Carmelo Peixoto
“Jesus Christ’s cross is more than
a symbol of Christian faith; it is the secret of Christian life.”
Warren W. Wiersbe
“May I never boast except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified
to me, and I to the world. “ Galatians 6.14
There are many Christians in pursuit of power in this age of little
love. It does seem that wherever there is not much love, there is an intense
desire for power. This can be verified in many ecclesiastic spheres. There are
churches and denominations whose members substituted the word LOVE by the word
POWER in their brotherhood chats as well as in their preaches. It is the
powerful prayer, the powerful service, the powerful sermon. These are correct
things and we should desire them. But I am not mentioning an isolated and a
non-contextualized power from the devotional, study and meditation life as well
as obedience and holy practice. Whenever such topics are cited, it seems a
power lacking other divine attributes such as holiness and love. On the
contrary, I am talking about power which arises from the core of the bible, the
heart and, thus, it is high point of revelation which is Jesus Christ who “was
crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of GOD” ( 2. Co 13:4). It
means the power arising from the crucification of the faithful with Christ when
he believes and, afterwards, the way this mentioned faithful behaves in
justification and sanctification.
1 God’s plan for redemption
included, since the beginning, Jesus ´s death.
Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus´s death did not occur occasionally or as a political happening from which we are supposed to learn ethical lessons. Jesus knew, since the beginning, what he had come for the world. Reflect on these passages.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10); “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[put him to death by nailing him to the cross (Acts 2:23) and Peter in his first letter states that Jesus is the “ chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:20)
We can perceive that it is not an unexpected happening, something which is the result of the Jews´ political and religious outlook. He is “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13.8). God had already prepared in HIS mercy, the man’s redemption before because “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter HIS glory?” (Luke 24.26). If Christ is our master and shepherd, what shall be our attitude in relation to these truths?
2 Where can we obtain power to
change the world?
Examining Christ
I would really like that this word could reach the heart of those who
seek GOD profoundly and that are not happy with a life marked by lack of power
to solve personal, family, professional problems as well as bearing gospel
witness. This, however, encompasses all these domains and not only in some ministry
or service that GOD provided to you in local church.
God’s power is clear. Each God’s son, each Christian who was really
reborn, that is, received power while descended on him the Holy Spirit,
according to Acts 1.8. However, what can be noted in many old Christians are:
impotence to bear witness, gain souls, sons and couples for Christ, indulgence
with immorality and sensuality and sorrow. As result, we have religiosity,
religious mechanics, religious talk; the result is the subtle or unveiled
entrance of worries with the world or mundane attitudes such as lobby, politics
and liberalism. Thanks to God it does not need to be like this because the
Gospel is God’s power which we can have good cheer. The Lord says: “I have
overcome the world.” (John 16.33)
I do invite you to think about these words which refer to Christ: “But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26). We have that Jesus overcame the world, offering himself as God’s Lamb, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:20). So, we have that He overcame the devil and his evils “triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
How did Jesus
overcome the world, the sin and the devil? HE did it by “triumphing over them
by the cross. This was God’s plan accomplished by Jesus who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself unblemished to God (Hebrews 9:14). Yet, “since the
children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his
death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the
devil—(Hebrews 2:14). Do you start perceiving the power that is absent in many
Christians´ lives, in many churches and maybe in yours? This is power! To overcome
the empire of death and his sender! Christ overcame the devil, but He did not
die for this world. In fact, “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet
he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we
will live with him in our dealing with you.”
(2 Corinthians 13:4). There is no power in overcoming sin, devil that
committed sin and the iniquity system which is called world without death in
the cross. Likewise the winner Christian, the family and the church die for
oneself in order to live by God’s power and for God. Just remember the word to
do away with sin in Hebrews 9:26 and to break the power of him who holds the
power of death in Hebrews 2:14. To do away with means to reduce to nothing,
destruct entirely. Cheer my brother: Your LORD is a winner.
I invite you to
think about the great number of Christian men and women who are wasting their
time watching TV as well as with other attractive entertainments. For instance,
we may mention a sports fan in their heart and that one is an idol and he does
not know it. In stead of dedicating their time with prayer, bible study, home
service, they do seek support and pleasure in the things mentioned above.
People do not know that this is part of devil’s work: lead us to distraction
whereas the enemy is taking our precious time with soccer games and soap operas
and thus such things lead us to the world, at the same time, he goes on taking millions
of people to hell.
My loved brothers
and sisters, if the Lord HIMSELF did not surrender to the devil, either to
sadness in the Gethsemane for
loving me and you and if HE is our LORD and SAVIOR, I do ask: What is happening
to us as GOD´s church when most of us keep silent and do not proclaim
Jesus´love? What is happening, that with
religious freedom, bibles and more bibles of study and videos on the internet,
with facilities such as bible schools, books and still the world gets worse
each day and people at church defend suspicious behavior? Why are there lots of misunderstanding and so
little power at churches? The answer is:
the devil is seducing the church, just like a persecution based on appeals and
seductions through the television (the modern narrator) and the cinema (the
most influent modern educator). While the devil paralyses church by developing
the world culture inside it, he makes the world a hell. Have you ever noticed
the advancement of homosexual practices as well as hidden sciences in the
world? Why is it happening? A short
answer would be the fulfillment of prophecies. But what I want to point out is
that this sad scenery is correspondent to church’s silence for not proclaiming,
for not getting worried with souls, for leading a life just focused on their
own concerns. For instance, I mention:
the new temple, its air-conditioning, a new job, a new house etc as if these
were the most important things in the world, and not GOD´s glory. They did
forget Jesus´ word: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.” ( Matthew 6:33.
In order to
overcome the world, however, and seek GOD´s kingdom in first place it is
necessary to be aware of Christ’s death in the cross and our death with HIM, according
to Romans 6. Not only did Christ die for
us, but we also died for HIM: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through
baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the
glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans
6:4) This is a fact: we died with HIM in
the cross and now we can walk in the newness of life. But it is not the old life because this one
was destructed once “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,
in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no
longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6) Therefore, there are victory and power.
HE starts with our death in the cross and then we can walk in newness of life.
But this life has to be lived by faith: “ …have been crucified with Christ; and
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2.20) For
this reason, Paul says in this same context: “I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me... “ ( Galatians
2. 19-20). So, HE was used by GOD more than the others. Because of this, HE could change the world,
for HE died for HIMSELF in order to bear fruit for GOD. He understood “… wisdom
from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. ( 1 Corinthians
1:30)
Different lives
“And he died for all, that those who
live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was
raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
The difference among Jesus´ life and that of Apostle Paul and
Christians´ life of our generation resides in the fact that Jesus and Paul died
for themselves and most of the modern Christians did not develop such
understanding and practice. They have a strong relation with material things,
they are easily seduced by consumerism, have no commitment with studying the
bible etc. This explains why so many Christians are entangled with world’s
problems as well as relationship ones. They did not understand or they were not
taught that if they became Christ’s slaves, therefore they would serve a new
Lord who is Jesus; they left behind the old Lord who was the devil. “As for
you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the
air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (According to Ephesians 2: 1-2). They did not understand that their
salvation means losing the old life forever: “Whoever does not take up their
cross and follow me is not worthy of me”, as it in Matthew 10:38, it means die
for Christ; the cross was an instrument of torture and death. His disciples
knew about this because they had seen many men dying. For this reason, “Whoever
finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will
find it.” (Matthew 10:39). The
unfaithful “finds” his life by defending it physically in stead of accepting
the cross (it implies loss of pleasure and friends, etc); the Christian, on the
other hand, loses his life (that of the old man) to overcome eternal life.
However, this message, the cross word is not being preached anymore either to
avoid confrontation or due to lack of knowledge. For this reason, there are
lots of people suffering failure or full of doubt and / or acting not as a
disciple in church. People who are proud, full of self love because they do not
know the real meaning of dying for themselves, for the ego, for the old man.
When we leave behind the message of the cross and the subsequent one of
sanctification, which comes from gospel and we do separate grace from obedience
or faith from discipleship, as stated by James Boice: “….people take Christ’s
name without undergoing radical change which the real conversion presents”.
Such change is the result of the old man’s death and the newness of life
introduced in the faithful by the Lord through HIS Spirit due to the victory
that Jesus Christ, our Lord, overcame in the cross, once more triumphing over
the darkness empire. That’s the victory. That’s the change from sin to Christ’s
grace by means of faith in HIS blood. You and I only need to die daily for
living a productive life for God’s glory.
This is the most powerful truth in Earth to change the world: when one
knows that he died for this life, but lives for God. Because, “And he died for
all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who
died for them and was raised again.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:15) . Many preachers do not
preach this anymore. Many Christians do not even know about this. We need to
come back to the cross and leave behind our mean life because Jesus went to the
cross to destroy it forever. Adam’s old life keeps hiding from God. Adam’s life
or the Flesh or sinful nature is useless for God and for somebody else. It is full
of vanity. God does not accept it, for this reason He regenerated us by giving
a new life. We have to remain in Christ (John 15:7) and so we will produce
fruit and we will change the world. Are you thus in the cross, crucified for
the world and living only for God? If you are not, it is urgent that you do
regret it in order to produce fruit and glorify the Lord.
Examining
the Church and fixing things
If the newly converted ones were taught since the very beginning that
they would lose the old life and that now they do belong to the ONE who bought
them with His blood and thus He became their owner (1 Corinthians 6:20); if
they were taught, from the very beginning of their Christian life, that they
should remain in Christ and do not love the world (1 John 2:15), forget the
lusts of the flesh – “and those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires” ( Galatians 5:24), “they should no longer live for themselves but for
him who died for them and was raised again”
(2 Corinthians
5.15), and they have to carry the cross
“ or that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every
way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (
Colossians 1:10), we can concluded that many things would be different in
churches. Vanity would no longer exist; any mean project would not have its
place, malice would not have destructed communion of so many with God and the
brothers.
Because many Christians did not put the cross as their maximum guideline,
there is so much useless work in church, so much misunderstandings in
marriages, so many failed ministries, so
much failure where there should reign
the power of God’s holy spirit and Christ’s love. It seems that in many cases,
it is not intended to offend the newly converted by calling his attention and
claiming him to take his cross just like Jesus taught: “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew
16:24) and explain to him that “For whoever wants to save their life will lose
it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) and them
He asks: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit
their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26)
What people, at church, do most of the time is to
welcome the newly converted members and tell them that from now on everything
is going to be alright. Therefore, this denies Jesus´ words: “I have told you these things,
so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). However, it has been noticed
that both few visits have been made and little knowledge about the doctrine has
been conveyed to the newly converted ones. Nevertheless, the most important
thing to teach them is to live a new life including the responsibilities of
God´s son, in all its aspects of obedience, in order to please God, that is,
God´s will. Salomon preaching about child´s education highlights “Start
children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old
they will not turn from it. (Proverb 22:6). The result of an incomplete
discipleship, which does not encompass self-denial, can be noticed easily and
need not to be described: religiosity, conformation with the world, lack of
commitment and arrogance. If the spiritual vision of the old and newly
converted is not summed up by God´s glorious words, their hearts ‘eyes will not
shine so that they will expect their call just as in “I keep asking that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so
that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called
you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Ephesians 1.
17-18), Thus, only one typical flesh view of the old man who despises the cross
because “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit
to God’s law, nor can it do so (Romans 8:7). That is the reason why a newly
converted becomes religious so fast, full of habits and slangs pertaining to
the local church.
I invite you to examine Paul´s apostle: think about the proud Pharisee
that he had been. He confesses in Philippians,
chapter 3 that he gave up everything for Christ. Observe, in his entire Epistle, the value that he gives
to the cross in his life. Read the Gospel and its epistles carefully, the
brothers´ priorities for serving and living life they received. Would Lazarus
have had the will to return to the tomb? This is the word forgotten by an
entire generation of Christians who do not remain in victory that Christ conquered for them: How
did you receive Jesus Christ, the Lord? (He is the Lord; He commands you). So,
act according to His law. You can check it in Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as
you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him”. Examine
great missioners´ and preachers´ life and check what they thought and how they
related to the cross (death, shame, crucification for the world); what the
cross meant to them. Have a look at Vejam Charles H. Spurgeon, the
preachers´ Prince. Examine Amy Carmichael´s, Adoniram Judson´s life: the cross
is there. The cross is present in the religious and glorious revivals. We do
gain when we lose. The cross was forgotten or deleted; therefore we did lose so
much nowadays. Shall we come back to the cross, to the Gospel which exhorts sorrow
and the daily living that die for the earth and live for the heaven? This
cross, said Spurgeon, is “a sanctified load, a load that provides communion
with Christ”.
I do finish here with one of Charles Spurgeon´s
statement:
Doth
that man love his Lord who would be willing to see Jesus wearing a crown of
thorns, while for himself he craves a chaplet of laurel? Shall Jesus ascend to
his throne by the cross, and do we expect to be carried there on the shoulders
of applauding crowds? Be not so vain in your imagination. Count you the cost,
and if you’re not willing to bear Christ’s cross, go away to your farm and to
your merchandise, and make the most of them. Only let me whisper this in your
ear, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own
soul?”
