For God so Loved the World that He Gave His Sons…
He gave His Son on the cross so why wouldn’t He do it to you
also? There is only one Savior but there are many sons. Only one is the
begotten but many die. He suffered once for all and we suffer for some.
Heb 12:8 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. KJV
How does that fit? He loves me and He beats me?
Can we preach this? Could you imagine the Sunday service?
The music quiets, the pastor approaches the pulpit and begins with a smile “The
Lord will scourge you! This is His love.” Then he goes to explain the cat o’
nine tails and the manner of its use. He tells how the Father will use you
through the pain He inflicts upon you to reach the lost.
Boy, this is a hard sell to those antinomians and those who
console themselves with a fuzzy, cuddly savior. This bless me crowd doesn’t
like this. Not to say I’m a masochist. I do not want to suffer, yet I can read
and get the Word’s meaning.
God the Father put His most Loved One on the cross for us.
Would it surprise you that He would use us similarly? Did you think we may be
designing a life of security to avoid the whip. This scourging is our birth
right. This belongs on the back of those of faith, His sons. Are you in denial?
Should we desire this abuse? I can’t imagine anyone hoping for this. But it is
ours.
Phil 3:10-11 I want to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him
in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. NIV
Paul wants to share in Jesus’ suffering. He sees its necessity
and desires it.
You would have trouble associating this idea to salvation
but there are scriptures that allude to it.
Rom 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order
that we may also share in his glory. NIV
Wow! I bet the antinomians are soiling themselves after
reading this one. So if we are saved we will share in His suffering. I only
think this is cool because it exposes what is purposefully missed. I know it is
natural to hope differently and to even preach against it. But I think that
would and does cause more problems for “believers.”
2 Cor 1:5-6 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over
into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. NIV
I like how he says this. The suffering of Jesus, his life,
his crucifixion, overflows to us. Man! That is wild. We are to be wetted with
His suffering.
Col 1:24-27 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and
I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions,
for the sake of his body, which is the church. NIV
In this one Paul mentions that the suffering of Christ is
being completed. In part through Paul this suffering of Jesus is perpetuated to
its fulfillment. And this is done for the church. We will suffer for the
fulfillment of God’s great plan. Remember the church is a group of formally
lost. So he suffers for the lost that will come to follow Jesus. And we do too.
What do you conclude? I know that those with strong misconceptions
of the gospel and Jesus have quit reading this thinking this heresy. But you believe
the scriptures. So what do you conclude?
How does this reshape your understanding of the Gospel and God’s
plan for us?
What about the four spiritual laws? Remember “God has a
wonderful plan for your life.” Yeah, Heaven is great but everyone takes this
phrase to mean He has a wonderful plan for you in the here and now. Now what
happens when things do not go well as we promised them in these “laws?” Yes, disillusionment!
The illusion is gone and that’s good but
maybe this is why it has been reported that 3,500 people a day leave the
church. Since these scriptures sink the “spiritual laws.” What do we tell them?
What we should say about salvation is more like “The
salvation of your soul is free. It you receive
this gift, God is going to make you suffer for the lost and when your life is
over you’ll rest in Heaven with your Brother Jesus. So keep on lovin!”
For God so Loved the World that He gave His Sons…
Cool huh?
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