The Law, The Cross, and Hell

I read Ray Comfort's 'What Did Jesus Do?' today and felt encouraged to write:

The Law

Galatians 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

I suppose it should not surprise the Christian who understands the right use of the law in evangelism, how the average one of us does not agree with using the Ten Commandments to reach the lost, but yet it still does. But then after reading over Jesus’ own words in the Beatitudes, it becomes more apparent why there is a human tendency to shy away. This is because the word of God continually, continually stirs the rocks out of the dirt of our souls.

In reading over Ray Comfort’s words on the matter, there is something in me, my own human will, that fights against what my regenerated mind knows is truth. While simply reading words that will strengthen my efforts for the Kingdom in evangelism, I find my own heart travailing and groaning under the letter of God’s commandments, both those given by Moses, and otherwise. My desperately wicked heart being a continual reminder to me of what is taking place all this while in the heart of the lost: the gratification of the self-will; doing what we want to do.

The Cross

Matthew 10:38 “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

The cross, whether it be the one our Saviour carried, or the one that you or I are commanded to carry, has only one purpose; breaking. None other. It does not edify, it does not even condemn, it has no will of itself, for it is only a tool in the hand of our Lord to stop our will, our way, and our words, from doing what we think they ought.

Hell

Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

I do not say this, reader, to be cute, or crass, but rather because it is a truth painted in Scripture that is so vile and striking, yet because of its harsh reality, we don’t want to deal with it. Just as God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, He is also able to do inflict pain and torture exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or think, according to His wrath that abides in us. Woe unto you who reject the gospel! Woe unto you who trample under foot the precious blood of Christ!

No woman scorned has seen fury of any nature of that in Hell. Torture, torture, torture: night and day. Torment, agony, and the knowledge that there was a way that was mocked at. This is too much, you say? At what point do I go astray. At what point do I take the pains of Hell out of context? At what point do I exaggerate what God has ordained? Why else would our Saviour tell us it would be better to be murdered, than to be destroyed with everlasting fire?

Sadly, most Christians today take the things of which you speak too lightly. The law is for sinners, so they think, but violate the second commandment by amplifying God's love and denying His wrath, or undermine it.
As for the cross, Jesus died on it. Most would not know what it means to take up the cross and follow Jesus.
Hell, don't mention that! What sufferring for all eternity?! Yes, that is exactly what the word of God means. The lake of fire mentioned in the book of Revelation is no joke. If it is, it is far from being funny.
God help us to keep our hearts and minds open and to judge ourselves daily according to your word and in the light of Christ's return. God bless.

The cross, whether it be the one our Saviour carried, or the one that you or I are commanded to carry, has only one purpose; breaking. None other. It does not edify, it does not even condemn, it has no will of itself, for it is only a tool in the hand of our Lord to stop our will, our way, and our words, from doing what we think they ought.

I would say this is a very limited view of the cross.

The cross is not only related to "breaking" but of course to redemption and justification. It is where "God made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might become the rightousness of God in Him". It is the basis of our redemption and our regeneration.

On the other hand, related to 'Breaking" the Cross is the place of termination. That is of the Old Creation, of the authority of the flesh, of Satan's rule and domain, and all things related to the old Creation. The Cross is the termination of all these things in Christ.

In regards to our experience, the Cross is the basis of our deliverence from these things and 'the power of God unto salvaton to everyone who believes".

As regards to "our cross" which we are to take daily, if Matt. 23:16-27 is read carefully, we see that the cross we take is in reference to our soul life, Our natural Life, in order that we might gain our soul in the comming age. That is we deny the enjoyment of our soul Life in this age and live by the Spirit, and in the age to come we will have the enjoyment in the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.

We see the Lord spoke these words in reference to Peter who had rebuked the Lord conserning his going to the cross. The Lords words were consering Peter's setting his mind on the things of man and not on the things of God. Peter expressed his natural life and his natural opinion. The Lord rebuked him saying, "Get behind me Satan" and followed with the words conserning our taking the cross, denying our soul life and following Him.

The Lord's words are not regarding heaven and hell, but regarding our denying our soul life in this world that we might enjoy the Kingdom in the comming age. It is realated to reward and enjoyment of the Kingdom and not regarding eternal salvation.

The cross is not about "breaking us" though it has that effect. Rather the cross is about applying the death of Christ by the Spirit to our own, natural, soulical life that we might live in the resurrection life of Christ. We have to be broken from reliance upon our natural life, our natural abilities, our natural personality strenghts, and rely on the indwelling life of Christ alone. This requrirs much dealing with the Lord and many trials and circomstances and much work of the Spirit within us.

God uses circomstances to "break us" and in these circomstances as we take the cross to our natural life, we find the resurreciton Life of Christ working in us, transforming us, imparting Christ into us and conforming us to His image.

We do not deny our mind, our will and our emotions in a stoic way. We do not become mindless, willess, heartless people. Rather we deny the life of our soul, and our mind, our will, our emotions are renewed and transformed.

We need the Spirit's Light to see what originates from our natural life and His strengtheneing in our inner man to apply the cross, to deny our natural life and to experience His resurrection life. We need daily fellowship with Christ by the Spirit throug his Word, "The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword... dividing assunder both soul and spirit..."

The Cross of Christ is the basis of our enjoying the reality of His resurrection Life.

Graftedbranch

'God uses circomstances to "break us" and in these circomstances as we take the cross to our natural life, we find the resurreciton Life of Christ working in us, transforming us, imparting Christ into us and conforming us to His image.'

Exactly. The cross breaks us, and Christ gives us life. The cross does nothing of itself. It can't. Only the person and work of Jesus.

The cross is a fulfillment of law. Law can't save, it can't even think. He, rather, works in us, transforms us, and imparts by His Spirit.

The Spirit of Christ gives us life, but the cross, rather, is only useful this side of eternity. It breaks before God takes.

When I compare the awfulness of hell with the pain of being nailed onto a cross: set upright and dropped into a hole with a body nailed onto it, the drop jarring the hands and feet nailed to the wood....how dreadfully painfull this was! If Jesus was willing to suffer such excruciating pain, how dreadfull hell must be if he endured something so bad in order to redeem mankind. And can I not in a small measure understand the wrath of God against those who refuse the plan of salvation? I sense that once we get to heaven we will agree with God's wrath against the disobedient.

I regularly pray that God would somehow impress upon the minds of our loved ones who are away from God the awfullness of hell and what it would mean to be separated from God for all eternity. And eternity is something my punny brain cannot comprehend! So I accept it in faith.

ginnyrose