smells of the forest were wonderful.  The camp was located in the mountains of southern California and I was with friends every day.  We had lots of activities like hiking, baseball and swimming to keep us busy.  There was opportunity for Bible study and songs around the campfire, which was nice. 

       There was a big, open dining hall where everyone ate together.  I remember the tall A-frame ceiling and the rows of tables that were lined up straight.  I’ll never forget that I had someone dare me to sniff pepper.  I sneezed about a dozen times or more.  Everyone laughed.  I never did that again.  I had good fun at the camp and was glad I went.    

       There was another building that was used for worship and preaching.  I remember one night one of my friends was crying after a worship service and said he wanted to be saved.  We walked together to the front of the platform after the service where several people were gathered and some adults talked and prayed with us.  My friend and I were relieved after someone shared Scripture and prayed with us. 

       During my time at camp I always had to travel with a friend.  I don’t remember if that was a camp rule, or just the rule of our group leader.  It was smart because it was easy to get lost if you wandered away.  I was with two friends one time and we wandered up a hill just beyond the swimming pool.  We were sitting on top of two round boulders that were as big as cars.  The boulders were leaning against each other, and we sat on one with our feet on the other.  As we sat and talked, one of my friends pushed with his legs and noticed that the boulder in front of us moved a little.  We looked at each other with big smiles, and all together began to rock that boulder back and forth with our feet until it fell forward.  To our surprise, that giant boulder began to roll downhill toward the camp and we looked at each in sheer panic.  Fortunately, after rolling several times, the boulder hit a few trees and came to a loud, crashing stop.  The trees were made to lean forward in the direction of the camp.  As we jumped off the boulder on which we were perched, we heard someone running up the hill and saw a camp counselor headed our way.  He came to inspect the sound of the rolling boulder and the crash it made as it hit the trees.  We admitted we had pushed the boulder over, but did not intend for it to go as far as it did.  We all got in trouble for going outside the camp bounds that day.  My punishment consisted of a reprimand and spending thirty minutes at the cabin with my nose pressed into a small circle drawn on a chalkboard.  I’ll never forget that rolling boulder or that chalkboard.

       It was not all sunshine and fun for some of the kids at camp that summer.  In our cabin there was a boy who kept to himself.  I remember he woke one night, trembling and shaking, holding onto the edge of the steel bunk bed as he cried.  Many of the kids avoided him, not knowing anything about him.  He rarely talked and kept to himself.  I think he did his best to hide in order to make it through the week unnoticed.  I had no way of knowing there was something spiritually wrong.  A demon was at work in our cabin.

       On the last night of camp everyone was gathered at the amphitheater where we sang songs and watched a movie on a big screen.  I think the movie was Herbie Rides Again, which had come out a year or two before.  Even though it was summertime, I remember the evenings got cold in the mountains, and I had forgotten to bring my jacket with me.  I asked a camp counselor if I could run back to my cabin and grab my sleeping bag.  He said yes, but to take a friend or two with me.  Two of my friends ran with me as we cut across paths and raced to our cabin.  Upon entering the cabin we turned on the light and to our surprise we saw a boy huddled in the corner.  It was the same boy who had been having bad dreams during the week and avoiding others.  He was sitting in the darkness, crouched in the corner, fearful of something or someone. 

       I remember telling the boy he was not supposed to be at the cabin alone because everyone was at the amphitheater watching the movie.  He just stared at me.  My friends and I approached him and he stood up.  He moved away from the corner and positioned himself between two of the bunk beds that were against the wall.  His eyes kept moving about the room as though some danger was present.  I felt compassion for him.  I remember my grandmother praying with me when I was afraid, and without much thought, I asked him if it was alright if we prayed for him.  To my surprise, he slowly nodded, and we approached him with arms outstretched toward his shoulders.  A look of fear washed over his face as he quickly walked backward.  His eyes were darting around and his facial movements quickened as we closed the gap of only a few feet between us.  Suddenly, his head bowed and he became calm, eerily calm, with his shoulders limp at his side, standing like a lifeless ragdoll. 

       We prayed as our hands rested on the boy’s shoulders.  We were praying a simple prayer to God as only children can do.  There was no great theology behind it.  There was only a basic understanding from Scripture that we could call on God the Father in the name of Jesus in a time of need.  It was simple faith simply applied.  Suddenly the boy in front of us turned violent.  He threw up his arms and knocked away our hands.  He turned and grabbed hold of the steel frame of the bunk bed and began to rock it back and forth with great strength.  He began to throw suitcases at us—the suitcases we’d packed earlier in anticipation of leaving the next morning.  Without any thought, I grabbed him by the waist and wrestled him to the ground.  His strength was more than I could handle, and my two friends jumped on top of him and helped hold his arms and legs to prevent his violence from causing more harm. 

       It was at that moment he started growling.  Deep guttural sounds were coming from him; sounds too deep for a human to make.  He tossed his head back and forth, from right to left, and kept growling like a wild animal.  I could feel the deep vibration in the tone of his voice.  I was frightened.  I wanted to run, but was afraid to let go.  Then his head stopped for a moment and our eyes met.  That’s when I knew.  His once brown eyes where now white.  I could see the outline of an iris and pupil, but they were shades of white; not brown and black like before.  Some physiological change had occurred in the boy and I was staring into the eyes of what appeared to be a demon.  I cried out to my friends to look, and when they saw what I saw, together we started crying out to the Lord for help.  The boy continued to whip his head back and forth and on occasion stop and look at me.  I knew there was something supernatural at work.  Something dark.  My friends and I lay on the floor of that cabin crying, shaking, hearts racing, too afraid to let go, and calling out to the only One we knew could help us.

       After nearly ten minutes, the boy began to calm down.  The growling began to soften.  His head stopped turning from side to side and he looked upward toward the ceiling.  It took a minute, but I watched his eyes slowly fade from white to brown.  Suddenly, the boy’s facial expression turned from anger to confusion.  He started looking around the room in bewilderment and wanted to know how he got on the floor and why we were crying.  I was fearful it was some sort of demonic trick and asked my friends not to release him for a few minutes.  After we saw his eyes remain normal for a little bit, and his strength and behavior seemed normal, we let go of him and lifted him to his feet.  He said the last thing he remembered was us praying over him and being extremely afraid, although he did not know why he was afraid. 

       The boy then conveyed what he saw after our voices faded in the background of his mind.  He said he was standing in complete darkness, when there appeared a light from above.  Like a spotlight, it shown on a dark figure that was tall, dressed in a black cloak, with red eyes.  The light appeared to cause distress to the dark figure, although it made no sound.  The boy said he watched the figure thrash its arms around as though trying to fight off the light, but it could not.  Slowly the figure began to fall backwards, swinging its arms violently as it fell, and after about ten minutes, it finally hit the ground.  The boy said that after the light faded away, he suddenly became aware us laying over him on the ground and crying out to the Lord for help.  We were stunned at his story. 

       We grabbed him by his arms and with nervous excitement we marched back up to the main campground and grabbed the nearest adult we could find and exclaimed a demon had just been cast out of this boy.  We were so excited, we kept repeating ourselves.  Several adults took the boy from us and went into a nearby room where they prayed over him and shared the Gospel message.  About twenty minutes later the boy emerged and came and talked with us.  I have a faint memory that he had told us someone in his family was involved in witchcraft and that several months earlier he’d been encouraged to invite a “friendly spirit” into his life to help guide him.  That’s when his life changed for the worse and his fears and nightmares began.  By the time we finished talking, the movie had ended and it was time to go back to our cabins for the night.  I barely slept a wink.  I doubt the other kids did either. 

       This personal story is true as best I remember.  My thoughts and memories are adequately clear to lead me to think that this was a legitimate case of demon possession; however, I leave room for the possibility that what I experienced as a young boy might have a natural explanation.  I realize only those who were there that night can verify this account, and I’ve not been able to contact any of them since that event.   

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

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Overcome Evil with Good

       The Christian lives in a fallen world, and in order for him to overcome evil, he must grow spiritually and live in regular dependence on God the Holy Spirit to sustain and direct his life according to Scripture.  The Holy Spirit will never lead the Christian independently of Scripture.  Learning God’s Word necessarily precedes living His will, as the Christian cannot live what he does not know.  Change his mind and you’ll change his ways.  After regeneration, the Christian’s mind is still filled with a lifetime of worldly thinking, which will cause him problems to the degree that it remains the basis for his decisions in life.  If he thinks like the world then he’ll live like the world.  Worldly viewpoint should give way to the light of God’s Word as the Christian begins to adjust his thinking and bring it into conformity with the mind of God.  As Christians, we are always in the process of “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).  We do this so we will “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).  For the Christian, overcoming evil starts with a change in his thinking that leads to a change in his behavior.  Without solid thinking rooted in Scripture, the Christian will not be able to stand against the evil pressures Satan will put on him. 

       The Christian living in society sometimes faces tremendous pressure to conform to the values and behaviors of those around him.  Not only does the Christian face the external pressure of those who are weak and have given themselves over to Satan’s evil system, but he also faces the pressure of his own sin nature that has a natural affinity with the devil’s world.  If Satan were a broadcaster sending out his radio signal, the sin nature would be that internal receiver that is automatically tuned to its message.  There is a part of us that is corrupt and is naturally bent toward evil, whether moral or immoral, and we must be aware of this flaw within ourselves.  We are given a new spiritual nature at the moment of salvation, which is naturally tuned to God’s message and is receptive to the Holy Spirit.  The Christian’s new spiritual nature is continually in conflict with his old sinful nature, as these are in complete opposition to each other.  The Apostle Paul tells us, “the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Gal. 5:17; cf. Rom. 8:5-8).

The old nature (which has its origin in our physical birth) fights against the new nature which we receive when we are born again (Gal. 5:16–26). No amount of self-discipline, no set of man-made rules and regulations, can control this old nature. Only the Holy Spirit of God can enable us to “put to death” the old nature (Rom. 8:12–13) and produce the Spirit’s fruit (Gal. 5:22–23) in us through the new nature.[1]

       Those in the world who have given themselves over to Satan’s evil system often demand that others in their periphery conform to their values.  Persecution often comes in stages and is defined as “the suffering or pressure, mental, moral, or physical, which authorities, individuals, or crowds inflict on others, especially for opinions or beliefs, with a view to their subjection by recantation, silencing, or, as a last resort, execution.”[2]  Evil men often employ pressure tactics of all sorts, including violence, in order to obtain their objective.  In fact, it was during a time of great persecution by the Roman government that the apostle Paul wrote to Christians and told them they must “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).  Satan was trying to destroy the early church and many in the Roman government were used by him to persecute Christians.  Many Roman officials demanded that Christians recognize Caesar as a god to be worshipped, and if those Christians refused, then they would be persecuted and put to death.  The Roman government did not separate state from religion, and if a Roman citizen refused to worship as the state mandated, that citizen would then be guilty of treason and could face capital punishment.  Many Christians living in Rome faced persecution because they refused to worship Caesar as a god, and the result was often torture and death.

       The persecution of Christians became heightened in the summer of A.D. 64 when the emperor Nero falsely blamed them for a fire that had burned much of the city of Rome.  The false charge unleashed the anger of many hostile citizens, and the fury of Rome exploded against the early church and many Christians died a horrible death.  Later, the emperor Domitian (ca. A.D. 81-96) carried out attacks against Christians and persecuted them as well.  Herbert W. Workman writes:

Some, suffering the punishment of parricides, were shut up in a sack with snakes and thrown into the sea; others were tied to huge stones and cast into a river.  For Christians the cross itself was not deemed sufficient agony; hanging on the tree, they were beaten with rods until their bowels gushed out, while vinegar and salt were rubbed into their wounds. …Christians were tied to catapults, and so wrenched from limb to limb. Some…were thrown to the beasts; others were tied to their horns. Women were stripped, enclosed in nets, and exposed to the attacks of furious bulls. Many were made to lie on sharp shells, and tortured with scrapers, claws, and pincers, before being delivered to the mercy of the flames. Not a few were broken on the wheel, or torn in pieces by wild horses. Of some the feet were slowly burned away, cold water being dowsed over them the while lest the victims should expire too rapidly. …Down the backs of others melted lead, hissing and bubbling, was poured; while a few ‘by the clemency of the emperor’ escaped with the searing out of their eyes, or the tearing off of their legs.[3]

       To avoid such persecutions by Roman governmental officials, the Christian had only to denounce his faith and say “Caesar is lord.”  Some might argue that it would have been better to give recognition to a Roman emperor rather than suffer greatly or watch family members be put to death.  However, the demands of Christianity (now, as well as then) are such that a believer can never worship a substitute for the living Christ.  When confronted with persecution, any compromise of faith is shameful in the face of those who have testified for Christ with their life.  The early Christians understood that there was never a time when they could deny Jesus as their Lord and be justified in doing so.  Just as three Hebrew children in the book of Daniel stood before a mighty king and were willing to face suffering rather than deny the only true God (Dan. 3), so thousands of early Christians where willing to face Roman persecution even if it resulted in their death. 

       Because persecution was part of the normal Christian experience in the early church, Paul knew there would be Christians who would be tempted to retaliate against their attackers and do evil to those who did evil to them.  Unjustified attacks will stimulate the sin nature within the Christian.  Because the sin nature is usually the first responder in evil situations, the Christian must be careful to exercise self-restraint and not act impulsively, but control his emotions.  The Christian must be governed by God’s Word and never by his hot temper, as the Scripture tells him to “be angry, and yet do not sin” (Eph. 4:26). 

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. (Rom. 12:17-19)

       It’s easy to retaliate and kick the one who kicked you, or hit the one who hit you, or curse the one who cursed you.  But this is not the Christian way.  Jesus suffered unjustly many times throughout His life, and especially during His illegal trials which led to His crucifixion.  And even though He was verbally reviled, “He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23).

As children of God, we must live on the highest level—returning good for evil. Anyone can return good for good and evil for evil. The only way to overcome evil is with good. If we return evil for evil, we only add fuel to the fire. And even if our enemy is not converted, we have still experienced the love of God in our own hearts and have grown in grace.^[4]

       The persecuted Christians living in Rome could face their evil attackers with courage because they knew God was in control of their circumstances as well as their eternal destiny.  Just as three Hebrew children were able to stand against the pressure of a Babylonian king and face the torment of fire rather than compromise their faith, the Christians living in Rome faced their attackers by trusting God and His Word.  By faith, the Christian has confidence in the face of suffering because he knows “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).  Even if the Christian should face death, he knows he will leave this world and come immediately into the presence of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), have a new home in heaven (John 14:1-6), receive his resurrection body (1 Cor. 15:51-57; Phil. 3:21), obtain his eternal inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4-5), and enjoy the reality of the eternal life he received at the moment of he trusted Christ as his Savior (John 3:16; 10:28; 1 John 5:10).  Jesus Himself stated “do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

       Living in God’s will is not always easy, and it does not guarantee a positive response from those who follow worldly values.  The teaching of Scripture is that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).  Sadly, there are many Christians who suffer for sinful reasons and it is good that they suffer, if it teaches them humility and respect for legitimate authority.  The Apostle Peter tells Christians to “make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name” (1 Pet. 4:15-16).  We cannot stop suffering in this life, but “it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Pet. 3:17).  We cannot control what other people think or how they behave, but we can control our response to them, and we can make sure that what we do is pleasing to the Lord by being obedient-to-the-Word believers.  In this way, we can overcome evil by doing God’s will for our lives; and this is good. 

       The Christian cannot control much of the suffering that comes into his life, but he does not have to be overcome by that suffering, as he can look to God and maintain faith in His Word.  Jesus was not overcome by the cruelty and suffering he experienced, but showed love and forgiveness to His attackers (Luke 23:34), and “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).  Stephen, who spoke strong words of truth while filled with the Holy Spirit, prayed and asked God to forgive those who stoned him to death (Acts 7:60).  Paul and Silas demonstrated loving concern for the jailer who kept them in chains, sharing the gospel with him when given the opportunity (Acts 16:22-31).  Our lives may be vulnerable to the unjust pain and suffering caused by others, but we must look beyond the suffering and be willing to love even our attackers for the sake of Christ in the hope that they may come to know the gospel and be saved.  

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

www.christonly.com 

Steven is the author of several Christian books.

         

1. Knowing God in Prison.
2. Suffering: A Biblical Consideration.
3. Overcoming Evil in Prison: How to be a Light in a Dark Place.
4. The Christian Life: A Study of Biblical Spirituality.
5. The Cross of Christ: Sufficient to Save.

---

[1] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, 480.

 [2] Geoffrey W. Bromily, “Persecution,” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 3 (Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986), 771.

 [3] Herbert B.  Workman, Persecution in the Early Church (Cincinnati: Jennings & Graham, 1906), 299-300.

^[4] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament, Vol. 1, 556.

You Fight Like You Train

       The character of a person is sometimes measured by the difficulties he overcomes.  The warrior by his battle victories, the runner by his long races, or the climber by the mountains he summits.  Of course, we all fight battles, run races, and climb mountains in our own lives.  Sometimes these are not physical, but mental, emotional or even spiritual. 

       Great victories are not accomplished overnight but require time, discipline and training.  There’s a saying among warriors that you fight like you train.  From that maxim comes the cliché, the more you sweat in training, the less you’ll bleed in battle.  We all struggle in different arenas almost every day, so the concept of fighting should not be reduced to military combat or a boxing ring.    The nurse’s ability to fight and save lives depends on her years of academic and practical training which prepared her for the conflicts she faces in the emergency room as sick and wounded persons come in for medical treatment.  The lawyer’s ability to fight in the courtroom depends on the years of training she received in law school as well as the training she gleaned from years of personal experience in the courtroom itself. 

       Every Christian is born on a spiritual battlefield.  It is the devil’s world, and Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).  The Christian is called to resist the devil by faith, trusting God at His Word (1 Pet. 5:9).  This means learning God’s Word and consciously applying it to everyday situations.  It is through everyday practice that the Christian becomes proficient in applying God’s Word to his life, as it addresses marriage, raising children, friendships, social issues, finances, law, and other aspects of human life and experience.  We cannot always predict the difficulties we’ll face in life, and certainly we cannot always stop or avoid them, but we need not be overrun by them either, as we can be mentally prepared to stand firm in the faith.  The daily practice of learning and living God’s Word prepares the Christian for challenges, in whatever form they take, whether prosperity or adversity (Phil. 4:11-13).  I say prosperity or adversity, because one can destroy the Christian as easily as the other.  The first is a pleasant distraction while the other a difficult one.  Both can be used by Satan to get the believer to focus more on the things of this world rather than God.  Spiritual victory demands focus on God and His Word, otherwise defeat is inevitable. 

       When confronted with a crisis, the mind can be shocked and want to shut down due to sensory overload, but this is the time when the Christian should be the thinking on Scripture.  Failure to respond properly in a crisis can result in being a casualty rather than a victor.  The repetition of daily reading and thinking on Scripture helps ingrain God’s Word for when the Christian needs it most during a trial.  Constant exposure and repetition to Scripture is the key to learning, and we know we’ve truly learned something when we can apply it when under pressure.  The time we spend reading the Bible, studying under a good Pastor-Teacher, reading good Christian books, and engaging in good theological discussions all prepare us for when the disaster strikes.  I speak with certainty on this point, for if one lives long enough, trials will come.  I know Christians who collapse under minor disturbances such as changes in the weather, burned food, or a flat tire.  Because these Christians have failed to handle life’s little battles, they’ve set themselves up for major failure when the big storms of life come their way.  This need not happen.  The Christian can train his mind daily to think on Scripture and to apply it to the various situations that come his way.  As we grow spiritually over time, our little faith will become big faith, and little victories will lead to bigger victories in the Lord. 

       The storms of life are inevitable, but how we face them is optional.  As Christians, we have a choice to live by faith and apply God’s Word to our situations.  We do not always have control over the things that happen to us, but neither do we have to be controlled by them.  As Christians, we always want to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [and] to please Him in all respects” (Col. 1:10).  By faith we can face a conflict, an injustice, or a hurt done to us, and be the winner because we handled it in a way that pleases the Lord.    The life of faith always pleases God (Rom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 5:7-9; Heb. 11:6).

       God is always with us.  He never leaves or fails us.  He is our Lord and He loves us more than we will ever know, even when the battle rages and it seems we are fighting longer than we can endure.  We cannot fail, and the Lord will see us through us through it. 

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

www.christonly.com 

Steven is the author of several Christian books.

         

1. Knowing God in Prison.
2. Suffering: A Biblical Consideration.
3. Overcoming Evil in Prison: How to be a Light in a Dark Place.
4. The Christian Life: A Study of Biblical Spirituality.
5. The Cross of Christ: Sufficient to Save.

I am Barabbas

       Several years ago I was doing a Bible study and learned that all four Gospels record the prisoner exchange between a notorious criminal named Barabbas and the Lord Jesus (Matt. 27:16-26; Mark. 15:7-15; Luke 23:18; John 18:40).  Barabbas was in jail for insurrection, murder, and robbery, and was surely going to face death for his crimes (Luke 23:18-19; John 18:40).  Jesus, on the other hand, was innocent of all the charges brought against Him.  Pilate, the Roman Governor who presided as judge over the two men, knew it was “because of envy” that Jesus had been handed over to him to be scourged and crucified (Matt. 27:18; cf. Mark 15:10).  Pilate knew Jesus was not guilty of the charges leveled against Him and sought to have Him released (Luke 23:20); however, Pilate eventually proved a weak leader who surrendered to the insane demands of the mob who kept shouting “crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21).  All of this occurred according to God’s predetermined plan (Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28).

       I imagine Barabbas was sitting in his jail cell when a Roman guard came, unlocked his door and informed him he was free to leave.  I suppose Barabbas was puzzled because freedom was not what he expected.  Barabbas was in a dark place with no ability to save himself.  Outside the prison walls, Jesus was being led away to die as his substitute, the innocent for the guilty, the just for the unjust.  I am Barabbas.  You are Barabbas.  Spiritually, we are all in a dark place without hope, facing eternal death, and with no ability to save ourselves.  But there’s good news!  Outside our prison is a free and innocent Man who has died in our place, who bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:6-8)

       It was through a simple presentation of the gospel message that I came to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was eight, with the result that I received eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).  However, I learned that being saved does not guarantee a godly life.  The apostle Peter once wrote to Christians and said, “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler” (1 Pet. 4:15).  It is possible for Christians to commit all the sins Peter stated; otherwise he would never have given his negative command.  As a young teenager living in Las Vegas, Nevada, I was completely surrounded by worldly minded people, and I was free to chase after the world and the lusts of my flesh.  For nearly seven years I was unopposed in my pursuit of a life of drugs and crime.  From the beginning of my rebellion, I used the hardest drugs I could find (PCP, cocaine, LSD, etc.).  I did a lot of bad things when I was a younger Christian and it nearly destroyed me. 

       One Sunday morning back in the summer of 1988, I was sleeping on some grass and woke to the sound of children walking past a fence near the alley where I’d slept the night before.  Years of bad choices and heavy drug use had caught up with me and the few weeks I’d spent living on the streets and at the Salvation Army were enough to awaken me to the despair of my situation.  Worldly living had produced such a darkness within me, there were times I had considered suicide as a solution to end the misery that was my pathetic life.  From the time I started using illegal drugs until that morning on the grass, I had not been living as a righteous man, but rather as the wicked that “are like chaff which the wind drives away” (Ps. 1:4).  My life at that time epitomized worldliness, as I had rejected God from my life altogether.  By excluding Him, I had become my own worst enemy.  Though I had excluded God from my life, He had not excluded me from His.

       The Lord loved me and humbled me by divine discipline (Heb. 12:5-11).  He caused me to suffer for my own good.  Like David, I came to say, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Ps. 119:71).  The Lord brought me to a place where I was helpless and ready to listen to Him.  When my heart was broken, and I had no place to look but to Him, then Scripture my grandmother had helped me memorize when I was a little boy came to mind, and I found hope (Ps. 1:1-6; 23:1-6).  I was homeless, hurt, hungry, wearing only rags, and more thankful than I’d been in many years.  The Lord, who allowed me to destroy my life, forgave me and called me back to fellowship with Him.  I welcomed His love and grace.

       The joy of my salvation was refreshed within me.  A fire was ignited in my soul and I was ready to walk with the Lord.  I knew I had to be responsible and face my prison sentence and serve time for the crimes I’d committed, and I knew the Lord was with me all the way.  My two year prison term was a time of spiritual development as I faced many tests and grew in my knowledge and application of Scripture.  As a Christian, my spiritual growth began the day I submitted my life to God.  Many worldly people had previously influenced me in an ungodly way, and I was stupid enough to let them.  No more.  No more hanging around foolish people, or reading worldly books, or watching movies that promote worldly values, or listening to music that glorifies degenerate values.  No more.  God had blessed me with everything I needed to grow and mature and I decided to lay hold of that life.  Oh, I made bad choices along the way and fell into sin, but God continually showed me grace.  I confessed my sin and got back to living the spiritual life and “walking in the light as He Himself is in the light” (1 John 1:7).  As I grew in my love for Him I learned that “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

       I remember when I first entered prison back in 1989.  The medium security prison unit outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, had a practice of placing new inmates into solitary confinement the first twenty one days after their arrival.  After I completed my twenty one days in solitary confinement, I was released onto the prison yard with the other inmates.  I was tested within hours after being assigned my new sleeping quarters, as I was approached by an inmate who offered to sell me marijuana and I had to refuse his offer.  I made it clear to him, albeit respectfully, that I wanted to live as a Christian and had no desire to do drugs.  I was treated with hostility, even though I gave none.  My initial reaction was to return hostility to him, but I knew that was wrong, as the Scripture directs me:

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. (Rom. 12:17-19)

       I could not control the situation or the other man’s attitude, but at the same time, I could not allow myself to be controlled by it.  As a Christian, I had to start living by God’s Word and stop reacting to the sinful attitudes and actions of others as I was previously accustomed to doing.  In prison, I was constantly challenged to live by God’s Word and not my circumstances or the pressures of others.  This prepared me for living in society after prison.

       On another occasion, I faced a challenge pertaining to racism when I was at a prison unit in northern Nevada.  During meal time many of the inmates would sit separately with blacks on one side of the dinner hall and whites on the other side.  This was the choice of the inmates.  However, some of my Christian friends were black and some were white, and we would sit together at one table to talk about Scripture and pray.  Biblically, we realized that there is only one race: the human race.  Not wanting to be a slave to the prison culture, we chose to sit together and have Christian discussion.  After a few weeks I was approached one morning by another inmate who told me to “stop sitting with the other men” because it “looked bad.”  I knew what he meant.  I made it clear to this inmate, albeit respectfully, that I was going to sit with my Christian brothers so we could talk theology and pray together.  To be honest, I thought there was going to be a fight that morning as this inmate got in my face and tried to bully me.  Though I was somewhat intimidated, Christian courage demanded I stand my ground.  To be clear, I was not trying to change the attitudes of the other inmates or reform the prison culture in any way.  I think that’s impossible; much like I think it’s impossible to reform the devil’s world.  I was simply trying to enjoy Christian fellowship with my Christian brothers, even though I knew it meant standing against the corrupt values and practices of the prison culture. 

       To some degree, surviving in prison means conforming to the environment and getting along as best one is able.  Where Scripture is silent this can mean compromise.  However, living for Christ means walking in the light of God’s Word, and that means standing against the values of the prison culture at times in order to obey God’s Word.  I wish I could say I walked according to Scripture all the time, but I did not.  I was learning and applying Scripture during my time in prison, and was learning to pick my battles from one moment to the next.  Picking battles is very important, for some battles are more important than others.  As we learn God’s Word, we’ll gain wisdom for the moment. 

       Four months after my release from prison, in 1990, I actively started serving in jail ministry and continued for over twelve years.  I loved teaching Bible classes several times a week and sharing the gospel with others.  I started college in 1992 and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services from Wayland Baptist University in 1998.  Afterward, I studied Classical Literature for several years at Texas Tech University, and then began graduate school in 2002 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and completed a Master of Divinity degree in 2006. 

       The year before my graduation, on February 10, 2005, the Governor of Nevada, Kenny Guinn, along with the Nevada Supreme Court, awarded me a full pardon for the crime that sent me to prison.  In 2006 I had my criminal records permanently sealed.  This is the grace of God.  The Lord has opened doors of opportunity for ministry and education and undone much of the damage I had inflicted on myself many years before.  The fifteen years between the time of my release from prison in 1990 until the time of my pardon in 2005 was very difficult.  Convicted felons are generally viewed with great suspicion in society and are automatically denied jobs, places to live and other opportunities in life.  I’ve learned that life is not fair and not to expect any justice from the world.  I accepted my hardship during that time and lived where I could.  I worked menial jobs while I was in school, and above all kept my focus on the Lord who gave me joy and hope from day to day.  Now I choose to live a simple life and work in quiet.  I enjoy writing articles and books and teaching a home Bible study on the weekends.  I am very thankful for all God’s blessings. 

       Above all, I am thankful for the grace of God revealed to me through Scripture.  Though I was saved at a young age, it was only through many years of study that I came to understand and appreciate in a greater way what God did in bringing me to Himself through the substitutionary atoning work of His Son on the cross.  Biblically, I know it was the Father’s will that Christ go to the cross and die for sinners (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28), of which I am one among many; yet, in a very personal way, I see Christ bearing my sin, being judged in my place and bearing the Father’s wrath that rightfully belonged to me.  God’s righteousness and love intersect at the cross, in that He displays His great wrath against my sin and at the same time His love for me, the sinner.  At the cross, God punished my sin as His justice required and saved me, the sinner, as His love desired (Isa. 53; John 3:16).  And all this happened while I was His enemy (Rom. 5:10)!  Had I been alive in the days my Lord walked the earth, I surely would have led Him to the cross myself and driven the nails with my own hands.  I would have lifted up His cross and made Him hang between heaven and earth to die.  I am a sinner, but for the grace of God I would burn for all eternity.  Yet God, in infinite grace and mercy came to me in my depravity and showed me love when I was not seeking Him, and by His grace gave me eternal life when I turned to Christ and trusted Him as my Savior.  My name is Barabbas and today I am a free man.

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

www.christonly.com

Steven is the author of several Christian books.

         

1. Knowing God in Prison.
2. Suffering: A Biblical Consideration.
3. Overcoming Evil in Prison: How to be a Light in a Dark Place.
4. The Christian Life: A Study of Biblical Spirituality.
5. The Cross of Christ: Sufficient to Save.

God’s Great Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

       Grace (Grk. charis) is the underserved kindness or favor one person shows to another.  It is “that which one grants to another, the action of one who volunteers to do something not otherwise obligatory.”[1]  God was in no way forced to provide salvation for sinners, though He was motivated by His great love to do so (John 3:16).  For God, “being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph. 2:4-5).

Speaking first of His mercy, it is defined as that compassion in God which moved Him to provide a Savior for the lost.  If He had been able to save even one soul on the basis of His sovereign mercy alone, He could have saved every person on that basis and the death of Christ would have been rendered unnecessary.  As for divine love, it is an emotion of infinite character, the motivating purpose back of all that God does in saving a soul.  But since God is holy and righteous too and the sinner’s sins are an offense to Him, He might perfectly desire to save a soul and still be utterly helpless to do so in the light of the claims which divine righteousness make against the sinner.  Not until those claims are met can God’s infinite love realize its desire.[2]

       God loves sinners, but He can only be gracious to them because His righteous demands against sin have forever been satisfied by the cross of Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8).  Theologically, it can be said that “grace is what God may be free to do and indeed what He does accordingly for the lost after Christ has died on behalf of them.”[3]  Because Christ has borne all sin and paid the penalty that was due to the sinner, God is now free to show infinite grace to the worst of sinners and offer them not only eternal salvation, but also bestow the greatest spiritual blessings of time and eternity (Eph. 1:3).  The wondrous cross of Christ has made it possible for the worst of sinners to be “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

       We must be careful that we do not see God acting graciously toward sinners independently of the cross, for that would be dishonoring to Him and all He did for us through the death of His Son.  The perfect satisfaction of His righteous demands against sin had to occur before the display of His infinite grace toward sinners could be manifest.  For “since God is holy and righteous, and sin is a complete offense to Him, His love or mercy cannot operate in grace until there is provided a sufficient satisfaction for sin.”[4]  Christ’s death on the cross satisfied God’s righteous demands toward sin; therefore, grace can be shown towards sinners who do not deserve it.

       Having met the demands of God’s perfect righteousness for sin, the cross of Christ has opened the floodgates of God’s grace!  Because Christ paid our sin debt, we can come to God and receive the free gift of salvation apart from any human works.  Jesus Christ paid the price for my salvation in full.  He paid it all at the cross.  He bore every sin.  He was judged in my place and bore the wrath of God that belonged to me, and now I can receive the free gift of salvation because God is satisfied with His death.  There is nothing I can do to earn my salvation.

Grace is the limitless, unrestrained love of God for the lost, acting in full compliance with the exact and unchangeable demands of His own righteousness through the sacrificial death of Christ.[5]

       Concerning our salvation, Scripture declares, “by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).  Salvation is always a gift.  If a person has to pay a price for something, it ceases to be a gift.  A gift means that someone else paid the price, and we receive it freely without cost.  Salvation is a free gift to us, from God, paid in full by Jesus Christ.  What a wonderful gift!

Steven R. Cook, M. Div.

www.christonly.com

Steven enjoys writing and is the author of several Christian books.

         

 

1. Knowing God in Prison.
2. Suffering: A Biblical Consideration.
3. The Cross of Christ: Sufficient to Save.
4. The Christian Life: A Study of Biblical Spirituality.
5. Overcoming Evil in Prison: How to be a Light in a Dark Place.

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[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 1079.

[2] Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 7 (Grand Rapids, Mich.; Kregel Publications, 1993), 178.

[3]  Ibid., 178.

[4] Merrill F. Unger, “Grace,” in The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1988), 504.

[5] Lewis S. Chafer, Grace (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922), 22.