May It Not Be.

I really love the new C.D. by David Crowder*Band. For some strange reason, it makes me feel really good every time I listen to it. The work also has the effect of causing some rather deep insights to rise to the surface.

See, I went to my grandmother’s house the other day to solicit money from her for a charity walk I am doing. As is normal for our visits, we ended up getting into another theological discussion – this time about the depravity of man (yes, I understand your grandmother is not as cool as mine, it’s perfectly okay). I told her I have absolutely no hope for mankind – and she gave me an awesome picture of the parallel of our current situation and Noah’s time. She’s cool like that.

Anyway, as I was driving home, pondering our conversation – I was listening to David Crowder sing, “…There’s darkness in my skin, My cover’s wearing thin. I’d love to start again, go back to innocent, and never leave. I just believe things can get better. There’s nothing wrong with love, I think it’s just enough to believe…Rescue is coming…” And, then, all of a sudden, it hit me: The Cross of Christ Is a Stumbling Block!

Bear with me…

We are so caught up in our self-righteousness nowadays it almost makes me sick; partly because every now and then it happens to rub off on me, and partly because we have this wild assumption that we can get into heaven…by our own power, or good works, or some other ridiculous thing. This really irks me because I just happen to believe the only way into Heaven, without Christ, is this “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48)

“But you’ve got to be kidding me, man!” I know – there are some really great people on this Earth who have to be pretty darn close to that whole perfection thing…aren’t there? I’d say, “No.” But I’m a pessimist.

If man is not totally depraved – these verses (Romans 3:10-18) have got to be lies: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” I tend to believe this wholeheartedly. If you don’t – do me a quick favor and switch on the news...it won’t take you long to see every one of these things currently being played out for the world to see.

To continue with the state of man, we’ll look at Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

What then do we say about our power – we the murderers, liars, thieves, and all around despicable people? “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) We can’t save ourselves. It is not in us. (Remember from just a bit above this sentence what is in us).

Good news. Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” God made a way for us to Him.

If that above verse is not true – if God did not send His Son to be a propitiation for sin – then the cross of Christ must be foolishness to you. It certainly has become a stumbling block for you – because you’ve got your salvation in hand…to think of needing some rugged execution device to free you must be preposterous.

“…but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:23-25)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (1 Corinthians 3:19-20)

If you look upon that wonderful Cross and see just wood and mock the ignorance of those blind-sheep who follow that fake, dead savior – you are the fool.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” (Romans 1:20-23)

But glory be to the Most High God – He has not left us in our sinful, ignorant, pitiful, self-serving, leading-to-death lifestyles. He has made a way.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. / But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:4 / John 1:12-13)

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18)

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

What we were completely unable to do – that is, obtain an eternal relationship with the one true God – God did for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Christ Jesus.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

And what should our response to this be?

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:13)

And…

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

And…

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

You might not be taking all this in. I’ll admit – it’s really difficult for me, too. I’m all about earning my salvation – I have been raised with this mindset that I need to be justified by my own good works, that I am to chase after the glory of my name, that life (and I assume death) is what I make it.

Boy…have we been wrong for so long.