The Message of the Cross: What's in it for me (part 1)

Over the last two posts we saw how the cross testifies against us that we will never be good enough and we will never be wise enough to find our way to God. God is too high above us and we cannot ascend to find God because the distance is too great. However, the good news of the cross is that what we could not do ourselves, God did for us in sending His Son to live and die upon a cross. We could not ascend to God so He descended to us.

"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)

In this post we want to look at what God appropriated for us through His death on the cross.

Forgiveness

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:5-6)

All of us have been born in sin and we continue to live our lives in sin. Our sin stain has separated us from God. We are sinful and He is holy. The question is, how can unrighteous man be reconciled to a righteous and holy God? We have tried to keep the law but failed. Even on our best days, we fall far short. "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." (Isaiah 64:6) While God loves us and wants us to be reconciled to Him, He is also a God of justice and His justice demands that our issue of sin be dealt with. The penalty for our sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) God can not simply wink at our sins, they have to be dealt with and paid in full. So God came to Earth Himself in the person of His Son and died in our place that the penalty of our sin might be paid and we set free to be reconciled back to God. "But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Jesus death on the cross appeased God's justice and set us free from the condemnation that was against us. Jesus became the solution to our sin problem, "He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26) The message of the cross, for us, is a message of forgiveness.

Healing

"And by His scourging we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Jesus' death on the cross not only paid for our forgiveness but also made provision for our healing. His scourging and torment, which so marred His body to the point that He was almost unrecognizable, purchased for us healing and wholeness in our bodies; His brokenness for our wholeness. There is a lot that can be said about healing and we certainly live in the time between what was and what should be, but we should never loose faith or stop contending for healing. Jesus paved the way for our healing through the suffering He experienced as He was lead to and crucified on a cross. The message of the cross is, for us, a message of healing.

More to come. David Robison

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The Message of the Cross: What it says about us (Part 2)

In the previous post we looked at one reason why the message of the cross is offensive to many people. In this post we look at another reason.

We will never be wise enough

The platonic philosophers had the concept of two realms: the material realm in which we live and a higher realm of truth; a realm in which god lives. The problem for the philosophers was understanding how man, living in the lower realm, could ascertain truth, which was in the higher realm. To answer this question, Plato came up with the concept of the "Logos". Logos is a Greek word for reason. Plato's idea was that by applying reason, man could ascend into the higher realm and take hold of true knowledge. It was though the Logos that mankind could find the truth and, in the end, find god.

Plato got a lot of things right. He believed in a single creator god, he understood the divide between god and man, and he realized the need for something to bridge that gap. However, he failed to identify the true nature of that bridge. Man in all his wisdom, reasoning, and contemplation will never be wise enough to bridge that gap and ascend into the higher realm to know truth and to know God.

"Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." (1 Corinthians 1:20-21)

Worldly wisdom has a way of puffing us up, making us proud, and making it hard for us to receive the true wisdom of God. We think we can figure it out on our own. We despise the simple truths of the Gospel and treat the message of the cross with contempt; preferring our own intellect, reason, and beliefs to that which God has revealed. However, if we are to have any hope in obtaining truth and the knowledge of God, we must first humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God's wisdom.

"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, 'He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness'; and again, 'The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.'" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20)

More to come. David Robison

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The Message of the Cross: What it says about us (Part 1)

Paul says that the message of the cross has become for us "the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) However, for many people the cross has become an offense. How can something that was meant to bring the "power of God" result is such offense to so many people? The reason is because of what it says about us.

"For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor 1:22-24)

To the Jews the cross is a stumbling block, to the Gentiles it is foolishness, but to us it is wisdom and power. However, to find that wisdom and power we must be willing to press beyond our fleshly reaction to the cross. We must be willing to accept what the cross has to say about us.

We will never be good enough

The Jews had spent thousands of years trying to achieve a righteousness that was based on their law. God, through Moses, gave the Israelites a law that was holy and good. Their law, given by God, was what made them unique among the rest of the nations around them. "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:8) And along with the law, God gave them a promise, "So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord." (Leviticus 18:5). And for two thousand years the Jews were committed to the law. It not only defined what their righteousness was to be but it was also their very identity.

However, all their efforts were failures. Try as they might, no one could keep the law; no one could find righteousness through the law. God's own testimony about mankind is,

"There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalms 14:1-3)

Paul also confirms this when he stated, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." (Galatians 2:16) This is not to say that the law was not good and holy, it was, however it was unable to impart life and righteousness to us because the weakness of our flesh, because of our sinful nature.

The message of the cross tells us that we will never be good enough. No matter how holy and good the law is, regardless of how great our efforts are, we will all ways fall short. We can never be good enough to earn God's righteousness and His favor. Our own righteousness will never draw us close to God nor grant us right standing before him. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin." (Galatians 3:22)

For those who have spent their entire life trying to be good enough, trying to establish their own righteousness, this is bad news. For those who love self righteousness, this is an offense. But the truth is we will never be good enough, we will never be righteous enough, we will never ascend high enough. We cannot ascend to heaven to find God, we cannot do it ourselves, we need a savior.

More to come. David Robison

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Face to Face: (DT 34:10-12)

"Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel." (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)

Moses enjoyed a special relationship with God, that of a friend and close confidant. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33:11) He was not like the other prophets to whom God spoke in dreams, visions, and dark sayings. "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord." (Numbers 12:6-8)

It would be two thousand years before another prophet would arise who would have a greater relationship with God; one whom God would be His Father. Peter understood this when, in reference to Jesus, he quoted the Old Testament prophesy. "Moses said, 'The Lord God will rise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; To Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.'" (Acts 3:22) Jesus is "The Prophet", the one who could come like Moses and be greater than Moses. "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house — whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Hebrews 3:5-6) Jesus is greater than Moses in that He is a son and God is His Father. Moses knew God face-to-face as a servant, but Jesus, as a son. And now, through Jesus, we are His sons and, as sons, we are also called to know Him face-to-face. "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Today there is renewed interest in dreams, visions, and biblical symbolism. However we must not loose sight of the fact that God desires more in our relationship with Him. He desires us to become more than the Old Testament prophets; He desires to relate to us openly and plainly rather than through the veil of dreams and visions; He desires to know us face-to-face. He wants us to press beyond mere spiritual experiences to know Him on a personal level; to be His friends and His sons and daughters. To know Him as Moses did and even as Jesus did; openly, mouth-to-mouth, and face-to-face.

David Robison

dreams, visions, prophet, Moses, Book of Deuteronomy, The Robe, David Robison

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Where's the body? (DT 34:1-8)

"Then the Lord said to him, 'This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I will give it to your descendants"; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.' So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 34:4-5)

It would be another two thousand years before we would see Moses again. It occurred on a day when Jesus took Peter, James, and John and ascended up on the mountain to pray.

"And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:29-31)

I have at times heard people use this scripture to justify their attempt to communicate with the dead, which is a bit funny since, in the Old Testament, God strictly forbids such behavior. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Nevertheless, those who use this scripture to justify their practicing necromancy fail to take note if the special circumstances surrounding the death of those two humans who now appear alive with Jesus on the mountain.

In the case of Elijah, he did not die but was gathered up into heaven while he was still alive. "As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven." (2 Kings 2:11) As for Moses, though he died, God Himself buried him. "And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day." (Deuteronomy 34:6) Along with Enoch, these were the only people who did not enter into Sheol or, as the Greeks called it "Hades", upon their death. These three people ascended directly to heaven to be with God. For Moses, this is further substantiated when Jude writes, "But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" (Jude 9-10)

When King David was informed that his son, the one born of adultery, had died he got up from his fasting and returned to his normal routine. Those close to him were astonished that, having mourned while the child was sick, he would now return to a normal live once the child had died. David explained, "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:23) David understood that death was final, at least as it related to "the land of the living". That is why I don't believe that those who claim to contact the dead are really speaking with the dead. In my opinion it is most likely a daemon or failure spirit. But for Moses and Elijah, they did reappear in the "land of the living" because they never went "the way of all the earth" and entered into Sheol. This is what made them different and allowed them to appear and converse with Jesus while He was on earth.

David Robison

death, after life, Book of Deuteronomy, The Robe, David Robison

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Destroy! (DT 33:27)

"The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'" (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Have you ever had times when it seemed that all you "stuff" was being exposed? Issues you had buried, sins you had hidden, and faults you didn't even know you had; everywhere you look, there they are! In times like these its tempting to blame the devil as if he is the one bringing these things before our eyes. However, it may be possible that the devil is not to blame; God is. In this part of Moses' song, the picture is of God as a hunting dog, flushing out the prey, that we may see it and killed it. God goes before us and flushes out the enemy, drivers him before us, that we may easily destroy them. These times are not times of oppression but times of opportunity; opportunity to destroy the things in our lives that hurt our relationship with God and keep us from enjoying the Promise Land. The next time you experience one of these times, instead of blaming the devil, simply rise up and "Destroy!".

David Robison

Destroy, Book of Deuteronomy, David Robison, The Robe

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Moses must die (DT 32:48-52)

"The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 'Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.'" (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)

At first glance, God's punishment of Moses seems a bit harsh. For forty years Moses had lead a rebellious and stiff necked people faithfully before the Lord. However, on one occasion, being a single instance, Moses got angry with the people and responded in his anger and in so doing failed to fully execute what God had instructed him to do.

"Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, 'Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'" (Numbers 20:10-12)

One blemish on an otherwise spotless life and Moses is banded from entering the Promised Land. Why was God so sever in His punishment of Moses? For two reasons. First, God had raised up Moses into a place of authority and, because of that responsibility, He expected more of Moses than the rest of the congregation.

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:47-48 NKJV)

Because Moses had been given much, much was expected of him. This is why James says, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1) Moses' punishment was greater, in part, because he had been given a greater proportion of authority and anointing.

Secondly, his punishment was sever because his sin was not private but public; public sin requiring public punishment. This is why Paul commands concerning elders, "Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear." (1 Timothy 5:20 NKJV) Those who stand before the people have a tremendous influence over the people. Their lifestyle and behavior is an example for others to imitate, either for good or bad. When an elder or any other public person sins, they are to be rebuked openly. Their punishment must be severe enough so that other will not follow in their error but fear lest they too sin in a like manner.

While most of us are not "public people," we still have people watching us to see how we will live; whether our family, neighbors, or co-workers, people are watching and the question is, what will they see? Will they see a life that honors God or one that caters to self? Will they see a life that reflects the holiness of God or one that remains stained by the excesses and sin of the world? Will our lives bring glory and honor to God or only dishonor? Will we be like those whom Paul wrote to saying, "You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.'" just as it is written." (Romans 2:23-24) Or like those whom Jesus described, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) The choice is ours.

David Robison

sin, punishment, The Robe, David Robison, Book of Deuteronomy

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What is your life? (DT 32:44-47)

"Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun. When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, 'Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.'" (Deuteronomy 32:44-47)

After teaching Israel a prophetic song depicting their future history, Moses gives them this injunction, "Obey God, for it is your life." Their quality of life was directly related to their fidelity in obeying God's law. The law was their life and obeying it was the most important thing in their day to day life. Their life began with the law and ended (hopefully) in God's acceptance and blessing.

How different from life under the new covenant where our life begins and ends with Jesus. "[Jesus, the] author of their salvation." (Hebrews 2:10) "Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:2) The law is no longer our life, rather, Jesus is. Our life with God now begins with acceptance and leads to a transformed life. "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) This is completely opposite of the old covenant. We start out accepted and He changes us from the inside out. He gives us life and then teaches us to live it to the fullest. The law no longer has a place in our lives, it is no longer our life, rather it has been replaced by Jesus and His grace. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)

David Robison

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God knew they would fall away (DT 31:14-18)

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, "Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?" But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.'" (Deuteronomy 31:16-18)

Moses is about to die, but before he does, God turns to His friend and explains to him what would happen in the days to come to the people he had loved and shepherded for the past forty years. God tells Moses that in the ages to come Israel would fall away and apostasy would come upon the nation of Israel. Their sins and their worship of other gods would turn their hearts away from the true God; the God who lead them out of Egypt with signs and wonders and an out stretched arm. How disappointed and dismayed Moses must have been; to have cared for these people for forty years only to know that one day they would depart from all he taught and commanded them. As bleak of a picture God draws for Moses, this scripture shows use some wonderful truths about God.

First truth is that God is able to love us even while knowing our weakness and faults. Even knowing how the Israelites would abandon Him, God still loved them and still provided for and protected them. He was on their side even while knowing that, at times, they were not fully on His side. It reminds me of the time Jesus healed the ten lepers and yet only one came back to thank Him. "Then Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?'" (Luke 17:17-18) What I find interesting is that Jesus, while knowing that not all ten would return to give thanks, still healed all ten. Jesus healed all ten because He loved all ten, not because all ten would love Him back. God loves us because we are His regardless of our righteousness, our love for Him, what we have to offer Him, or even our faithfulness to Him. He loves us because He is love. (1 John 4:16)

Secondly, God is able to achieve His will in our lives even when we fail Him. God is more committed to His purpose in our live than we are. We are fickle, sometimes we are strong in faith and our determination to go on, other times we are weak and wanting to turn back. Sometimes we exude righteousness and other times we stumble and fall in sin. However, in all these times, our highs and our lows, our good times and our bad, God remains the same and He remains committed to us and our conformance to His will. I am encourage by the story of Jonah. When commanded by God to go and preach to the Ninevites Jonah rebels and tries to run away from God and His command. Through a series of circumstances Jonah is tossed from a boat and lands in the belly of a great fish. For three days Jonah stews in the fish before he finally repents. As soon as he repents, the scripture says, "Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land." (Jonah 2:10) But this was not just any dry land, he was barfed up on the shores of Nineveh, the very place he was suppose to go. For three days while Jonah was stewing, God was rushing him to Nineveh and to His purpose for Jonah's life. Even in Jonah's rebellion and sin, God was still working His purpose in his life.

Finally, God does not need perfect people for His purposes to succeed. Consider the lineage of Jesus. There were idolaters, adulterers, prostitutes, murders, liars, sinners, and infidels. However, even with the long line of imperfect people, God still brought His Son into the world to save us from our sins. Sometimes we forget how great God is; we believe that He is limited by us and our weaknesses; but the creator of the universe is not weak nor is he limited by human frailty but He is strong and well able to perform His purpose. Let us remember how great God is; let us see Him in His greatness and not through the prism of our weaknesses and failings. God is good and God is great.

David Robison

God, Love, Book of Deuteronomy, David Robison, The Robe

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Never forget (DT 31:9-13)

"So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them, saying, 'At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.'" (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)

With each successive generation it becomes increasing more difficult for a people to remember and relate to the events that lead up to the creation of their nation. The times of trials and difficulties, the individual and corporate acts of valor, their choosing to ratify themselves as a nation though the covenants and contracts they made with themselves and God; all these begin to fade from the active memory and become mere stories in a history book. When this happens, a nation is at risk of loosing touch with their past and with who they were created to be and become. The promise and potential that existed at their nations creation is in jeopardy when the people forget their past.

This is, at least in part, why God directed the nation of Israel to regularly set aside times when the people would be reminded of their laws and the covenants they made with God. It was for their protection lest they should forget who they were. The same is true today. My country is now more than two hundred years old and much of our history and purposes for existence has been lost to many of our citizens. For many, we no longer understand why we became a nation and we have forgotten the foundational principals that were the basis of our founding documents and constitution.

For a nation to endure, it must make sure that it reminds and educates each successive generation on the how and why of its creation. It must strive to pass on those principles and covenants that make it unique to each successive generation. It must pass itself on to the generations that follow.

David Robison

nation, foundation, Book of Deuteronomy, The Robe, David Robison

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