Passion of Christ

The two most critical doctrines that fit like hand and glove are the Holiness of our God and the Depravity of Man. I caution you to appreciate them together. If someone separates one to free the other, it makes God too unapproachable, especially if the Grace, Love, Mercy and Forgiveness of God are not offered as viable solutions to the divide. The challenge every Easter for the Bible teacher is what aspect of the vicarious substitutionary atonement of Christ deserves the most unpacking for their students. Every follower of Christ accepts and acknowledges that Jesus the Christ, Messiah, Lord and Savior died in the place of humanity, taking the punishment, guilt and shame for our sins so that man can be reconciled with a Holy God.

The question that looms in countless minds is why was it necessary and what does it mean to me now? How does His arrival in a manger, His sinless life, His teachings, His miracles, His commands, His suffering, His death, His burial, His resurrection and His promised return affect me today? How should we process what He did 2000 plus years ago? What does the statement we hear every year "He would have done it all if just for me" mean to how I live my life and make my preparations for the life to come?

We are masters at compartmentalization. I actually believe it is a gift from God. It, however, like many gifts, becomes abused. "Putting things in a box" is helpful and has kept scores from being swamped under the weight of all that life, the devil, and, yes, God, can throw at us - sometimes even all at once. When it comes to the teachings of Christ and the doctrines of the Word of God, I would advise keeping the art of "moving on" and "pushing through" in check. Jesus died a horrible and shameful death for all who believe upon Him and follow Him in obedience. Spend some time there at the cross where Jesus paid it all and understand all to Him that we owe. Please do not turn the page on the greatest event in human history until it resonates thoroughly and becomes a part of who you are.

May the events celebrated every Easter be bound in your mind by the Scripture found in the old Testament and then repeated in the New, "Be ye holy for God is Holy." Ye that would be holy must fight. Christ won for all who would come after Him salvation, sanctification, redemption, reconciliation, justification and, one day, our glorification. His part is finished but our part continues.

The one who comes to Christ must "war a good warfare" (1 Timothy 1:18), "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12), though not with "carnal weapons" (1 Corinthians 10:4). Our fight begins on our knees, "being sober, watching and praying" (1 Peter 4:7). We wrestle (Ephesians 6:10-18). The victory is given, not to the strong, but to the weak (Ecclesiastes 6:11). We are conquerors only when we rest in Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). Angels aid (Hebrews 1:4) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) stands us up against any and all who attempt to sit us down.

 Let the sons of night sleep or stumble in the darkness, but let us who are of the day be sober, lest temptation overtake us and we be ensnared in the wiles of the devil or the seductions of this wanton and dying world. Forget whose you are, lay aside what Christ did for you, hide away the price that was paid to set you free and chained and enslaved you will be for a moment, a season, or a lifetime. Victory is before you, but it is only experienced by those who fully accepts it on the Lord's terms. As He gave all, so must we. Those who would be holy must feel a personal responsibility for being so, both as a member of Christ's Body and a partaker of the Holy Spirit. The thought that perfection is not to be reached here ought not weaken our passion for Christ and to reject anything in our life that would grieve His Spirit.

May "Christ Passion' which is the period of Jesus' suffering, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial, motivate you daily to be passionate and zealous for personal holiness for Him who gave His all for you.