Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?

        One man asked a friend, "Why did you leave your last job?" The second man said, "It was over something my boss said." The first man replied, "Yeah, what did he say?" Said the second man, "You’re fired." Are you a Christian? Put another way, are you a worker for the Lord? Gospel preachers have often challenged listeners to consider, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Let’s twist that just a little and ask, "If you are a Christian and Jesus evaluated you as a cross-bearer, would He fire you or continue to hire you?"

Stay with me, and let me remind you of the challenge issued to every potential follower of Jesus. The challenge is found in John 12:25-26 where Jesus Himself declared, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." Either side of these verses Jesus discusses how He will bring glory to God and how God will glorify Him. And smack dab in the middle of the discussion He talks about dying and the cross! He was headed for His impending death on a cross when He spoke this challenge – and He warns that nobody will gain eternal life unless they follow Him! Keep reading now. It’s almost certain talk of dying and a cross does not create much of a sense of desperation in most people these days, even in those of us who attend church services regularly. As the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ always made clear to those who expressed interest in following Him that He would, indeed, lead them to glory. But He never failed to remind interested people that the path to glory would require radical self-denial that issues forth in costly acts of service to God’s glory and for others’ good. In Jesus’ own words in Luke 9:23: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." The Lord is clear on this one – there is no such thing as a cross-less position for those who follow Christ and work for the Lord.

Some people continue to believe and act as if you can be a Christian without much cross-bearing. Some don’t do much in the way of self-denial. They content themselves to "come to church," sit as a spectator on a padded pew, and consume (and in some cases critique) sermons. Some regularly show up for the potluck but then never stay around for the clean-up. Some get out for the fellowship activities and fun-times, but give little if any of their time, talent, or treasure for things that require actual labor for the Lord. Some knock the preacher, elders, and songleaders, but never knock on a neighbor or loved one’s door with the express intent to move them toward Christ. I don’t say these things (more could be said) because I’m "bent of shape" or am down on the church. I’m asking, in the words of Thomas Shepherd’s beautiful 1693 song, "Must Jesus bear the cross alone, And all the world go free?" His answer (and the Lord’s!) is, "No, there’s a cross for everyone, and There’s a cross for me." A crossless Christianity will not lead you to a crown of life. It’s a sobering truth, but a crossless Christianity will in the end cause Jesus to "fire" you. And trust me - you don’t want Jesus to "fire" you. Will you think about it?

Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

Can Sin-Soiled Souls Be Dry-Cleaned?

A man was speaking with a friend and said, "I was standing in the park wondering why Frisbees get bigger as they get closer. Then it hit me." That God’s plan to save man includes water baptism has never "hit" some people. Millions proclaim a waterless plan for forgiveness of sins that would "dry clean" the souls of sinners. But that won’t wash. British theologian and Bible commentator John Stott noted in his commentary on ROMANS that baptism in the New Testament "means water unless in the context it is stated to the contrary." A sampling of passages follows. In Matthew 3:16, after Jesus had been baptized at the hands of His forerunner John the Baptist, Matthew records, "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water." Jesus had no sin on His soul, but to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15b), He was nevertheless baptized in water. In John 3:23 we read that John "was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there." No ambiguity there. Beginning at Acts 8:26 Philip the evangelist encountered and preached Christ to "a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the Queen, who had charge of all her treasury (v 27)." Philip "preached Jesus to him" (v 35). A close examination of the record in Acts 8 reveals that Philip began his sermon about Jesus in Isaiah 53:7-8 where it was prophesied Jesus would die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Beginning there Philip explained the gospel to the eunuch. Then, in the very next verse in Acts 8:36, the Bible said, "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water.’ What hinders me from being baptized?’" Philip didn’t hinder him, and he didn’t teach him to say "the sinner’s prayer," or just "believe and receive and pray Jesus into his heart." Rather he simply told him in verse 37, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." After the eunuch confessed Jesus as the Son of God, "both Philip and the treasurer went down into the water, and he baptized him," and then they "came up out of the water." Not a hint here that Philip believed or taught the widespread modern twist on the gospel plan that baptism is only a "an outward sign of an inward grace." Symbol or not, the apostle Peter slams any notion that sinners can be dry-cleaned without water baptism. In 1 Peter 3:20-21 he discussed Noah and the flood and said that "a few, that is eight souls were saved through water." He goes on to say, "There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good consciecne toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Someone objects, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Right you are. But exactly when does the blood of Jesus save? Romans 6:3 provides the Bible’s answer – "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Christ’s blood was shed at His death on the cross. To benefit from His death, we have to gain access to His blood. The New Testament does not teach sinners to be dry-cleaned. It teaches the blood of Christ washes our sins away. And it teaches baptism is where we reach that blood. "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). Why not think about it?

--Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

Acts 13:13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

John Mark was a young man when he followed Paul and his cousin, Barnabas, on this missionary trip. But he didn’t follow them for long for when they were at Perga in Pamphylia, he left them and returned home. Why John Mark departed from them is unknown. The following could be his reasons:

1.      It might have been from fear of danger.

2.      Perhaps he was sick.

3.      Maybe, he was homesick.

4.      Maybe there was an emergency at home and he needed to go back immediately.

5.      He was tired.

6.      He didn’t like Paul’s style of leadership.

7.      He felt he wasn’t of much help to them.

Whatever the reason, it was obvious that Paul did not approve of it. Apparently it was a “big deal” to Paul though Barnabas had no issue with it. This incident became a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas which we read in Acts 15:37-41. Barnabas was willing to take John Mark again with them; but Paul would not consent. The result was they parted ways; Barnabas took John Mark while Paul chose Silas.

Whatever John's motives, we're happy to report that he was eventually reconciled to Paul and became quite helpful to him once again (2 Timothy 4:11).

I do not know why John Mark left the mission, but I do know why some missionaries left the mission.

1.      Lack of financial support.

2.      Failure to learn the foreign language and adapt to the culture.

3.      Problems at home congregation.

4.      Loss of faith and zeal.

5.      Lack of appreciation.

6.      Unfulfilled expectations.

It is unfortunate when a gospel preacher or a missionary quit. The false teachers are sending out their missionaries by hundreds and therefore, we should treasure the few missionaries and full-time preachers we have and give them all the support they need to preach the gospel. The main concern of most supporting congregations is money. But, should churches be spending thousands of dollars on their building each year while starving the missionaries they are supporting?

The scripture commanded us to support those who preach the gospel: “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14, ESV).

The church at Laodicea prided itself as being a rich church and was in need of nothing. But the Lord said they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelations 3:17). They were physically rich but spiritually they were beggars. They should have done more with their riches and help the poor saints and do more missionary works.

When the children of Gad and Reuben saw the plains on the western side of Jordan River, they fell in love with it and requested Moses that they would be pleased to have this land for their inheritance. But Moses was not pleased with their request and said to them: “Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?” (Numbers 32:6).

Our missionaries and preachers are busy preaching the gospel. Should we be sitting here while they are fighting the Lord’s warfare? Of course we shouldn’t. We should be giving them the moral and financial support they need. We should be giving them encouragement. We could visit their work and show our support and provide all the help they need.

Why John Mark quit the missionary trip? We don’t know. But we know why some preachers quit. This we can help and must help when it is within our power to do so. Is the Lord pleased when a church is rich in her bank accounts but poor in her mission work? I believe He would rather she has it the reverse order (Revelations 3:17). Let us help prevent our workers from quitting whenever we can do it. 

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.