Dear BPCWAians, It is one week before Easter, and the start of what is often called the Passion Week. It is a week of stark contrasts. Within this week, there would be the darkest day the world has ever known – the day God, our Saviour, was mocked and crucified on the cross… by those He came to save, and for those He came to save. Within this week would also be the brightest day the world has ever known. A day when through the resurrection of Christ, Christians can echo the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 15:55 “O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?” The day when the Creator, our Saviour, who from the heights of glory, should descend to earth to suffer the very torments of sin on behalf of the created, sinners doomed for hell. As Christians, it would be careless ingratitude to pass this week without deep contemplation of the depths of God’s love that wrought man’s salvation plan. Yes, every day ought to be holy unto the Lord. But surely, as Christians, should we not particularlyspend this week remembering our Saviour’s Passion?
Remember the immensity of God’s Grace. This is the time we must sit at the foot of the cross and contemplate Christ’s sufferings. At the same time, we also spend time in awesome wonder at the perfection of God in His Holiness. To think that Jesus Christ, who created all things in heaven and in earth (Col 1:16), and even as He made Adam in His own image, knew that one day He would take on that very weakness of flesh in obedience to the Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. Despite the years of man’s repeated rebellion against God in mankind’s history, the Father’s unwavering promise to send His Son was never withdrawn. Man, who lives everyday receiving the common benefits of God, continues to consciously and carelessly disregard Him, never thanks Him, and rebelliously flouts His laws. A lesser being than the true and living God would have cursed the whole race of mankind without any hope of redemption. Had God erased the plan of salvation forever, He would have been perfectly justified to do so. That the Thrice Holy God should come and live in a world among sinful man is a marvel. Our Saviour, fully knowing the treacherous thoughts of Judas, still offered the sop to the chief hypocrite at the Last Supper (Jn 13:26) – an offer to the end for Judas to come to the Saviour. An offer which Judas callously walked away from and betrayed the Lord instead. The God, who numbers the stars, sends forth lightning, gives life, and feeds even the ravens, hung on that cross meekly – but never helplessly. What gross ingratitude it is for man to think that to obey Him is an infringement of our “rights” and our “liberty” and “unreasonable”. Only God the very God could work out so marvellous a plan of salvation. One salvation plan, interwoven with the threads of God’s Infinite Love, Unwavering Justice and Perfect Holiness. My Lord and my God – on the cross because of my sin.
Remember our unworthiness. We learn about those at the foot of the cross who mocked our Saviour in His humility and meekness. We gasp at the soldiers who cruelly parted His garments. We are warned not to be like Judas, who betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver and a hypocritical kiss. We must also remember that, without the grace of God, we are no better than them. We would have done the same as the Jews and the soldiers were we there at the foot of that cross some 2000 years ago. We would, just like those we meet at City Evangelism, have demanded “If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself” (Lu 23:37). My sin. Your sin. Personally. The very terrifying horrors of hell that meet the unsaved as he enters into a hopeless eternity of death would have been ours, if not for God’s grace bestowed upon us. Without the irresistible grace of God that drew us to Him, we too would have scorned Him. The fact that we are saved is not of ourselves. It is certainly not because we live in a more “civilised” society than they did in those days. It is not because of our goodness. It is not because we are more reasonable people. It is totally the working of God that “whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30) Is it not a great debt that we owe to Him?
Having considered all these, there is only one fitting response to those who have truly tasted of this amazing grace – “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6) Let us, who have been delivered from the bondage of spiritual blindness and now behold the wonders of His grace, no more live for ourselves, our pleasures, our ambitions. Let us renew our zeal for Him.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Yours in our Lord’s service
Pastor