mystery of godliness

Miraculous Change

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“Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”

1 Timothy 3:16

“The Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:1, 14

From these scriptures we can see that there was a time when Jesus was not a fleshly being, but a spiritual one. It was when He was born of Mary that He became flesh.

These scriptures would not be so difficult to understand or explain except for one other scripture found in Romans. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” Romans 8:3. God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. We need to clearly understand this scripture.

Mrs. White says that Jesus was just like we are, so Adventist preachers for decades have gone to the moon and back with this verse preaching that Jesus had a fallen, sinful, human nature, which, of course, means that He had a carnal mind. They are preaching that He had to fight selfishness just like you and I have to fight it. From this scripture, preachers and laity alike have decided that Jesus came in sinful flesh, but Romans 8:3 doesn’t say that He came in sinful flesh. It says He came in the likeness of sinful flesh.

Paul wrote Romans 8:3 the way he did for a reason, so let’s do some research to understand what he was trying to tell us when he said that Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh. This subject is very controversial, spawning much argument, but rather than arguing, we need to search the inspired writings and let Inspiration tell us what is true about Christ’s human nature.

“Even the moral law fails of its purpose unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour. Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father’s law contained something deeper than mere authoritative commands. In the law is embodied the same principle that is revealed in the gospel. The law points out man’s duty and shows him his guilt. To Christ he must look for pardon and for power to do what the law enjoins.” The Desire of Ages, 608

Romans 8:3 has been misapplied by many Adventists who fail to see the relationship of the humanity of Jesus Christ to the law. Notice the first sentence of the previous quote “Even the moral law fails of its purpose, unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour.” The reason so many are confused is because they do not understand the far-reaching principle of God’s law and what constitutes sin. It is important to understand both, but it is also necessary to understand what the word sinful means and to what the word likeness refers. Let’s be sure we understand the meaning of the terms that we are using.

The word flesh can refer to one of two things—the physical body or the carnal mind—depending on the context. Flesh is sometimes used when referring to the physical body of man, the living machinery through which sin or righteousness is manifested. The body itself cannot act contrary to the will because the body is controlled by the mind, the will.

“The mind controls the whole man. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 426

So the body, the flesh, the house in which we live, is not sin, but is affected by sin. However, if the word flesh is used in relation to the natural or carnal mind, then that is sin. “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” Romans 8:7

The carnal mind is enmity against God and, therefore, is most certainly sin. It is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be.

Texts that use flesh in reference to the physical body have been interpreted to mean the mind. It is the failure to recognize in inspired writings that the word flesh can have two different applications, depending on the context, that has confused so many people and resulted in much controversy.

As for the far-reaching principles of God’s law, David said that God’s commandments are exceedingly broad (Psalm 119:96). The ten commandment document is really one of the most amazing that was ever written—so short that a child can learn it, and yet so all-encompassing that it involves the entire will of God for the human family.

“It is so brief that we can easily commit every precept to memory, and yet so far-reaching as to express the whole will of God, and to take cognizance, not only of the outward actions, but of the thoughts and intents, the desires and emotions, of the heart.” The Signs of the Times, April 15, 1886

God’s law is to govern not only my actions, but every thought, intent, desire, and emotion of my heart. If I have a sinful desire, even if it has not yet manifested in action, that also is sin.

Human laws cannot do this. They can deal only with the outward actions. A man may be a transgressor, and yet conceal his misdeeds from human eyes; he may be a criminal—a thief, a murderer, or an adulterer—but so long as he is not discovered, the law cannot condemn him as guilty.

“The law of God takes note of the jealousy, envy, hatred, malignity, revenge, lust, and ambition that surge through the soul, but have not found expression in outward action, because the opportunity, not the will, has been wanting. And these sinful emotions will be brought into the account in the day when ‘God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.’ ” Ibid.

“Christ, in His teaching, fully developed the principles of the law, making it plain that it does not concern the outward actions merely, but has to do with the heart, reaching even to the unspoken thoughts.” The Signs of the Times, June 5, 1901

“God does not deal with actions so much as with the heart that prompts them.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 4, 440

Sin is not determined only by what I do, but by the motives in my mind and heart that cause me to do the things I do. Think about that: a single action could be good or evil depending on the motive in the heart. The far-reaching principles of God’s law embrace the heart, the mind, and the sinful emotions that have not found expression in outward action because of lack of opportunity. The requirements of God’s law go beyond what I choose to do.

“Many mistakes were made by the Jewish teachers in regard to the true character and far-reaching principles of the law. Its relation to sin was misconceived and misapplied. The outward action was dealt with, but inward sins were not touched. …

“In His sermon on the mount, Christ made known the comprehensive and far-reaching character of the law of God. He applied its great principles to the thoughts and the desires. He taught that all wrong thoughts and feelings, though unknown to any human being, are a transgression of the law of God, and that those who cherish them must suffer the penalty. Thus the law was shown to reach the inner life.” The Review and Herald, May 3, 1898

The word sinful means being tainted with, full of sin, being wicked. Being tainted means to be contaminated by or infected with, ruined or corrupted by something. An example would be a body full of cancer with no human way to eradicate it.

Being sinful isn’t just doing bad things, any more than being righteous is not doing bad things. It involves the very being of man. The heart and mind, thoughts and desires totally consumed by sinfulness, will do nothing but wickedness.

“And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’ ” Mark 7:20–23

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

“The law requires righteousness—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law.” The Desire of Ages, 762. Man is sinful, corrupted, so thoroughly infected with sin that it renders him incapable of meeting the claims of God’s holy law.

Did Jesus have this kind of heart and mind? Look again at these texts. In describing the nature of man’s heart and mind, were Mark and Jeremiah describing Jesus’ heart and mind as well? If His mind was tainted and infected with sin as ours are, how could He have been our Saviour?

When people say that Jesus had our natural tendencies toward sin, but that isn’t sin because He never actually committed sin, they speak directly against the word of God and inspired writings. We know this from 1 John 3:15: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer.” And Matthew 5:27, 28: “ ‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ ”

These both describe the thoughts and motives of the mind and heart of sinful man. A man who lusts after a woman is breaking the law just as if he had physically laid down with her and committed the act. A man who hates a brother, or anyone, is breaking the law just as though he had taken his life. Is this what was in the mind and heart of Jesus?

“All sin is selfishness.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1763. The person who has a selfish heart is living in sin. Every thought, every word, every action that he does is sinful because it proceeds from a selfish heart and therefore, is motivated by selfishness, which is sin. It is my nature, as a son of Adam, to be inherently selfish, and, therefore a sinner by nature which results in sinful action. It is who I am. Reason then says, that if Jesus had a nature like mine, He would be inherently selfish and thereby a sinner though He never committed a sinful act.

“One unsanctified act on the part of our Saviour would have marred the pattern, and He could not have been a perfect example for us; but although He was tempted in all points like as we are, He was yet without one taint of sin.” Sons and Daughters of God, 148

The word nature also is used in reference to two different things. Sometimes it is used to reflect or describe the physical nature of man, and other times to describe his mental nature. In the context of Romans 8:3, the word flesh means man’s sinful nature that cannot keep the law. Flesh then equals sinful nature. Paul makes it very plain in Romans 8:5. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Here Paul is still speaking of the same sinful flesh that he has been speaking of in verses 3 and 4, but now he specifically identifies this sinful flesh. “For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Verses 6–8

“ ‘The carnal [or natural] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ Human nature could not keep the law, even if it would.” The Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895. When someone tells you they cannot keep the law, they are telling the truth, for sinful human nature cannot keep the law of God no matter how much a person might want to.

That which Paul calls sinful flesh God’s modern-day prophet calls sinful nature and human nature. Therefore in this context, sinful flesh, human nature, and sinful nature are used synonymously to refer to the carnal mind which cannot keep the law of God.

In Zechariah 3, we find the vision of Joshua the high priest, the leader of God’s people, standing before the angel in filthy garments. Mrs. White says the setting of this vision is just before probation closes. What are these filthy garments? “The fact that the acknowledged people of God are represented as standing before the Lord in filthy garments should lead to humility and deep searching of heart on the part of all who profess His name. … we should realize our sinful condition.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 471

“Your sinful condition demanded a sacrifice. In your spiritual destitution you had nothing to offer.” The Review and Herald, May 28, 1901. Our filthy garments, our sinful condition, is the result of our spiritual poverty. “By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: ‘Dead in trespasses and sins;’ ‘the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;’ ‘no soundness in it.’ We are held fast in the snare of Satan, ‘taken captive by him at his will.’ Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:26.” Steps to Christ, 43

We are carnally-minded. Our sinful human nature is spiritually destitute and at war with God. Our sinful condition demanded a sacrifice that was not spiritually destitute, nor hostile toward God.

“Christ is called the second Adam. In purity and holiness, connected with God and beloved by God, He [Jesus] began where the first Adam began. Willingly He passed over the ground where Adam fell, and redeemed Adam’s failure.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 2, 1898

“He humbled Himself to become a man, so that a body should be found, a Lamb without blemish should be provided as a sinless offering, that God might be just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.” The Signs of the Times, June 18, 1896

Every mind is controlled either by Satan or the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our condition is sinful because the carnal mind is held captive to the power of Satan. The body alone is not evil. The sin is in the mind and the body simply responds to its direction.

“The standard of the law cannot be lowered to meet man in his fallen condition. No compromise can be made with the sinner to take less than the full requirement of the law. The law cannot acquit the guilty, it cannot cleanse the sinner, or give power to the transgressor to raise himself into a purer, holier atmosphere.” Ibid., May 30, 1895. How then is it possible for me to be saved? It is impossible unless a divine miracle takes place in my life.

For the unconverted person, every thought, word, emotion, everything that he or she says or does, is sinful. Remember when Adam was first created, the law of righteousness was written in his heart and his life was governed by this law. But when he sinned, the law of selfishness became the governing power and his heart became permeated with selfishness. Because selfishness is sin, then a man’s motives are selfish, and everything he thinks, says, and does is sin.

Paul first realized this and wrote about it in Romans 7. He was one of the strictest of Pharisees, and while he lived without the law, he considered himself to be blameless regarding the law. No one could accuse him of committing a wrong action. Paul knew the law, had memorized it, but he did not yet understand the far-reaching claims of God’s law. He believed that if he did all the right things, then he was following the law.

But the day came when, on the Damascus road, Paul met Jesus. It was then that he realized that God’s law especially had to do with the motivations of his heart, his thoughts, and desires. Having been “alive once without the law,” Paul now recognizes that our inward, fallen condition, prompting our outward, sinful acts, is the transgression that is being condemned.

We are born into this world with sinful flesh which is hostile against God, and all of Adam’s posterity have and will inherit from him sinful flesh. This inherited condition is out of harmony with God’s law, making all of Adam’s posterity transgressors by nature, even before they are born (Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 48:8; Psalm 58:3), and guilty of not keeping it. Selfishness is the governing principle in the life of every man and woman, and selfishness is sin. “Adam disobeyed and entailed sin upon his posterity; but God gave His Son for the redemption of the race.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, 3

Man is selfish by nature, a sinner at enmity with God, unless a miraculous transformation is accomplished in the mind, heart, and soul.

“The perishing sinner may say: ‘I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost.’ He says, ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ (Mark 2:17). I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary’s cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 392

Paul tells us that he was ignorant of sin and the true principles of the law, even though he had memorized the law and was a “strict” law keeper, but then he saw that God’s law, His great standard of righteousness, condemned sin in the flesh. Suddenly Paul saw himself as God saw him—a sinner. He accepted the truth found in the gospel, laid hold of the Saviour, and the Holy Spirit immediately began the work of purification in his life.

The person in the most dangerous spiritual condition is not the man who knows he is a great sinner and sees that he is lost unless he surrenders all of himself to this work of purification. It is the man who believes he is rich and needs nothing who is in the most dangerous spiritual condition.

“When man [Adam and Eve] fell, the law of self was set up. This law harmonizes with the will of sinful humanity.” The Signs of the Times, January 25, 1899

“The sowing of seeds of selfishness in the human heart was the first result of the entrance of sin into the world.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 7, 233

We must understand that selfishness is the root of all sin, the most deeply-engrained, natural trait of man’s character. It must be purged if we expect to be in the kingdom of heaven. “It is a weakness of humanity to pet selfishness, because it is a natural trait of character.” The Faith I Live By, 140

“Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong-doing. We need to understand that imperfection of character is sin.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 330

If I am to be saved, I must go to the foot of the cross, recognizing that I am ruined and unable to change myself. I must surrender myself to the Lord and ask Him to help me, for He has promised to send the Holy Spirit to begin the process of transformation in my life if I will but ask. I cannot, by my own efforts, be born again because it is a creative act that only God can perform. Everything must become new. This is the change that the Holy Spirit makes in my heart and mind.

Mrs. White says that we must pray day by day asking the Lord to cast out all selfishness from our hearts. This is the Christian’s warfare. The Holy Spirit will implant a new nature within us, but we still must overcome our carnal nature by His power and grace.

“God desires everyone to understand the evil of selfishness, and to cooperate with Him in guarding the human family against its terrible, deceptive power.” Manuscript Releases, Vol, 7, 233

“Christ will not permit one selfish person to enter the courts of heaven. No covetous person can pass through the pearly gates; for all covetousness is idolatry.” The Review and Herald, July 11, 1899

Friend, this is an overwhelming problem in Adventism today. People do not know what sin truly is. They believe our actions alone are sin. But selfishness permeates man’s mind and heart, and it is selfishness that directs his sinful actions.

When we understand our true condition, then we can understand that we must surrender everything to the Lord, choosing to follow Him because nothing short of a miracle can ever change us. The God whom we serve is a specialist in miraculously doing the impossible. He who is mighty to save will never turn away anyone seeking salvation. The conversion of a sinner is God’s greatest miracle of all.

“The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37, last part

[Emphasis supplied.]

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Mystery of Godliness

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For the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, the church was a club for the saints. But the church that Jesus came to establish was not a club for the saints, it was a hospital for sinners. A place where they would be changed and healed. We must never forget that. Sometimes when we come to church we look around us and say, “Look at that brother or that sister.” But that is not what we are supposed to be looking at. When you go to the hospital, do you say, “Oh, no, I should not be here. Look at that man. He is sick! Look at that lady. She is sick! Everybody in this building is sick. I do not think I should be here”? Of course not! You are all there to get well. It is the same with the church. We do not go to look at each other with our faults. We go to look at Jesus, the Great Physician. Jesus wants to heal us from the sting of sin. That, Paul says, is the great mystery. “Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16. Satan hates this verse of Scripture. The devil does not like any part of the Bible, but there are certain parts that he especially hates. 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of those verses.

In the early centuries, before the printing press was invented, the only way you could get a copy of the New Testament was if someone copied it out by hand. There were professional copyists in those days, called scribes.

There were many scribes who copied the entire New Testament. We have over five thousand ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, although not all are complete. That is more than the writings of Homer or of any of the Greek philosophers or historians. In fact, there are more copies of the New Testament than any other ancient document.

In the ancient world, after the time of the apostles, there were two places where a gigantic apostasy developed against the true Christian faith. One was in Rome and the other in Alexandria, Egypt.

In Egypt by the second and third centuries there developed a counterfeit Christianity. Because Egypt is a desert country, we have many manuscripts from the third and the fourth centuries, whereas most of the other manuscripts we have, from other parts of the Middle East, are later copies.

In all the manuscripts there are mistakes. But in the Egyptian manuscripts we find not just random mistakes, but the type of mistakes that indicate to us that there was a conscious attempt by someone to weaken the testimony of the New Testament about the divinity of Jesus Christ.

That is one of the major reasons why many conservative Bible scholars, for many years now, have said that they do not have confidence in the Egyptian manuscripts. They instead have confidence in the great majority of the manuscripts of the New Testament from different areas.

In this text, I Timothy 3:16, it says, “God was manifested in the flesh.” In the Egyptian Manuscripts the word “God” is left out. This is the way it was done. The word for “God” in the Greek language is Theos. If the first two letters (“Th” in Greek is one letter) are removed, then just os is left. “Os” is a pronoun, and this makes the verse completely nonsensical. There is no appropriate antecedent for this pronoun in the sentence. Versions translated from the Egyptian manuscripts read like this, “He was manifested in the flesh.”

The majority of the modern translations of the English Bible are translated from the Egyptian text and are, therefore, not as accurate as Bibles that are translated from the great majority of Greek manuscripts. Read 1 Timothy 3:16, in your Bible. If the word “God” is left out it means that your Bible was translated from an Egyptian text. It would be well to get a Bible that is more accurate, such as the King James or the New King James versions.

 

God In the Flesh

 

The New Testament states unequivocally that Jesus is God. He is a divine person. “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. This is the prediction that Mary, who was a virgin, would produce a child, conceived by the Holy Spirit. His name was to be called Jesu, or in the Hebrew language Joshua, or in English Jesus. That name means a Savior, or a Deliverer.

Who is this Jesus, who is going to save us from our sins? It says in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.” Matthew 1:23. He is God, God with us, God in the flesh.

The New Testament states this over and over again. Jesus existed before He was born of Mary. “John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of Whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” John 1:15.

John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus, yet, he said that Jesus was before him. How much before? “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:5. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24. Jesus said to His Father, “I remember the love You had for Me before the world existed.”

How long before the world was? “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. God the Father is saying that the one born in Bethlehem had been with Him from the days of eternity.

God has always been. In our human speech, when we go as far back as we can, we call that the beginning. The Bible says that in the beginning God already was. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning (you cannot go back beyond that) was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1–4, 14.

A person would have to be God in order to fully reveal God, because God is infinite. No created person could reveal the Father completely. Jesus could do what no angel, or created person could do. “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, Who is the Head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:8–10.

Many Christians do not believe that verse. Yet, it is still in the Bible. “You are complete in Him Who is the Head.” That is the Chief, the One who is in control. The head is the top of the body. He is the head of all principality (rulers) and powers.

 

Seen by Angels

 

“Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels.” As being part of this great mystery Paul talks about Jesus being seen by angels. What was it that was seen by angels that was so mysterious? When Paul said Jesus was seen by angels, he was not only talking about God’s angels. He was talking about the devil’s angels, also.

The book of Revelation teaches that the devil has angels. There were angels that joined the devil in his rebellion against the government of heaven.(See Revelation 12:7–9.) Part of this great mystery is that when Jesus came down to this world, He was manifest in the flesh. The angels—the people in the heavens —saw something. What was it that they saw?

They saw what the great men of the earth saw as described in Psalm 48: “For behold the kings assembled, They passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, as when you break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.” Psalm 48:4–7.

Jesus was crucified during the celebration of the Passover. At that time there were kings, representatives from foreign courts, nobles, princes—men who exerted a wide influence in the world, assembled from all parts of the world in Jerusalem for the Passover. These people witnessed the scenes of Christ’s death.

Many Jews read the inscription on the cross, and it caused such a stir that the chief priests went to Pilate and said, “Please change what you wrote, because it is having such an effect on the people.” It was at that time, when the kings, nobles, and so many important peoples were watching, that Jehovah struck a blow that was felt and has been felt all over the world. The tidings of Christ’s trial and crucifixion were taken by these people to all parts of the world.

This was by divine foreknowledge and decree, because God wanted all the people of the world to focus their attention on the meaning of what happened when Jesus died on the cross. That is to be the all absorbing theme. Everyone in the world is invited to look, to study, and to understand. That is to be the great center of attraction in our world.

The angels of heaven want to understand what happened. Peter, when writing to the Christians later in his life, said the angels desire to understand this great mystery.

What was seen on Calvary? One of the things seen was that God’s throne is a throne of justice. Many today have forgotten all about God’s justice. But the cross proves that our God is a God of justice. When His law is broken, the price has to be paid. It cannot be overlooked. The sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross paid the price for our sin. It also restored honor to God’s government which had been under attack.

Satan said to God, “You cannot be just and forgive the human race of their sins.” God said, “Yes, I can.” The cross is an unanswerable argument. At the end of the world the result of the cross upon the heavenly universe, upon satanic agencies, and upon everyone in this world will be, as the Bible predicts—every mouth will be stopped. In making this infinite sacrifice, Christ exalted and honored the law.

Many things are revealed at the cross besides God’s justice. God could have been just and destroyed the whole world. When man rebelled against God, God could have been just and righteous and destroyed every sinner in the world. God is just, but His character is infinite, it involves more than justice. It is merciful. Even though the devil claimed that God could not be just and merciful, the cross proved this also.

The cross proved that God is right, and the devil wrong. Was the penalty paid, terrible? Jesus exhausted the wrath of God against a broken law. He exhausted the penalty so that you and I would not have to pay it.

The cross shows that God is just and shows at the same time that He is merciful. It shows that His hatred against sin is as strong as death, but it shows that His love for sinners is even stronger than death. When it is all done, and God presents to the entire inhabitants of the world a panoramic view of the life and death of Christ, every mouth will be stopped, every rebellious voice silenced. God will have done everything that He could do to save each one. No one will be able to say to the Lord, “Lord, I had a bad inheritance, I had a poor marriage partner, I had bad health, or I had trouble on my job.” Every mouth will be silenced. God will say, “I did everything possible to save you. There were abundant opportunities for you to be saved. All you had to do was accept, all you had to do was commit your life to Me and I would have helped you. The plan of salvation would have worked out in your life.” What are you going to say when the Lord presents to you millions of other people that were just as weak as you were?

He will be able to show you people who had just as bad a marriage as you had, just as bad health as you had, just as much trouble on their job as you had, and all the kinds of trouble you had. Yet they committed their lives to Christ and He saved them, why didn’t you? What will you say? The Bible says every mouth will be stopped. It is the cross that will stop the great controversy.

 

Thoughts Revealed

 

The cross of Jesus has a dark side and a light side. The light side is how much God loves you and me. God loves you enough that He would rather die than leave you lost.

The dark side is this: God’s Son was permitted to endure the enmity of an apostate, called Satan, against the commander of all heaven. It was demonstrated what Satan was like.

This was predicted in the Bible. “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, behold, this child is destined for the rise and fall of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34, 35. What does it mean that the thoughts of many hearts are going to be revealed?

When Jesus came, the character of God was revealed to the whole universe. His justice, His mercy, His love for the lost, His kindness, His tact, His courtesy, His cheerfulness, His helpfulness, and His tender compassion. The character of God was perfectly reflected to us through the life of Christ.

The thoughts of God are revealed through the life of Jesus. God loves you so much that He would rather His Son die on the cross than you be lost. This is impossible to explain. We cannot understand the love of God, but it is real. The life of Christ revealed the thoughts of God’s heart.

The heart of the devil was also revealed. The heart of the devil had never been revealed before like it was when Jesus was on earth. It was the devil who inspired the men who crucified Christ. It was the devil who stimulated the people to taunt Christ, and the Roman soldiers to mock Him. He persuaded Pilate to condemn Jesus to crucifixion, even after Pilate said three times in the most emphatic language, “I find in Him no fault at all.”

The thoughts of the devil were revealed. But that is not all. In the life and death of Christ your heart is revealed. When you read the story you will take one side or the other. Either you accept Christ, or you deny Him and become His enemy. You cannot be neutral. When you read the story of Christ, especially about His crucifixion, you have to go one way or the other.

When you see that the devil has no mercy, but is only cruel, do you want to follow him any more? “Oh,” somebody says, “I have never been following the devil.” Oh? I wish I could say that.

Who is following the devil and who is not following the devil? “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. Jesus wants to destroy the works of the devil. He was manifested to deliver us from sin.

The people who are given eternal life will be people in whom the Lord Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil, delivered them from sin. Do you want to be part of that group? Do you want Jesus to deliver you?

Sin is cruel. Sin is not something that anyone would want to have anything to do with. We see when we study the cross, it would be better for us to lose our lives than to be involved in sin.

“Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh . . . seen by angels.” Is this mystery going to change your life? Are you studying about it, thinking about it, praying about it? Are you saying, “Lord, I want this salvation that was worked out for me in the life of Jesus on the cross. I want this salvation to change my life. I do not want to follow the devil any more. I do not want to live a life of sin any more.”

Has this been your experience? It is a great mystery. It is beyond our understanding. But we serve a God of mysteries, a God of miracles, a God that wants to work a miracle in your life and mine.