We began with what it cost Christ for us to become sons of
God. It cost Him the glory of heaven for
no permanent earthly abode. It cost Him
the worship of angels for the rejection of men. It cost Him fellowship with the
Father to God’s forsaking of His own Son while on the cross. Truly He endured the cross and despised the
shame as Hebrews tells us.
What cost for Christ was there for us? It cost us the arrogance of our own self
righteousness. I have known many people
who have not wanted to pay that cost.
They were so self assured that they were right in who they were and what
they thought that they could not see sin and its judgment. They were the god of their own mind.
Essentially the idea is a little broader than just the god
of their own mind. The fundamental idea
is that man is god which is the very central lie that Satan offered Eve in the
garden. Collectively mankind has the
power to find all the answers.
Collectively through the means of politics, economics, education,
science and reasoning we will create heaven on earth. That it hasn’t yet been achieved only means
there is more tweeking to do, but we will get it. Eve wanted to be god. The citizens of Babel wanted to be god. Ultimately pagan worship offered everyone a
chance to touch the gods through the debauchery of their practices. What it really costs then to know Christ is
the cost of admitting the utter failure of fallen man and to declare the
absolutely perfection of the Christ.
That declaration of the perfection of Christ is what leads
to obedient faith and faithful cross bearing.
If something is absolutely true, then that something deserves our
absolute best. Therefore it is our reasonable service, as Paul told the Romans,
that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to Christ. We offer ourselves up daily to die daily to
self. That is the cost of being His disciple,
but it is a reasonable cost because we are serving the absolute perfection of
Christ. When we take our eyes off Him we
will swim in the shallow waters. We want
the easy food on the bottom near the shore and relief from the current always
running against us. But it is in the shallows where we become easy prey for the
wolves that prowl along the shore and the joy of serving the sublime Christ is
lost in the frenzy of the ravening wolves of the world.
Helen Lemuel wrote this beautiful song that has inspired
many to turn their eyes away from the ease of the world and focus them clearly
on Jesus. “Turn Your Eyes Upon
Jesus”.
Through death into life everlasting He
passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion, for more
than conquerors we are!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His
wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely
dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
The
Friday Benediction
Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend. Amen
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