Nailed to the Cross

 Col 2:14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

We are at the end of passion week. Jesus is living out his final few days on earth. Life on earth is about to enter a new age. Today, over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. He has suffered humiliation and shame and now hangs on a cross, a spear is thrust into His body, and His blood is spilled for you and me. On the cross, the nails that were hammered into His hands and feet, blotting out the law that condemned us to eternal damnation. The fountain of blood providing eternal life is open for all who will plunge in and be made clean from sin. For all the good reasons that Christ came to earth, this was His ultimate mission. He suffered on the cross to provide salvation, and to give us an example of what it means to give it all to the Father, and follow His steps. As follows of Jesus Christ, He tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him. He did not promise that the journey would be easy. In fact, He said that it would be one of suffering. On this good Friday, we thank God that His Son came to be nailed to a cross and die for our sin and give eternal life. Give Him glory for all He has done, for today, salvation has come.

To Whom Shall We Go

 John 6:68
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

This verse reminds me of the old gospel song, “Where can I go but to the Lord.” We live in a mixed-up sinful world. A world looking for answers to the meaning of life. What is my purpose of existence? The world is full of seekers who desire love and happiness, but many are going to the wrong place to find it. Some seek it in the pleasures of sin, others in their work, and others in relationships. We are all born to this earth, but our journeys in life are not the same. The faithfulness of the Father calls all of us to Himself. He sent His Son to make it possible for all who desire to find their purpose in life. Like the disciples, we look all around us and see that the only answer to a fulfilled life is to give ourselves to Jesus. He not only has the words of life, but He is the Word of life. In Him all things are created and in Him all things exist. When we get to the end of our human resources, when life becomes overwhelmed with the cares of life, we have but one place to go. He is the answer to all of life’s problems, and in Him, we can rest assured that all will be well. Love and happiness on earth is found in Christ, and He alone can fill and meet our every need.

Eternal Life and Punishment

 Mat 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew chapter 25 is filled with compare and contrast illustrations. We had ten virgins, five had oil in their lamps ready for the return of the bride, and five did not. Then there's the parable of the talents. There were those who invested wisely and those who did not. The destiny of their eternal soul was determined by how they invested what was given to them by their master. The parables illustrate that it is not enough to say you believe in God, but action speaks louder than words. The final story that Jesus tells does not say it is a parable, but a prophecy. The King will return to earth some day and final judgment will be given, and the destiny of the souls of people will be handed out. There will be those whose hearts are filled with love for God and others, and those who say they love God, but they live to please themselves, and turn a blind eye to those who are hurting and helpless. Many would like to use this passage of scripture to support the idea that good works and being a good person is all that is needed to have eternal life. But Jesus is speaking to his followers. There is more to eternal life than saying, “Lord, Lord.” Faith in Jesus is essential, but faith without works is dead. The debate of eternal salvation after a person confesses Christ comes into question with the words of Christ in Matthew chapter 25. There will be those who will not make it into heaven, and it will not just be those who live wicked lives. It will be a harsh reality to see that a person who experiences the forgiveness of sin will stand before God and find that they are on the left side of the judgment seat because they failed to live for Christ. It goes without saying that God and God alone is the final judge. It is our responsibility to be a true follower of Christ and do unto others as Christ has done for us. May we be found on the right side of the seat with the sheep, and hear the words of the King. "Enter into life everlasting."

Lift Up Jesus

 John 3:14-15
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

The bronze serpent lifted by Moses was the salvation of the people. The people had greatly sinned against the Lord who just delivered them from bondage. They were still in bondage to their selfish desires. Their hearts of unbelief started to doubt God and Moses. They became impatient with the way God was doing things. For their disobedience and unbelief, God sent poisonous serpents that brought death to many of the people. Death among many brought them to the realization that their sin was the cause. The wages of sin is still death. God in His mercy made a way of escape. We live in a day where sin and unbelief is found among those who profess to be followers of Christ. They have put their faith in religion and self-reliance. Jesus is still the answer. If we only look to Jesus. He is the only one that can bring deliverance from sin. Let us lift up Jesus to a messed up world and exalt Him. He and He alone can give us eternal life.

Pressing Toward the Prize

 Philip 3:13,14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,.. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The past is behind me. The things of the world have been left behind. I have come to the understanding that I am nothing, and all my good works are but waste and fruitless in obtaining salvation. Going to church, following all the rules of behavior and ritual all come short. Like the rich young ruler, evening keeping all the moral laws of God, I still come empty handed. I now press toward the cross of Christ, looking only to Jesus for grace and forgiveness. There is now a higher calling, a calling to be more like Jesus, a desire to obtain the perfect mind of Christ. Looking for the day where this body will be resurrected and adamic perfection is obtained, mortality becomes immortality. But until that day, we press toward Christian perfection, our hearts can be perfect before God. Keep your eyes on the goal, the prize of eternal life. The journey may not be easy, but it will be worth it all. Keep pressing on!

Jesus Only

 John 14:6,11
…no man cometh unto the Father, but by me…Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me:

We see the Father when we see Jesus. The world likes to think that there are many ways to the Father. The thought that one can have eternal life after death by having a sincere faith in a deity is not found in holy scripture. Having a good heart and a sincere faith is to be admired. Believing that the Father and Jesus are one, and professing to follow Jesus without a sincere heart and faith is hypocritical. But, we cannot disregard the word of Jesus when He claims that He and He alone is the Way to the Father. The Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the one and only true God. The words of Buddha, Allah, or any other religious figure may speak of love and treating others with kindness, but when one stands before the judgment seat of God, it will be the blood of Christ, believing in Jesus, and the words of the Father, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” 

Complete in Christ

 Matt 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete (perfect), go and sell…

What do you possess that you are not willing to let go in order to be complete and whole in Christ? The call to follow Christ requires that we take up our cross and let go of those things that hold us back from fully serving Him. The scripture has many examples of those who held back, and did not gain entrance to eternal life. The love of money has kept many people from having eternal life, but money is not the only thing that keeps people from having eternal life. Eternal life is given to us only through Christ, and knowing Him is to follow Him in complete obedience to His word. We cannot be perfect or complete in Christ if we don’t have a heart single toward Him and Trust Him with our whole heart.

Look To Jesus

 Heb. 12:2
looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, 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
Jesus says, “Look to Me, faith in God begins with Me. Without Me there is no faith. I went to the cross on my own free will, gave my life for you, took on your sins and bore your shame. I now sit at the right hand of the my Father, making intercession for you, that you may not grow weary and lose heart during times of tribulation and suffering. I and the Author and finisher of your faith, I alone can save you and set you free from the bondage of sin. Look to me you sinners, for I came to save you. Believe in Me, trust Me with your life, give me your heart. I am the way, the truth, and life. There is no other name under heaven that can give new life. Look to Me and you will have eternal life, and dwell with me forever and ever.” 

Wisdom From Above

 Prov. 3:18
She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who hold on to her.
To be truly wise, one must know wisdom. The Bible speaks of the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom from above. They are not the same. The wisdom of this world is grounded in humanity, and the welfare and the success of man. Choices that gain riches and material gain for this life. What is expedient and advantageous. Jesus talks about building your life on a firm foundation. The person who has wisdom will build it on a solid rock, a foolish person will build it on the sand (wisdom of this world). The wisdom from above is life from God. It is focused on doing what is right and not what is expedient. Following the wisdom of God will many times go contrary to the thinking of the world, it is wisdom that will lead to eternal life. Wisdom from God is to have Christ the center of life choices. For in Him we have life and have it more abundantly, it is finding happiness and fulfillment in Him, something the wisdom of this world cannot give. 
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”- Matt 7:24

The Strait Gate

 Mathew 7:13,14

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go that way. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.

The implication of a strait gate can be interpreted in at least 2 different ways. One way is to say that Jesus realized that many will not be willing to count the cost, submit to His will, for such a path is not easy. Giving up all you have to serve and follow in the steps of Jesus is not done without a personal transformation of the heart and willingness to take up the cross and follow Him. That is a strait and narrow path to take. The other possibility is Jesus is saying that He is the only way. “…No man comes to the Father except by me”. Strait and narrow is the way to heaven for He is the only way. Either way, the way to the kingdom of God is through Christ and believing and loving Him with all our hearts, mind, body, and soul. 

Jesus is the Way

 John 14:4,5,6
And where I go you know, and the way you know... Lord...how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way…

How does one obtain eternal life? Heaven, the dwelling place of God. It is the hope of all that have lived on this earth, that after death eternal life awaits us. Jesus made it clear that there is life after this earthly life. He also made it clear that there is only one way to have it. The teaching that Jesus is the only way to God does not sit well with those who say that there are many ways to get to heaven. My opinion in this matter really does not matter. God’s word makes this discussion mute. Those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God, have no other choice than to take the word of Christ as truth. I don’t claim to know the hearts of all who say that there is another way, I leave such judgment to God, who knows the heart of all who have lived and are now living. I just know that Jesus said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me. The religions of the world can disagree all they want, but I have no doubt in my mind and heart that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In The Palm of His Hand

 John 10:28
 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The promise of Christ is not to let us go. There are those who would use this scripture to support their doctrine that once you give your life to Christ, no matter what you do after that, you will always be a child of God and eternal life is secure. Such thinking is not consistent with other scripture “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?.. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. The parable of the ten virgins that did not have oil and were not allowed into heaven is another example of people who said they were followers of Christ, but their heart was not ready. It is comforting to know that God has us in the palm of His hand, and He will protect us from and keep us safe from the lion that seeks to devour us. We must be willing to stay in His hands and believe that He is able to do the impossible. It would seem impossible that we can live a sinless life, but God has promised us that if we walk in the light of His presence, that we will continue to have fellowship with Him. He will not leave us or forsake us. “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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Knowing the Love of Christ

Heb 3:19- And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.

We admire those who are full of knowledge and know how to take that knowledge and use it. We spend the formative years of our lives putting information in our heads in hopes that we can apply that information into something productive in our lives. Our careers and social status are often determines by what we know. But all our knowledge is wasted If we have failed to know or come to the knowledge of the love of Christ. It is the pinnacle of all that one really needs to know. All knowledge short of this is found wanting and comes short of what really matters. To know the love of Christ is more than acknowledging that God loves you, or that you say you love Him. Knowing Him is to abide in Him and Him in you. It is to have the fullness of God living daily in your life. This fullness goes beyond the knowledge of books and Google. Knowledge is the path the leads us to know the love of Christ, it is not the ultimate goal, but the vehicle to obtain eternal life in Christ.