Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Understanding Human Nature”. A good lesson on “human nature and the condition of human beings at death” (quarterly for Sabbath October 8). The quarterly does a good job on describing this fundamental tenet of our denominations’ faith. I hope you studied this lesson, even if you are sure of the doctrine. It reinforces the reasons. For this weekly “thought”, I am going to briefly write on a passing scriptural reference in Monday’s lesson… referring to a verse in Ezekiel 18.
Ezekiel 18 presents a dynamic concept about life and death. A good summary is found in verses 21-22… “if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live”. Do you find it interesting that Ezekiel says nothing about payment-of penalty or retributive justice? Nothing about every sin needing to be paid-for. None of that, just “turn and live!” (verse 32). This puts a different slant on the death of Christ. He died so that we would just “turn and live” (ibid). Just change our mind.
Now, that “change our mind” is not so easy and not so simple. Changing our mind is not some act from a stoic-minded person. “Changing our mind” takes a supernatural act. In fact, Ezekiel 18 also describes more that is needed. “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?” (verse 31). This, too is a supernatural work from our God. First, we cannot turn (repent) of ourselves, generated from our own sinful resolve. “Him, God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins “(Acts 5:31). Repentance is not ours to generate. It is truly a “gift”. A “gift”, in that Christ’s life and death have “given” repentance to us in the gift of Himself… if we truly receive Him. And of course, the “new heart and a new spirit” (ibid) come from His recreation of each of us, not anything self-generated. But make no mistake here. The death of Christ on the cross is not an appeasement of an offended deity. It is evidence of a Deity that loves us, forgives us. And the demonstration of that love and forgiveness at Calvary is to change our thinking… change our minds. Change us from sinners to His friends (not to change the Father from unforgiving to forgiving or unloving to loving because a penalty has been paid). This needs to be fundamental Christianity. I hope it is for each of us.
Here is another Scripture that supports the “turn and live” (ibid) concept. This time from John. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Again, no payment-of-penalty talk. Just “love”. Again, we cannot just “love” without a “new heart and a right spirit” (op. cit.). But this “love” is the defining condition. Therefore, we can rightly conclude that Christ’s death is not to pay a penalty, but to create in us agape-love. And the only way we can be thus recreated is by love. Only by love is love awakened in us. What we are to see when we see Christ on the cross is… love. And by this revelation of agape-love on Calvary so long ago, we are changed.
I will close for now. I pray each of us does not see “reparation to an offended deity” when we look at Christ on the cross. Instead, I pray we each see our humble, loving God sharing our death with us… the death of a sinner in which Christ had no part. When we see the crucifixion this way, the door to our mind and heart is opened so the kind of God displayed at Calvary can enter. It is the only way. His death showing us true love, enables us to open our hearts/ minds to Him so that He can enter... and give us life... and love. Praise God for the revelation of Himself at Calvary!
With brotherly love,
Jim