THE NEW BIRTH part 2

I HOW CAN A PERSON BE BORN AGAIN?

CHRIST INDICATES a three-fold means by which the new birth is produced.

1. By believing the Word of God (John 3:5). The “water” here is the well-known symbol for the Word of God (see Ephesians 5:26; John 15:3; Psalm 119:9). It has no reference to baptism. Other Scriptures make abundantly clear that the new birth comes through the Word of God (see 1 Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18). Just as water when applied cleanses from our eyes the dirt that would otherwise obscure our vision, so the Word of God, when read and believed, washes from the mind of the sinner his wrong ideas of God and His salvation. The entrance of God’s word brings light on man’s lost condition (Romans 3:10-19); God’s love as seen in His provision for man’s salvation (John 3:16); and the way by which a sinner may be saved (Romans 10:1-17).

2. By the indwelling of the Spirit of God (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Trinity, was sent by Christ, on His ascension, to use the Word of God to convince men of their sin; to lead them to put their trust in Christ; to indwell each person in believing; to communicate to the believer a Divine nature, or capacity for spiritual things; and to guide each born-again person into all truth (see John 16:7-15; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Galatians 5:22-26).

As the Word of God is read or heard, the Holy Spirit applies the truth to the heart in convicting force, showing the sinner his lost, guilty, helpless and hopeless condition. He then reveals through faith in Christ and His finished work. The moment the sinner trusts in Christ He seals him, by His indwelling presence, as Christ’s purchased possession. This is not a question of feeling, but of fact. We do not feel the new birth.

3. By faith in the Substitutionary Sacrifice of Christ (see John 3:14-16). In these words Christ made crystal clear how this new life can come to a sinner. In answer to Nicodemus’ question “How can these things be?” Christ used an incident recorded in the Old Testament to illustrate how the new birth could be experienced (now read Numbers 21:4-9). Seven words seem to sum up the incident. Let us give it our closest and most careful attention, for it is Christ’s own illustration of how the sinner can be born again.

a. Sin (Numbers 21:5). Just as Israel sinned, so all humanity has sinned against God in thought, word and deed (Romans 3:23).

b. Judgment (v. 6). As their sin brought God’s merited judgment upon them, so God has revealed His wrath against all sin (see Romans 1:18; Job 36:18; Romans 6:23).

c. Repentance (v. 7). Israel realized, confessed, and sought pardon for their sin. This is repentance, which consists of a change of mind, resulting in a change of attitude, which is expressed by a change of action. God demands the repentance of the sinner (see Luke 13:3; Acts 17:31; 20:21; Mark 1:15).

d. Revelation (v. 8). “And the Lord said”; as God revealed t Moses the way of salvation for these snake-bitten Israelites, so God has revealed in the Bible. His way of salvation for us (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Romans 10:8-9).

e. Provision (vs. 8, 9). A serpent of brass was made and lifted up on a pole in full view of the camp of Israel. Now can compare John 3:14. Just as Moses lifted up on a cross to provide salvation for sin-bitten humanity. On the cross He bore our sins, took our place, endured all the judgment due to our sins, and by His death, satisfied all God’s demands against the sinner. God has indicated His acceptance of the substitutionary sacrifice of His Son by raising Him from the dead (see Isaiah 53:5, 6; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 5:7-8).

f. Condition (v. 8) “when he looked”. The fact that the brazen serpent was lifted up did not, of itself, save them. Each bitten Israelite must look to live! The fact that Christ has died for our sins and accomplished all the work needed for our salvation, will not save any sinner unless he personally believes on Christ, trusts Him as his own Savior, and on Him as the Lord of his life. This is what our Savior meant when he said: “that whosoever believeth in him… should have everlasting life” John 3:16. Just as the bitten Israelites were not asked to pray, resolved, pay or do good works to merit salvation, so sinners are urged to own their need and trust wholly in the work of Christ, and receive Him by faith as their own personal Savior (see John 1:12; Acts 13:38-39; Ephesians 2:8-9).

g. Result (v. 9) “he lived”. The moment a bitten Israelite (who was as good as dead) looked, he received new life. He was, as it were, born again! So the moment a guilty, lost sinner believes the gospel that Christ died for his sins, and definitely accepts Him as his own Savior, he receives spiritual or eternal life, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, becomes a partaker of a Divine nature, and is thus born from above, or regenerated. This is the new birth, which Christ declared was absolutely essential to seeing and entering the Kingdom of God.

II WHEN CAN A PERSON BE BORN AGAIN?

The answer to this can be obtained by consulting your watch! The new birth takes place the moment a guilty sinner looks to Christ and trusts Him as his Lord and Savior. Why not, just where you are, and as you are, cease from your own efforts to save yourself, and trust in the Person and rest in the work of the Son of God, who did it all for you (see 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2; Hebrews 4:7).

Come as a sinner, and trust now in Christ, Who bore thy sins and shame; Then, by the Spirit of God through the Word, Thou shalt be born again!

What Christians Believe
Chapter 7: The New Birth part 2
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

THE NEW BIRTH (John 3:1-21)

THE READER must be struck by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, solemnly impressed upon a most religious and moral person named Nicodemus the absolute necessity for him to be born again, if he would see or enter the Kingdom of God (vs. n3, 5). The new birth is one of the three great “musts” of all humanity.
1. The “must” of death (2 Samuel 14:14; Hebrews 9:27).
2. The “must” of the judgment (Romans 14:12; Revelation 20:11-15).
3. The “must” of regeneration, or the new birth.

In view of much ignorance and misunderstanding concerning this vital matter, let us first view it negatively.

I WHAT THE NEW BIRTH IS NOT (See John 1:12, 13)

1. It is not of natural generation or descent “not of blood”. Though one may be born of Christian parents this does not constitute him a Christian.
2. Not of self-determination “will of the flesh”. Just as a child cannot will itself to be born physically, so no one can produce the new birth by his own efforts.
3. Not of human meditation, “nor of the will of man, but of God”. No human being, however eminent his ecclesiastical position, can impart the new birth to another. All the rites and ceremonies of any or of all organized religions can never produce the new birth.
4. Not a physical change. Christ corrected Nicodemus’ misunderstanding as to this, and showed him it was a spiritual change (vs. 4-6).
5. Not a social and geographical change. The born again person is not suddenly translated to heaven, but continues to live on earth, but now to please his Lord and Savior (1 Corinthians 7:20-24; Colossians 3:22-24).
6. Not an intellectual apprehension of what it is. A person can be religiously educated, ordained to the ministry, and become a preacher without being born again. There are many such. Theoretically they may know its necessity, yet know nothing of it by experience.
7. Not an evolutionary process. It is not a gradual development of some germ of spiritual life that is within (Ephesians 2:2). Sinners are described as being spiritually dead. Life cannot be developed where it does not exist!
8. Not a reformation or self-improvement by which outwardly bad habits are relinquished. It is not a change of manners, but of the man.
9. Not a religious belief. It is possible to be sincere in one’s religious convictions, be baptized, confirmed, join the church, take communion, teach a Sunday School class, occupy a church office, and even be a preacher, without being born again. The necessity for the new birth was stated to one of the most religious, sincere and moral men of his day (John 3:1).
10. The new birth is a spiritual change (v.8). This can be brought about only by God (John 1:13).

Now let us ask three questions regarding the new birth. Why? How? When? The first one is discussed below. The other two will be taken up in the next lesson.

II WHY MUST A PERSON BE BORN AGAIN?

Note verse 7, “Marvel not”. The necessity for the new birth is perfectly logical and reasonable, and should not awaken incredulity.

1. Because of a spiritual nature that man naturally lacks (v. 6). Here the word “flesh” refers to that sinful nature which a person receives at his physical birth. Leave off the letter “H”, and spell it backwards and its meaning will be seen, i.e. “self”. Through his sin, Adam acquired a sinful nature, and this nature has been transmitted, by birth, to each of his descendants (see Romans 5:12,18,19; Psalm 51:5). The character of this sinful nature, called “the flesh”, is described in Romans 8:5-8. It is “enmity against God, not subject {or obedient} to the law of God, “ and consequently is incapable of pleasing God”. In other words, man does not naturally possess a spiritual capacity which would enable him to either desire, understand, or enjoy the things of God (see Corinthians 2:14).

Just as a musical, artistic or poetry capacity can be communicated to a person only by a physical birth, so a spiritual capacity, by which the things of God can be appreciated, must be communicated to a person by spiritual birth. The flesh can be educated, cultivated and religionized; but its nature remains unchanged and unchangeable in its enmity to God, and is incapable of pleasing God. The new birth is the impartation of a spiritual or Divine nature, by which alone man can possess this spiritual capacity to understand and enjoy the things of God. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. Like can produce only like!

2. Because of a spiritual kingdom that man cannot naturally see or enter (See vs. 3,5). What is meant here by “the Kingdom of God?” It is described as a spiritual experience. We read, “The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink {or physical}, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Let us think of two kingdoms or spheres; one called “the kingdom of men”, and the other “the Kingdom of God”; or one called “the flesh”, and the other “the spirit”. All humanity enters the kingdom of men by a physical birth, which communicates to him a physical nature, which fits him for a physical sphere, peopled by men. In this sphere he lives, moves, and has his being. Now how is man to be enabled to see the value of and enter this other sphere called the Kingdom of God? The answer is surely quite obvious. He must be born again, or gave a spiritual birth, which will introduce him into this new realm. Through this new birth he will become possessed of a spiritual nature which will fit him to enjoy the spiritual realities that characterize the Kingdom of God.

You will notice that the marginal rendering of the words “born again,” is “born from above”. This serves to indicate the source of the birth. Physical birth is of man and the earth; spiritual birth has its origin in God and is from heaven. Now read Romans 8:9. Here Paul speaks to a people who were no longer “in the flesh” as to their position before God; but were “in the Spirit”. How were they translated from one kingdom to the other? By the Spirit of God, upon their acceptance of Christ as their Savior.

3. Because of a spiritual life man does not naturally possess. Man, by nature, is described as being “dead in his trespasses and sins”; “alienated from the life of God”; as “having not life” (see Ephesians 2:1; 4:18; 1 John 5:11-12). Just as a body without physical life is declared to be physically dead, so any person without spiritual life is described in the Bible as being spiritually dead (see 1 Timothy 5:6; Luke 15:24). Death therefore means separation. For a person to be separated from Christ, in Whom is life, is to be dead spiritually (John 1:4). How can this spiritual life be imparted to the spiritually dead? Let Christ Himself answer it. Turn to John 5:25 and the problem were solved. All who hear the Son of God, receive His Word and trust Him as their Savior receive spiritual life, or are thus born again. See also John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 10:26-28; 1 John 5:13.

III HIS WORK

Under this heading, we shall discuss the Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension.

1. His death.
a. The death of Christ was necessary (John 3:14). It was part of God’s eternal purpose (Hebrews 10:7). It was necessary to fulfill Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 53:5). It was necessary to provide salvation for man (Ephesians 1:7).
b. The death of Christ was for others. He died as a substitute (1 Corinthians 15:3).
c. The death of Christ was sufficient. It completely meets God’s claims because Christ endured and exhausted the judgment of God against sin. It completely meets man’s need because it was the death of an Infinite Person, and therefore its value is infinite.
2. His resurrection
a. The resurrection of Christ was necessary to fulfill prophecy, to complete the work of the Cross, Romans 4:25, and to enable Christ to undertake His present work in Heaven.
b. Christ’s resurrected body was real. It was not a spirit (Luke 24:39). It was the same body which was crucified because it had he print of the nails and the spear wound (John 20:27). Yet it was a changed body, with power to overcome physical limitations.
c. After His resurrection Christ appeared to certain of His followers at least ten times. More than five hundred at least ten times. More than five hundred reliable witnesses saw Him after he arose (1 Corinthians 15:6).
d. The resurrection of Christ is an important truth. If there had been no resurrection there would be no Christian faith.

3. His ascension.
a. At the end of His ministry on earth, Christ was carried up into heaven (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9).
b. He ascended so that He might enter into His reward, John 17:5, and continue His ministry for His people.

IV HIS OFFICES

Christ is presented in Scripture as a Prophet, a Priest and a King.
1. As Prophet, he tells men what God has to say to them, and He thus reveals God to men (John 1:18).
2. As Priest, He represents believers before God (Hebrews 4:14-16).
3. As King, He reigns today in the hearts of those who are loyal to Him. In a coming day, He will reign upon the earth for one thousand years. Psalm 72 describes His reign on earth.

Then throughout eternity the Lord Jesus will continue to serve his blood-bought people.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 6: The New Birth
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

CHRIST

THIS LESSON concerns the Lord Jesus Christ, the central theme of Holy Scripture. We shall consider His deity, His incarnation, His work and His offices.

I HIS DEITY

The deity of Christ means that Christ is God. Scripture clearly teaches this important fact in the following ways.
1. The attributes of God are used in speaking of Christ.
a. His pre-existence. Christ has no beginning (John 17:5).
b. His omnipresence. He is with His servants everywhere (Matthew 28:20).
c. His omnipotence. He has unlimited power (Revelation 1:18).
d. His omniscience. He has unlimited knowledge (John 21:17).
e. His unchangeableness. He is “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
2. The works of God were performed by Christ.
a. He created all things (John 1:3).
b. He upholds the universe (Colossians 1:16).
c. He raised Himself from the dead (John 2:19)
3. The titles of God are given to Christ.
a. God the Father addresses the Son as God (Hebrews 1:8).
b. Men called Him God, and He did not refuse their worship (John 20:28).
c. Demons recognized Him as God (Mark 1:24).
d. He declared Himself to be God (John 10:30).

II HIS INCARNATION

By the incarnation of Christ is meant His coming into the world as a man.
1. The coming of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14).
2. History records the birth of our Lord. His birth was different from all other births.
a. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35).
b. He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23)
c. Yet He was truly man, possessing a body (Hebrews 10:5), soul (Matthew 26:38) and spirit (Luke 23:46).
3. Christ came in human form in order to:
a. Reveal the Father (John 14:9).
b. Put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26)
c. Destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

NOTE WELL: One of the foundation truths of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is truly God and that He came into the world as a man by the miracle of virgin birth. As a man, He was absolutely sinless.

III HIS WORK

Under this heading, we shall discuss the Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension.

1. His death.
a. The death of Christ was necessary (John 3:14). It was part of God’s eternal purpose (Hebrews 10:7). It was necessary to fulfill Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 53:5). It was necessary to provide salvation for man (Ephesians 1:7).
b. The death of Christ was for others. He died as a substitute (1 Corinthians 15:3).
c. The death of Christ was sufficient. It completely meets God’s claims because Christ endured and exhausted the judgment of God against sin. It completely meets man’s need because it was the death of an Infinite Person, and therefore its value is infinite.
2. His resurrection
a. The resurrection of Christ was necessary to fulfill prophecy, to complete the work of the Cross, Romans 4:25, and to enable Christ to undertake His present work in Heaven.
b. Christ’s resurrected body was real. It was not a spirit (Luke 24:39). It was the same body which was crucified because it had he print of the nails and the spear wound (John 20:27). Yet it was a changed body, with power to overcome physical limitations.
c. After His resurrection Christ appeared to certain of His followers at least ten times. More than five hundred at least ten times. More than five hundred reliable witnesses saw Him after he arose (1 Corinthians 15:6).
d. The resurrection of Christ is an important truth. If there had been no resurrection there would be no Christian faith.

3. His ascension.
a. At the end of His ministry on earth, Christ was carried up into heaven (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9).
b. He ascended so that He might enter into His reward, John 17:5, and continue His ministry for His people.

IV HIS OFFICES

Christ is presented in Scripture as a Prophet, a Priest and a King.
1. As Prophet, he tells men what God has to say to them, and He thus reveals God to men (John 1:18).
2. As Priest, He represents believers before God (Hebrews 4:14-16).
3. As King, He reigns today in the hearts of those who are loyal to Him. In a coming day, He will reign upon the earth for one thousand years. Psalm 72 describes His reign on earth.

Then throughout eternity the Lord Jesus will continue to serve his blood-bought people.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 5: Christ
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

SIN

I WHAT IS SIN?

NO ONE can read the Bible very much without realizing that a great deal of attention is given to the subject of sin, its cause and cure. We often think of sin in connection with crime and murder. But sin in the Bible refers to anything short of God’s perfection. In Romans 3:23, we read, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. The “glory of God” includes the thought of absolute perfection. Sin is therefore falling short of the mark. All men are guilty of this.

Sin is also spoken of in the Bible in the following ways.
1. Breaking the law of God. Romans 5:13
2. Rebellion against God, or lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 (Revised Version).
3. Moral impurity. Psalm 32:5.

Evil thoughts are sinful, as well as evil deeds. Matthew 5:28.

II THE ORIGIN OF SIN

The first recorded instance of sin took place in heaven. The angel Lucifer became ambitious to be equal with God. Isaiah 14:12-14. For this sin of pride, he was cast out of heaven, and became the one whom the Bible elsewhere describes as the devil or Satan.

The first instance of sin on earth is described in the Third Chapter of Genesis. It took place in the Garden of Eden. God forbade Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. They thus became sinners.

III THE RESULTS OF SIN

1. As soon as the parents of the human race sinned, they became conscious of the fact that they were naked, and they tried to hide from God. Genesis 3:10.
2. The penalty of sin is death. Adam became spiritually dead the moment he sinned. By this we mean that he became separated from God, and banished from God’s presence. He also became subject to physical death. Although he did not die immediately, his body was doomed to die eventually.
3. Adams’ sinful nature was passed on to the human race. Every child born of sinful parents is a sinner by birth. Thus Adam’s oldest son, Cain, was a murderer. Because all men are born sinners, they are all dead spiritually, and are all doomed to die someday. (Read Romans 5:12-18 carefully at this point).

IV THE PENALTY OF SIN

“The wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23. God has pronounced the penalty of sin as being death. We have already seen that this means spiritual death and physical death. This penalty must be paid. God must punish sin.

As long as a man lives in his sins, he is dead spiritually and is facing physical death. If he is still in his sins when he dies, he is subject to eternal death. This means that he will be forever banished from God and will suffer for his sins in the lake of fire. This is the second death spoken of in Revelation 20:14.

V THE REMEDY FOR SIN

God has provided a remedy so that men do not need to suffer everlasting punishment for their sins. He sent His Son into the world to provide a way of escape for man. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. He did not inherit Adam’s sinful nature. He was the only sinless man who ever lived. On the Cross of Calvary He willingly suffered the penalty of sin, and satisfied all God’s holy demands. Since the penalty of sin has been met, God can now give eternal life to every sinner and receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. (This will be more fully explained in the lessons on the New Birth and Salvation).

When a person trusts in Christ, he is saved from the penalty and power of sin. This does not mean that he no longer commits sin. But it does mean that all his sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven, that he will never be judged for them, and that he has power to live for God instead of for the pleasures of sin.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 4: Sin
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

MAN

IF WE WANT to know the truth about man, we must turn to the Bible. “Truth is what God says about a thing”. The Bible tells us about man’s creation, nature, relation to other beings, his fall and destiny.

I MAN’S ORIGIN

It is only natural that man should be curious about his origin. He always has been. Various theories have been put forward at different times by philosophers. The most modern is the theory of evolution, which asserts that man’s ancestors are the lower animals.

But the Bible tells us: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… God created man. Gen. 1:1, 27.

God says concerning his creature man, “I have created him for my glory, I have formed him: yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). So the old question, “What is the chief end of man?” is properly answered, “The chief end of man is to glorify God”.

II MAN’S NATURE

Anyone who has witnessed a deathbed understands vividly that man has a physical body and also a soul or spirit. At one moment the person is alive… the next he is gone. Yet his body is still there. But the life principle has departed; a dead body remains. Man is not merely a body, but also is or has a soul and spirit.

The Bible teaches us that man exists as a threefold being: body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). While it is hard for us to distinguish between soul and spirit, since both are in contrast with the physical body, the Bible shows that there is a difference. Animals have a body and soul, but no spirit. A man has body, soul and spirit.

The soul distinguishes a living being from a dead one, but the spirit distinguishes a man from an animal. The spirit of man makes it possible for him to have communion or fellowship with God. The soul is the seat of the emotions and passions, while the term spirit includes our ability to know and reason. Man is responsible to God and it is his greatest duty to find out what God wants him to do, then do it.

III MAN’S FREE WILL

There are other beings in the universe which God has created. These are angels or spirits. They do not have human body or soul. They are mightier than we are. They were also created to serve God, but since they have a free will, some of them fell into the sin of disobedience.

God could have made a number of machines to do His will mechanically. Instead He chose to create beings who could, if they wished, serve him voluntarily and love Him freely. We can quite understand why He would desire to have it so. A man could get protection for his house by means of a burglar alarm system. But there is something about a dog which draws out our affections in a way no machine ever could.

IV MAN’S SIN

When God created free beings, able to do His will or refuse to do so, He must have known that some would choose the wrong way. And so it turned out. A great angel called Lucifer, now known as Satan, decided to set his will in opposition to God’s. He was immediately cast out of heaven, and many other angels were cast out with him. From that time on, Satan has sought to hinder the plans of God in every possible way. When man was created with a free will, Satan immediately planned to tempt him from the path of obedience. God had warned man, but Satan succeeded only too well in drawing him into sin as well. The well-known story is found in Genesis 3.

Now God, as the moral Governor of the universe, cannot tolerate in His presence any being who deliberately disobeys His commands. This is why Satan was cast out of heaven when he defied God’s will. The same treatment was necessary for man, and so Adam was driven from the presence of God.

Adam’s nature has been passed on to every member of the human race. We are all born with a tendency to sin. This nature responds to temptation from without and so we yield and grievously sin.

V MAN’S FUTURE

Just as the Bible tells us of man’s origin, as coming from the hand of God; and of man’s shameful fall and the consequent separation from God; so it faithfully tells us that every man, woman and child will someday stand before God as his Judge. The fact of death is so common that everyone understands the inevitable end of every man. But the Bible adds, “After this the judgment”. God has created man and revealed to him His will. God will absolutely hold every person responsible for everything he has done. This life is primarily a preparation for the next one. Man does not die like the animal. His spirit must go to God, his Creator and Judge.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 3: Man
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

GOD

NO GREATER SUBJECT CAN OCCUPY the mind than the study of God and of man’s relationship to Him.

I THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

1. The Bible does not seek to prove the existence of God. The fact that there is a God is assumed throughout the Scriptures. The first verse of the Bible is an example. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” God’s existence is presented as a statement of fact that needs no proof. The man who says that there is no God is called a fool in Psalm 14:1.

2. However, even apart from the Bible, there are certain evidences for the existence of God. (1) Mankind has always believed in a universal being. (2) Creation must have a creator. The universe could not originate without a cause. (3) The wonderful design which we see in creation demands an infinite designer. (4) Since man is an intelligent, moral being, his creator must have been of a much higher order in order to create him.

II THE NATURE OF GOD

1. God is a spirit (John 4:24). This means that God does not have a body. He is invisible. However, He can reveal Himself to man in visible form. In the person of Jesus Christ, God came into the world in a body of flesh. John 1:14, 18; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3.

2. God is a person. Personal names are in reference to Him. Exodus 3:14. Matthew 11:25. Personal characteristics are ascribed to Him, such as (1) knowledge, Isaiah 33:9-10; (2) emotions, Genesis 6:6; and (3) will, Joshua 3:10.

3. The Unity of God. Scripture clearly teaches that there is one God, 1 Timothy 2:5 (Read this verse). The false teaching that there are many gods is contrary to reason. There can be only one Supreme Being.

4. The Trinity. The Bible teaches not only that there is one God, but also that there are three persons in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is a mystery to the human mind, but although it cannot be understood, it can be believed because God’s Word says it is so. The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the truth is found in following passages.
(1) Baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3:16-17.
(2) The great commission, Matthew 28:19.
(3) The benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14.

The Father is called God in Romans 1:7. The Son is called God in Hebrews 1:8. The Holy Spirit is called God in Acts 5:3-4.

III THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

It is difficult to define God. One of the best ways is to describe certain of His qualities or characteristics. These are known as His attributes.

1. God is omnipresent. This means that God is present everywhere at the same time. Jeremiah 23:24.

2. God is omniscient. In other words, He knows all things. He knows every thought and deed of man. Proverbs 15:3. He knows every death of a sparrow, Matthew 10:29. “Though limitless the universe, and gloriously grand, He knows the eternal story of every grain of sand”.

3. God is omnipotent. He has all power. He created the universe, and now controls it by His power. There is nothing that He cannot do. Matthew 19:26.

4. God is eternal. He never had a beginning, and He will never cease to exist. Psalm 90:2.

5. God is unchangeable. “I am the Lord, I change not” Malachi 3:6.

6. God is holy. He is absolutely pure and sinless. He hates sin and loves goodness. Proverbs 15:9, 26. He must separate Himself from sinners, and must punish sin. Isaiah 59:1, 2.

7. God is just. Everything He does is right and fair. He fulfills all His promises. Psalm 119:137.

8. God is love. Although God hates sin, yet He loves sinners. John 3:16 (Read this verse).

Note: In speaking to God in prayer, we use the words “Thou” and “Thee”. The purpose of this is to show reverence for God. It is not proper to address Him in the same way we would speak to our fellow-men.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 2: God
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

THE BIBLE

I INTRODUCTION

SOMEONE has called the Holy Bible “the divine library”, and this is a true statement. Although we think of the Bible as one book, yet it is made up of sixty-six separate books.

These books, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation, are divided into two main sections. The first section is called the Old Testament and contains thirty-nine books. The second section is the New Testament and it has twenty-seven books.

At the beginning of each Bible is an index which lists the names of the books, and tells the page number on which each book begins.

II WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?

From the human stand point the Bible was written by not less than thirty-six authors over a period of about sixteen hundred years. But the important thing to remember is that these men wrote under the direct control of God. Go guided them in writing the very words. This is what we mean by inspiration. The following Scriptures clearly teach that the Bible is inspired by God.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, the reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thus the Bible is the Word of God. It is not enough to say that the Bible contains the Word of God. This might imply that parts of it are inspired and parts are not. Every part of the Bible is inspired. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”

Another important point to remember is that the Bible is the only written revelation which God has given to man. In the last chapter of the Bible, God warns men against adding to the Bible or taking away from it. Revelation 22:18-19.

III WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE BIBLE?

Although the Bible is made up of sixty-six books, yet it has one main subject. Christ is the grand theme of Scripture. The Old Testament contains many predictions, or prophecies, concerning Christ. The New Testament tells of His coming.

IV WHAT DOES BIBLE CONTAIN?

The Bible is the record of the world from the beginning of the time until the future when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

Genesis tells of the creation of the world, the entrance of sin, the flood, and the beginning of the nation of Israel. From Exodus to Esther we have the history of Israel up to about 400 years before the birth of Christ. The books from Job to the Song of Solomon contain wonderful poetry and wisdom. The rest of the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi, is prophetic, that is, these books contain messages from God to Israel concerning its present condition and its future destiny.

The New Testament opens with four Gospels, each of which presents the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts tells the story of the Christian movement in its infancy and the life of the great apostle Paul. From Romans to Jude, we find letters to churches and individuals, concerning the great truths of the Christian faith, and practical instruction concerning the Christian life. Revelation gives us a glimpse into the future, to events that will yet take place in heaven, on earth, and in hell.

V CONCLUSION

“This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. It is the Book of Books, God’s Book, the revelation of God to man.” Selected

What Christians Believe
Chapter 1: The Bible
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois

Reason or wishful thinking?

Strategic Perspective -- By René B. Azurin

Voters who choose presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino are discarding reason for wishful thinking. I certainly empathize with their wishes for better governance, but I think that placing their bets on a candidate who has achieved essentially nothing in his public career, who has shown no interest whatsoever in any reform issue, and who is funded by big business and other vested interests is the height of foolishness. Such an unthinking vote can only end in collective frustration and dashed hopes.

On her provocative talk show on DZRH radio yesterday, host Dr. Cora Claudio posed the question of how voters should make their choices as to whom to vote for. My answer was that choices should be made on the basis of two factors: i) a candidate’s public record of achievement, and ii) the sources of funding being used by a candidate in his campaign. For me, those are the more solid bases we voters have for discerning what candidates would do and achieve once elected. Campaign rhetoric is worthless for this purpose.

As perennial victims of empty political promises, we should all be acutely aware of how politicians will say anything while running for office and how they will then develop Alzheimer’s about what they promised once voted into office. I said on Dr. Claudio’s program therefore that we should ignore what candidates say during the campaign and, instead, look at what they have actually done or achieved in their lives prior to that period. A particular record of accomplishment is a far better indicator of a candidate’s performance in office than anything he actually says while campaigning for votes. It is a reasonable basis for us voters to judge if he will do what he says he will do. More importantly, it is a reasonable basis for us voters to judge if the candidate can do what he says he will do. "Can" addresses capability; "will" speaks only of intention.

In addressing capability, a candidate’s sources of campaign funding indicate, at the minimum, his constraints and, at the maximum, his agenda. Major funders of political campaigns are not known to be altruistic individuals who will part with sizable portions of their fortunes simply to satisfy an unrelated third party’s political ambitions or to achieve a public good. These funding sources naturally expect private gain from their financial contributions and invariably demand that their financed candidate either protect their economic fiefdoms from competition or use government power to bestow on them lucrative rackets. "Rackets" do not mean just jueteng, drugs, and smuggling, although operators of such rackets are now the biggest contributors to political campaigns. Rackets also include the corralling by favored cronies of overpriced importations of coal, rice, and other major commodities, the massively padded construction of selected public infrastructure, and assorted "sweetheart" government deals.

Being a teacher of management and a former practicing manager (although, admittedly, not a very good one), I am more aware than most of how effective or ineffective management spells the difference between what is achieved and what is not achieved by an organization. I am also more aware than most that management skills are acquired skills (not inherited ones) and require management experience to actually develop.

This is why -- for me -- presidential candidate Aquino is not a "reasoned" choice but a "wishful thinking" choice. In the private sector, selling Nike shoes or handling security at his family’s hacienda or lending his name to a security agency set up to obtain government service contracts does not constitute management experience of any consequence. In Mr. Aquino’s 12 years in Congress, filing a tiny handful of bills and not being able to get any of them passed indicates laziness, ineffectiveness, disinterest, or all of the above. It is pure wishful thinking -- of the sort indulged in by schoolgirls who imagine that a "Prince" on a white steed is not in fact a self-absorbed and vacuous pomposity -- to even consider that such an underachieving individual is going to be the "savior" who can rescue this country from bad governance and raise all of us peasants up out of our economic sinkholes.

My bias is for demonstrated achievement because intentions (no matter how noble) are -- until they are realized -- merely scratches on paper or noises in the wind. To achieve a group objective -- and governance is a group activity -- requires the ability to manage. Given multiple objectives and the variety of competing interests, the task of managing government is particularly difficult. Translating good intentions into concrete achievements is not something reasonably to be expected from someone inexperienced, lazy, uninterested, or weak.

In this light, Mr. Aquino’s campaign slogan of "Kung walang korap, walang mahirap" is -- without commenting on the logic of the slogan itself -- essentially meaningless if one is not convinced that Mr. Aquino has the abilities to achieve either the elimination of corruption or the elimination of poverty. It’s a squeak in the wind.

The government of former President Cory Aquino, Mr. Aquino’s mother, offers the perfect illustration of what I mean. Lacking management expertise, Mrs. Aquino’s (presumed) good intentions never had a chance of being realized. In fact, her government was certifiably a mess because she simply did not have the skills to control what was called Kamag-Anak Inc. and the other competing interests in her own coalition. She was also incapable of installing a management system that would enable her to determine that her programs (assuming she had them) were being implemented and that her subordinate managers were progressing toward congruent goals.

I don’t bother to respond to hate mail from rabid Aquino supporters because I find it useless to engage in a discussion with individuals whose holier-than-thou attitudes only manifest closed minds. But to those who appear to be open to reason even as they might question my preference for presidential candidate Manny Villar, I say basically that our respective decisions proceed from different sets of assumptions (as well as different information sets).

We all make basic assumptions when we cast our vote. Those for Mr. Aquino assume that he will -- despite his glaring lack of achievement and a public record distinguished only by his congressional defense of the Hacienda Luisita massacre and his vote (supporting Gloria Arroyo) against the playing of the "Hello Garci" tapes -- be a good leader. Those for Mr. Villar, like me, assume that -- having already raised some P23 billion from the sale of his company’s stock in New York -- Mr. Villar is after a psychic return and not a monetary return on the maybe P2 billion he is spending on this campaign and that he will, if he wins, apply his demonstrated managerial abilities and first-hand understanding of the problems of the poor to reform this country and actually lift it out of the economic cellar.

Most voters, I am certain, want their vote to lead to a better future for this country. As best they can, these voters should apply reason to the making of their choice. To vote on the basis of wishful thinking would be irresponsible.

'Noynoy kin, allies behind Pulse, SWS'

By Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine Star) Updated May 06, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Relatives and close associates of Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino are directing behind the scenes the surveys being conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia, according to Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) senatorial candidate Francisco “Kit” Tatad.

Tatad, citing a research paper and documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said members of the Aquino clan and former associates of the late President Corazon Aquino are directors and stockholders of SWS and Pulse Asia.

Among those named in the SEC documents and research papers were Rafael Cojuangco Lopa and Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco.

Lopa, according to Tatad, was director and president of Pulse Asia until last year when he resigned to camouflage the firm’s support for Aquino’s bid for the presidency, while Cojuangco bankrolled the setting up of Pulse Asia in 1990.

Tatad said it is unusual that former Public Works secretary Jose de Jesus (under the Aquino administration) is an incorporator and director in both Pulse Asia and the SWS.

“This suggests that there was a plan from the beginning by the Aquinos to control public opinion polling in the country,” he said.

Tatad added that with respect to survey practitioners in SWS and Pulse Asia, there is an overlapping of names in the ownership.

He said Felipe Miranda, Rosalinda Miranda, Gemino Abad and Mercedes Abad appear in the SEC records as founders and/or stockholders of both firms.

“Mercedes R. Abad is the president of TRENDS-MBL, which has been conducting the field research for both SWS and Pulse Asia until recently,” he said.

Tatad also divulged that the details of the interlocking directorships in the survey firms was first disclosed by Prof. Alfredo Sureta in a paper released in December 2009, but only brought to light in the Internet last week.

He said Sureta called for the establishment of polling firms not owned by an avid Aquino supporter or relative to “enhance not only the credibility of the science of polling in the country, but also to allow a better flow of information to the voting public on the agenda and platforms
of the candidates.”

“We have to wonder, given this new information, whether the plan to elect Noynoy Aquino to the presidency was one big plot from the beginning,” Tatad said.

IS YOUR EYE CLEAR BY PAUL WASHER

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:19-24 The previous is one of the most important passages in the Scriptures with regard to Christian priorities and missions. According to this Scripture, the Christian is to be on constant guard in order not to stray from eternal priorities. Two choices are always before us. One choice offers immediate rewards that are temporal and deceptive. The other is a narrow road which may cost us everything, but the rewards are eternal and beyond the ability of even Scripture to describe.

GOD’S TREASURE
If we know that which is most treasured by God, then we will know that which should be most treasured by us - God’s treasure and ours should be the same. This is the very thing that made the life of Jesus so different from the life of every other man. He treasured only what His Father treasured. May God grant us the grace to do the same. What is it that God most treasures? With only a cursory reading of the Scripture, we quickly discover that God’s priority is His own Glory. He desires that every aspect of His being, attributes, and works be made known to creation and that all praise and honor be ascribed only to Him. Consider the following Scriptures: “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations.” Malachi 1:11 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:9-10 It is God’s great desire or treasure to see His Name held in highest esteem among the nations, and among all creatures in heaven and on earth. At first sight, this may appear selfcentered, but first sights are often very deceptive. For God to seek His glory above all else is the greatest demonstration of His love. The depth of one’s love is often demonstrated by the costliness of the gift he/she gives. If someone was to give you a twig or a small fragment of gravel, it would not be an overwhelming demonstration of love. You would not rush out to alert the media, nor would you gather your friends about you to tell them of this great love that has been shown to you. It would not be something that you remembered very long, much less, that you held close to your heart all the days of your life. However, if someone gave his life that you might live, this would indeed warrant such a reaction. It would be a story worth the media’s attention, and your friends would most likely want to hear all about it. You would treasure such a selfless act of love all the days of your life. So then, the measure of one’s love is often manifested by the greatness of one’s gift. Now we must ask ourselves a question: “What is the greatest gift that God could ever give?” It is not prosperity, health, or even heaven. He Himself is the greatest gift. The most loving thing that God can do for His creatures is to work in such a way so as to reveal or demonstrate the fullness of His glory to them - to take center stage and call all creatures to fix their eyes and hearts upon Him. For this very reason, when God does what He does for His own glory, it is the greatest demonstration of His love toward the creature. The adverse of this is equally true. The most destitute and pitiful of all creatures are those who do not know God, who are unaware of His glory, and cut off from His truth. The Scriptures declare that God has set eternity in the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This infinite aspect of the heart can only be filled by the infinite. Man may pour into his heart all the fame, wealth, power, and pleasure that this world has to offer, but he will still be empty. Eternity cannot be filled up with the temporal, nor can infinity be satisfied by the finite. Man’s heart was made for the full measure of God’s glory. Apart from this, man is destitute, miserable, and empty. In summary, God’s treasure, His greatest desire and purpose is that His Name be great among the nations, that His Name be hallowed (highly esteemed), that His Kingdom come, and His will be done! However, we must ask ourselves, “Is this our greatest purpose and passion?” We lay awake at night and worry about so many things. We fret and are anxious about so many things. We desire things passionately, fanatically, even to the point of obsession: houses and lands, jobs and promotions, fame and reputation, needs, and wants, and countless other things. But when was the last time that sleep escaped us because of our concern for the nations that have not heard? When was the last time that our hearts broke in two because there are places on this earth where God’s Name is not hallowed, His kingdom advances ever so slowly, and His will is not foremost in the hearts of men? We fret and sweat about so many things, but do we ever give any thought to that which is most on the mind of God?

CHRIST’S WARNING
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” In this verse, Jesus is calling for a radical decision on the part of His disciples to repent of their earthly materialism and turn their hearts toward God and His kingdom. Although the Scriptures speak of wealth as neither good nor bad, it does warn us that the love of wealth is a great evil (I Timothy 6:10) and that the seeking and hoarding of wealth will only lead to loss and shame on the day of judgment ( James 5:2-3). Regardless of the warnings that run throughout Scripture, it seems that the desire for wealth is God’s greatest competitor for the hearts of men. It is ironic that although most people spend most of their time, “treasuring treasures,” very few ever really “possess treasures.” And those rare individuals who actually do obtain their treasures here on earth quickly grow tired of them once they are obtained. Is it not a very foolish thing to trade the glorious gifts of God for earthly treasures that we rarely do obtain, and if by chance we do obtain them, we quickly grow tired of them? Name one thing on this earth that is highly coveted by men and we can quickly assess its true value with one simple question: “Is it eternal?” If it is, it is worthy of being obtained even at the expense of all other things. If not, its worth is equivalent to the dust into which it will turn. To seek for it is a pathetic waste of a human life and fool’s errand.

CHRIST’S ADMONITION
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” The Scriptures do not speak against treasure or the pursuit of treasure, but it does speak against foolishly wasting the life God has given us in the vain pursuit of things that have no eternal value and can never fill the infinite desire of a heart made for eternity. In Isaiah 55:2, the Scripture shakes its head in bewilderment at men who seek for the temporal at the expense of the eternal: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” Nothing except the person and will of God can fill a man. The only treasure worth having is that which is eternal and comes from God. Such treasure is found only by doing His will, living for His glory, and seeking after His Kingdom. Has God not promised to care for us? Has He not promised to meet our every need? Has He not shown Himself capable and willing to fill His children with blessing and to not withhold from them one good thing? Why, then, do we put earthly pursuits ahead of the pursuit of God and God’s pursuits? Our one obligation is also our only means of truly living an abundant and satisfied life - “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Heaven and earth shall pass away, the inferior products of this world will burn up in the fire as hay, wood, and stubble (I Corinthians 3:12-15). However, the man who does the will of God will abide forever and his works will stand throughout eternity (I John 2:17). There will be no regrets in heaven for having lived “too much” for the kingdom of God, but we can be assured that there will be great regrets for having lived “so little.”

THE UNDENIABLE TRUTH
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Ever so often in Scripture, we are confronted by certain statements that open our hearts and reveal the truth about our character and desires. The verse above is one of those statements. Regardless of how often or forcefully we declare that God and His Kingdom are our greatest desire, the true desire of our life can be revealed by smallest and simplest of questions: Where is our heart? What occupies our thoughts above all other things? What do we long for? Can we say in truth that God and His Kingdom are our passion? What if a stranger who did not know of our Christian confession watched our lives and read our thoughts? Would he be convinced that God and His Kingdom are our two greatest priorities? Would he hear almost constant conversation about the mercies of God and the advancement of His Kingdom? Would he hear us pray with passion for the unevangelized nations? Would he see us passing a sleepless night because God’s Name is not highly esteemed among all peoples, because His Kingdom has not covered the entire earth, or because His will is not obeyed or even known by the great majority of men? If most were honest, we would be forced to admit that he would hear us speaking about houses and lands, cars and toys, recreations and hobbies. He would see us obsessed with worldly worries, wants, and pleasures. He would hear very little about God in our daily conversation, would see little activity directed toward the advancement of the Kingdom, and would think it preposterous for us to claimed that our treasure is in heaven!

CLEAR EYES
“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” In saying that the “eye is the lamp of the body,” Jesus is not giving us instructions in human physiology, but rather is teaching us about the great influence that our desires have on our lives. Our body goes where our eyes are focused, and our eyes focus on what our heart desires. If our heart desires worldly things, then worldly things will be our focus and the very things we pursue. However, if our heart truly desires the things of God, then our eyes will be fixed on them, and we will pursue them with a passion. The clear eye has a single vision without confusion or duplicity. A.T. Robertson writes, “If our eyes are healthy, we see clearly and with a single focus. If the eyes are diseased (bad, evil), cross-eyed or cockeyed, we see double and confuse our vision. We keep one eye on the hoarded treasures of earth and roll the other proudly up to heaven” (Word Pictures). As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to singleness of heart and purpose. We are called to seek first the Kingdom of God and entrust all our worldly needs to the Master. He knows what we need before we ask Him and is disposed to do good things for His children.

TWO MASTERS
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Jesus taught a great deal about money. The reason is simple - In this fallen world, money seems to be God’s greatest competitor for the hearts of men. If by grace, a man has freed himself from the love and pursuit of wealth, he has opened himself to the possibility of undivided devotion to God. Fallen man is a slave to someone. The question is not whether or not a man is a slave, but whose slave is he? Some men are enslaved to other men, some to themselves, and others to things such as money, security, and respectability. Other men are given to vain pursuits, deceitful pleasures, or something as “harmless” as a hobby. The list is almost endless, but Christ calls us to turn away from such slavery and turn wholeheartedly and without reservation to Him. Although the above Scripture teaches us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to serve God and wealth, the application is far reaching. There can be no competitors in the heart of the believer. We must constantly survey our lives and search out competing loyalties. When we find them, we must be careful to deal with them severely. We must not show them even the slightest compassion. If we spare them, they will become barbs in our eyes and thorns in our side (Numbers 33:55). We can never truly serve God while such things are hanging around our hearts. Even those things most precious to us must not be excused from our censure. Jesus taught that it is better for our right hand and right eye to suffer violent mutilation than for them to become stumbling blocks to the upward call of true discipleship (Matthew 5:29-30). We must put away anything that deters us from Him and His pursuits. Our lives are on the line and eternity is at stake! The Expositor’s Bible Commentary concludes: “Both God and money are portrayed, not as employers, but as slave owners. A man may work for two employers; but since ‘single ownership and full time service are the very essence of slavery’ (Tasker), he cannot serve two slave owners. Either God is served with a single-eyed devotion, or he is not served at all. Attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to idolatry.”

THE CROSS OF CHRIST BY PAUL WASHER

One of my greatest burdens is that the Cross of Christ is rarely explained. It is not enough to say that “He died” - for all men die. It is not enough to say that “He died a noble death” – for martyrs do the same. We must understand that we have not fully proclaimed the death of Christ with saving power until we have cleared away the confusion that surrounds it and expounded its true meaning to our hearers - He died bearing the transgressions of His people and suffering the divine penalty for their sins: He was forsaken of God and crushed under the wrath of God in their place.

FORSAKEN OF GOD
One of the most disturbing, even haunting, passages in the Scriptures is Mark’s record of the great cry of the Messiah as He hung upon a Roman Cross. In a loud voice He cried out: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”1 In light of what we know about the impeccable nature of the Son of God and His perfect fellowship with the Father, it is difficult to comprehend Christ’s words, yet in them, the meaning of the Cross is laid bare, and we find the reason for which Christ died. The fact that His words are also recorded in the original Hebrew tongue tells us something of their great importance. The author did not want us to misunderstand or to miss a thing! In these words, Jesus is not only crying out to God, but as the consummate teacher, He is also directing His onlookers and all future readers to one of the most important Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament - Psalm 22. Though the entire Psalm abounds with detailed prophecies of the Cross, we will concern ourselves with only the first six verses: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; in You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a ,worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.” In Christ’s day, the Hebrew Scriptures were not laid out in numbered chapters and verses as they are today. Therefore, when a rabbi sought to direct his hearers to a certain Psalm or portion of Scripture, he would do so by reciting the first lines of the text. In this cry from the Cross, Jesus directs us to Psalm 22 and reveals to us something of the character and purpose of His sufferings. In the first and second verses, we hear the Messiah’s complaint - He considers Himself forsaken of God. Mark uses the Greek word egkataleípo, which means to forsake, abandon, or desert.2 The Psalmist uses the Hebrew word azab, which means to leave, loose, or forsake.3 In both cases, the intention is clear. The Messiah Himself is aware that God has forsaken Him and turned a deaf ear to His cry. This is not a symbolic or poetic forsakenness. It is real! If ever a creature felt the forsakenness of God, it was the Son of God on the cross of Calvary! In the fourth and fifth verses of this Psalm, the anguish suffered by the Messiah becomes more acute as He recalls the covenant faithfulness of God towards His people. He declares: “In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.” The apparent contradiction is clear. There had never been one instance in the history of God’s covenant people that a righteous man cried out to God and was not delivered. However, now the sinless Messiah hangs on a tree utterly forsaken. What could be the reason for God’s withdrawal? Why did He turn away from His only begotten Son? Woven into the Messiah’s complaint is found the answer to these disturbing questions. In verse three, He makes the unwavering declaration that God is holy, and then in verse six, He admits the unspeakable - He had become a worm and was no longer a man. Why would the Messiah direct such demeaning and derogatory language toward Himself? Did He see Himself as a worm because He had become “a reproach of men and despised by the people”4 or was there a greater and more awful reason for His self-deprecation? After all, He did not cry out, “My God, my God, why have the people forsaken me,” but rather He endeavored to know why God had done so! The answer can be found in one bitter truth alone - the Lord had caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him, and like a worm, He was forsaken and crushed in our stead.5 This dark metaphor of the dying Messiah is not alone in Scripture. There are others that take us even deeper into the heart of the Cross and lay open for us what “He must suffer”6 in order to win the redemption of His people. If we shutter at the words of the Psalmist, we will be further taken back to hear of the thrice-holy7 Son of God becoming the serpent lifted up in the wilderness, and then, the sin bearing scapegoat left to die alone. The first metaphor is found in the book of Numbers. Because of Israel’s near constant rebellion against the Lord and their rejection of His gracious provisions, God sent “fiery serpents” among the people and many died.8 However, as a result of the people’s repentance and Moses’ intercession, God once again made provision for their salvation. He commanded Moses to “make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard.” He then promised that “everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” At first, it seems contrary to reason that “the cure was shaped in the likeness of that which wounded.”9 However, it provides a powerful picture of the cross. The Israelites were dying from the venom of the fiery serpents. Men die from the venom of their own sin. Moses was commanded to place the cause of death high upon a pole. God placed the cause of our death upon His own Son as He hung high upon a cross. He had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh,”10 and was “made to be sin on our behalf.”11 The Israelite who believed God and looked upon the brazen serpent would live. The man who believes God’s testimony concerning His Son and looks upon Him with faith will be saved.12 As it is written, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”13 The second metaphor is found in the priestly book of Leviticus. Since it was impossible for one single offering to fully typify or illustrate the Messiah’s atoning death, an offering involving two sacrificial goats was put before the people.14 The first goat was slain as a sin offering before the Lord, and its blood was sprinkled on and in front of the Mercy Seat behind the veil in the Holy of Holies.15 It typified Christ who shed His blood on the Cross to make atonement for the sins of His people. The second goat was presented before the Lord as the scapegoat.16 Upon the head of this animal, the High Priest laid “both of his hands and confessed over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins.”17 The scapegoat was then sent away into the wilderness bearing on itself all the iniquities of the people into a solitary land.18 There, it would wander alone, forsaken of God and cut off from His people. It typified Christ who “bore our sins in His body on the cross,”19 and suffered and died alone “outside the camp.”20 What was only symbolic in the Law became an excruciating reality for the Messiah. Is it not astounding that a worm, a venomous serpent, and goat should be put forth as types of Christ? To identify the Son of God with such “loathsome” things would be blasphemous had it not come from Old Testament saints “moved by the Holy Spirit,”21 and then confirmed by the authors of the New Testament who go even further in their dark depictions. Under the inspiration of the same Spirit, they are bold enough to say that He who knew no sin, was “made sin,”22 and He, who was the beloved of the Father, “became a curse”23 before Him. We have heard these truths before, but have we ever considered them enough to be broken by them? On the Cross, the One declared “holy, holy, holy” by the Seraphim choir,24 was “made” to be sin. The journey into the meaning of this phrase seems almost too dangerous to take. We balk even at the first step. What does it mean that He, in whom “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,” was “made sin?” We must not explain the truth away in an attempt to protect the reputation of the Son of God, and yet, we must be careful not to speak terrible things against His impeccable and immutable25 character. According to the Scriptures, Christ was “made sin” in the same way that the believer “becomes the righteousness of God” in Him.26 In his second letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul writes: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”27 The believer is not the “righteousness of God” because of some perfecting or purifying work upon his character that makes him like God and without sin, but rather as a result of imputation by which he is considered righteous before God through the work of Christ on his behalf. In the same way, Christ was not made sin by having His character marred or soiled, thus actually becoming depraved, but as a result of imputation by which He was considered guilty before the judgment seat of God on our behalf. This truth however, must not cause us to think any less of Paul’s declaration that Christ was “made sin.” Although it was an imputed guilt, it was real guilt, bringing unspeakable anguish to His soul. He took our guilt as His own, stood in our place, and died forsaken of God. That Christ was “made sin,” is a truth as terrible as it is incomprehensible, and yet, just when we think that no darker words can be uttered against Him, the Apostle Paul lights a lamp and takes us further down into the abyss of Christ’s humiliation and forsakenness. We enter the deepest cavern to find the Son of God hanging from the Cross and bearing His most infamous title - the Accursed of God! The Scriptures declare that all humankind lay under the curse. As it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the Book of the Law, to perform them.”28 From heaven’s perspective, those who break God’s Law are vile and worthy of all loathing. They are a wretched lot, justly exposed to divine vengeance, and rightly devoted to eternal destruction. It is not an exaggeration to say that the last thing that the accursed sinner should and will hear when he takes his first step into hell is all of creation standing to its feet and applauding God because He has rid the earth of him. Such is the vileness of those who break God’s law, and such is the disdain of the holy towards the unholy. Yet, the Gospel teaches us that, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’”29 Christ became what we were in order to redeem us from what we deserved. He became a worm and no man, the serpent lifted up in the wilderness, the scapegoat driven outside the camp, the bearer of sin, and the One upon whom the curse of God did fall. It is for this reason the Father turned away from Him and all heaven hid its face. It is a great travesty that the true meaning of the Christ’s “cry from the cross” has often been lost in romantic cliché. It is not uncommon to hear a preacher declare that the Father turned away from His Son because He could no longer bear to witness the suffering inflicted upon Him by the hands of wicked men. Such interpretations are a complete distortion of the text and of what actually transpired on the Cross. The Father did not turn away from His Son because He lacked the fortitude to witness His sufferings, but because “He made Him whom knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”30 He laid our sins upon Him and turned away, for His eyes are too pure to approve evil and cannot look upon wickedness with favor.31 It is not without reason that many Gospel tracts picture an infinite abyss between a holy God and sinful man. With such an illustration, the Scriptures fully agree. As the Prophet Isaiah cried out: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2) It is because of this that all men would have lived and died separated from the favorable presence of God and under divine wrath unless the Son of God had stood in their place, bore their sin, and died “forsaken of God” on their behalf. For the breach to be closed and fellowship restored, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things?”32

CHRIST DIES UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD
To obtain the salvation of His people, Christ not only suffered the terrifying abandonment of God, but He drank down the bitter cup of God’s wrath and died a bloody death in the place of His people. Only then could divine justice be satisfied, the wrath of God be appeased, and reconciliation be made possible. In the garden, Christ prayed three times for “the cup” to be removed from Him, but each time His will gave into that of His Father.33 We must ask ourselves, what was in the cup that caused Him to pray so fervently? What did it contain that caused Him such anguish that His sweat was mingled with blood? It is often said that the cup represented the cruel Roman cross and the physical torture that awaited Him; that Christ foresaw the cat of nine tails coming down across His back, the crown of thorns piercing His brow, and the primitive nails driven through His hands and feet. Yet those who see these things as the source of His anguish do not understand the Cross, nor what happened there. Although the tortures heaped upon Him by the hands of men were all part of God’s redemptive plan, there was something much more ominous that evoked the Messiah’s cry for deliverance. In the first centuries of the primitive church, thousands of Christians died on crosses. It is said that Nero crucified them upside down, covered them with tar, and set them aflame to provide street lights for the city of Rome. Throughout the ages since then, a countless stream of Christians have been led off to the most unspeakable tortures, and yet it is the testimony of friend and foe alike that many of them went to their death with great boldness. Are we to believe that the followers of the Messiah met such cruel physical death with joy unspeakable, while the Captain of their Salvation34 cowered in a garden, feigning the same torture? Did the Christ of God fear whips and thorns, crosses and spears, or did the cup represent a terror infinitely beyond the greatest cruelty of men? To understand the ominous contents of the cup, we must refer to the Scriptures. There are two passages in particular that we must consider - one from the Psalms and the other from the Prophets: “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.”35 “For thus the LORD, the God of Israel says to me, ‘Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.’”36 As a result of the unceasing rebellion of the wicked, the justice of God had decreed judgment against them. He would rightly pour forth His indignation upon the nations. He would put the cup of the wine of His wrath to their mouth and force them to drink it down to the dregs.37 The mere thought of such a fate awaiting the world is absolutely terrifying, yet this would have been the fate of all, except that the mercy of God sought for the salvation of a people, and the wisdom of God devised a plan of redemption even before the foundation of the world. The Son of God would become a man and walk upon the earth in perfect obedience to the Law of God. He would be like us in all things,38 and tempted in all ways like us but without sin.39 He would live a perfectly righteous life for the glory of God and in the stead of His people. Then in the appointed time, He would be crucified by the hands of wicked men, and on that Cross, He would bear His people’s guilt, and suffer the wrath of God against them. The perfect Son of God and a true Son of Adam together in one glorious person would take the bitter cup of wrath from the very hand of God and drink it down to the dregs. He would drink until “it was finished”40 and the justice of God was fully satisfied. The divine wrath that should have been ours would be exhausted upon the Son, and by Him, it would be extinguished. Imagine an immense dam that is filled to the brim and straining against the weight behind it. All at once, the protective wall is pulled away and the massive destructive power of the deluge is unleashed. As certain destruction races toward a small village in the nearby valley, the ground suddenly opens up before it and drinks down that which would have carried it away. In similar fashion, the judgment of God was rightly racing toward every man. Escape could not be found on the highest hill or in the deepest abyss. The fleetest of foot could not outrun it, nor could the strongest swimmer endure its torrents. The dam was breached and nothing could repair its ruin. But when every human hope was exhausted, at the appointed time, the Son of God interposed. He stood between divine justice and His people. He drank down the wrath that they themselves had kindled and the punishment they deserved. When He died, not one drop of the former deluge remained. He drank it all! Imagine two giant millstones, one turning on top of the other. Imagine that caught between the two is a single grain of wheat that is pulled under the massive weight. First, its hull is crushed beyond recognition, and then its inwards parts are poured out and ground into dust. There is no hope of retrieval or reconstruction. All is lost and beyond repair. Thus, in a similar fashion, “it pleased the Lord” to crush His only Son and put Him to grief unspeakable.41 Thus, it pleased the Son to submit to such suffering in order that God might be glorified and a people might be redeemed. It is not that God found some gleeful pleasure in the suffering of His beloved Son, but through His death, the will of God was accomplished. No other means had the power to put away sin, satisfy divine justice, and appease the wrath of God against us. Unless that divine grain of wheat had fallen to the ground and died, it would have abided alone without a people or a bride.42 The pleasure was not found in the suffering, but in all that such suffering would accomplish: God would be revealed in a glory yet unknown to men or angels, and a people would be brought into unhindered fellowship with their God. In one of the most epic stories in the Old Testament, the patriarch Abraham is commanded to carry his son Isaac to Mount Moriah, and there, to offer him as a sacrifice to God. “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”43 What a burden was laid upon Abraham! We cannot even begin to imagine the sadness that filled the old man’s heart and tortured him every step of his journey. The Scriptures are careful to tell us that he was commanded to offer “his son, his only son, whom he loved.” The specificity seems designed to catch our attention and make us think that there is more meaning hidden in these words than we can yet tell. On the third day, the two reached the appointed place, and the father himself bound his beloved son with his own hand. Finally, in submission to what must be done, he laid his hand upon his son’s brow and “took the knife to slay him.”44 At that very moment, the mercy and grace of God interposed, and the old man’s hand was stayed. God called out to him from heaven and said: “Abraham, Abraham! ...Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”45 At the voice of the Lord, Abraham raised his eyes, and found a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. He took the ram and offered him up in the place of his son.46 He then named that place YHWH-jireh or “The Lord will provide.” It is a faithful saying that remains until this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”47 As the curtains draw to a close on this epic moment in history, not only Abraham, but also everyone who has ever read this account breathes a sigh of relief that the boy is spared. We think to ourselves what a beautiful end to the story, but it was not the end, it was a mere intermission! Two thousand years later, the curtain opens again. The background is dark and ominous. At center stage is the Son of God on Mount Calvary. He is bound by obedience to the will of His Father. He hangs there bearing the sin of His people. He is accursed - betrayed by His creation48 and forsaken of God. Then, the silence is broken with the horrifying thunder of God’s wrath. The Father takes the knife, draws back His arm, and slays “His Son, His only Son, whom He loves.” And the words of Isaiah the prophet are fulfilled: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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... But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief.”49 The curtain is drawn to a close on a slain Son and a crucified Messiah. Unlike Isaac there was no ram to die in His place. He was the Lamb who would die for the sins of the world.50 He is God’s provision for the redemption of His people. He is the fulfillment of which Isaac and the ram were only shadows. In Him, Mount Calvary is renamed “YHWH-jireh” or “The Lord will provide.” And it is a faithful saying that remains until this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”51 Calvary was the mount and salvation was provided. Thus, the discerning believer cries out, “God, God, I know you love me since you have not withheld your Son, your only Son, whom You love, from me.”52 It is an injustice to Calvary that the true pain of the Cross is often overlooked by a more romantic, but less powerful theme. It is often thought and even preached that the Father looked down from heaven and witnessed the suffering that was heaped upon His Son by the hands of men, and that He counted such affliction as payment for our sins. This is heresy of the worst kind. Christ satisfied divine justice not merely by enduring the affliction of men, but by enduring and dying under the wrath of God. It takes more than crosses, nails, crowns of thorns, and lances, to pay for sin. The believer is saved, not merely because of what men did to Christ on the Cross, but because of what God did to Him - He crushed Him under the full force of His wrath against us. Rarely is this truth made clear enough in the abundance of all our Gospel preaching!