There is a place that I call: "The Point Of No Return!" A place that lies just beyond the maximum extent and reach of all that is in our power to understand, hold on to and control as flesh and blood people. A place where that which is born of the flesh is flesh and can go no further because it presents itself to ones flesh as an impenatrable barrier, as dark clouds, a blackness, a void, even death... forever! It is a place where once someone goes beyond it, they never come back (at least not the way they were before).
This is the place that belongs to the realm of... "death" - death to all that we once knew and know and to all that we once were and are (without Christ)!
For lack of better words I try to describe it as an uncrossable void, a bottomless chasm between two worlds, a barrier of seperation that exists between all that is of earth and flesh and all that is of heaven and spirit, like the void that seperates heaven and hell. There is no way for one to cross over to the other side under ones own power and retain their old life and lifestyle in the bargain - "No way!"
The cross of Christ is the bridge between these two worlds: the earthly, and the heavenly! The cross is THE POINT OF NO RETURN! Like walking the plank, it is the place of the putting to death of "our old man" with Christ, the way God intended BEFORE we can be made fit to go on through, BEFORE we can go on to enter the Kingdom of God: "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!"
The cross does one thing: "It slays a man of who and what they were in Adam!" The cross ("I have been crucified with Christ") is the only "Bridge" that joins our two worlds; joins who we once were without Christ with who we now are IN Christ.
One MUST realize that the Blood that Jesus shed at Calvary was and is for our sins, for What we DO, for our crimes against God; while the Cross itself is for the sinner, for us, for Who we ARE! THAT CROSS is what's in store for us - "IF" - we intend to go past the Point of No Return! This is where one, "Takes up the Cross", or rather one where, "The Cross takes us up"!
It is a place utterly beyond a mans ability to see beyond let alone go beyond (John 3:3, 5) and still retain his old Adamic life and lifestyle in the process. It is a place where those who have been born of the Spirit are made to understand that just beyond this 'void' that one must cross while they still live, lays the Kingdom of God.
Although one cannot live without coming to God THROUGH the cross, neither must one die without it in place in their hearts either.
If an unregenerate person desires to enter the kingdom of God while seeking to preserve their own Adamic life and life-style in the bargain (i.e. 'have their cake in this life and eat it too'), the door will be closed to them.
They do so in order to appease their flesh in seeking to find another way (an easier way: a way to preserve their life intact) into the kingdom other than having to go through the crucified Christ first, wanting to avoid this imposing obstacle that stands in the way of their will, their way, their loves, and their flesh like the plague. (Matt.22:11-14)
The Blood is for our sins, and the Cross is for the sinner! Without the cross and His death and resurrection, and our having to be crucified upon it with Christ there is no way one can be born again.
I repeat, The Blood that Jesus shed was for the forgiveness of sins. His Shed Blood is for what we did: Sinned before God!!! Our faith in the shedding of God's blood is what saves/justifies us FROM our sins. It is shed in order to cleanse our conscience, our hearts from the guilt of sin, guilt that can tear us apart if it weren't for the cleansing action of His shed blood. The Blood deals with the BAD FRUIT of the problem - with what we "PRODUCE"!
However it is "The Cross" that deals with the BAD ROOT of the problem: with "US" - with "Our OLD MAN - with "WHO we Are"! Without that problem being solved via our crucifixion with Christ and our new birth, the person would go on sinning, producing rotten fruit without end without the power to STOP his sinning. That is NOT what God had in mind in saving us!
That's why Jesus insists on getting the inside/our old nature/who we are, taken care of first. Because once the inside of us; where we first received the word, has properly received the word and becomes deeply rooted and established in the faith then the outside (the fruit it produces) will be good as well (Matt.13:8) ...
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit." Matt 12:33
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." Matt 23:26
The cross itself is for who we: as the old man - the old creature - the old creation - ARE (and not what we did). It is for who we ARE: "Sinners!!!" WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE "SINNERS"! THAT is what must be seen! The "ROOT" is rotten to the core! Therefore "WE" MUST change! Jesus Christ came specifically to put an END to our having life without God. It is through our obeying (having faith in) the Word whereby God brings us TO Himself and New Life... by going THROUGH the cross.
Thus the cross is the instrument of death that effectively deals the death blow to the sinner himself (Rom.7:6-10), and slays us. It is impossible to: "Go And Sin No More", except one becomes a new creature IN Christ. Therefore, one must first be put to death with Christ in order for a new creature to be born and come to the Father...
"...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
In real life every day situations, and upon ones "Hearing" the Gospel, he doesn't remain there at the foot of the cross for too long before certain "Implications" begin to set in and one has to "move on". They will either have to retreat from it in fear of hearing they also must be crucified with Christ upon it; thus lose both their life and the lifestyle to which they had grown accustomed, or else they will begin to really obey the word in them they are hearing and gladly come and lay their life down there out of love for Him, and step beyond the point of no return intent on coming all the way to Him body, soul and spirit.
For some it is like "The night of the soul", a sitting down to weigh the costs, a place of decision, a place of either or, a place where there exists only two people: "You and the Lord", and the struggles of your heart whether you really do love Him enough to obey Him with your whole heart.
There is a difference between one who has money and one who has the Love of money! There is no "sin" in having money! The sin is in harboring the "LOVE" of it! This, "I have to have it, I can't live without it" attitude is the one that drives the world! It is that "Love" - that "worship" of it that is IDOLATRY, and not the money itself!
Likewise, it is one thing to have life, and even have it abundantly. That's no sin! But it is quite another thing to love and value ones own life ABOVE the life of Christ and having it. It is that Self-Centered "Love" of ones own life that is IDOLATRY! If we won't come and lay down our "precious" life for Him, then neither are we worthy of Him and His (Matt.10:37-39).
So, if one hears His voice today then it's time to, "Deny yourself, take up the cross and come to Him". It is time to come to that same Person who was once dead and buried but is now high and lifted up (John 12:32), up to the place where He draws, up to the place where He woos, up to the place where He speaks in order that we may believe, obey and follow the voice who calls us by name to come out of ourselves, calling us to come out of our snug little throne room (i.e. to drop everything, leave it all behind and come away with Him - S.O.S. 2:10; Matt.4:19-22).
We do this by finally admitting that He has been standing at the door and knocking all the while, awaiting FULL entry to His purchased possession. We do this by arising, opening the door, letting the light shine in and do its slaying job as we go out to meet Him past that point of no return -
(in other words: "DIE TO HAVING TO HAVE OUR OWN WAY, OUR OWN WILL {die to ALL of our ambitions and goals and what "we" seek to accomplish as men in this life}, so that we may live only to do "His Will" {thus live only to do His ambitions and goals and achievements}") -
and welcome Him home, by inviting Him and bringing Him to come in and sit on His rightful throne in our heart, and sup with Him... forever. Rev.3:20
And by doing so we open up our hearts and go out to meet (receive) Him (Denying ourselves, and taking up the cross) as the only way to follow Him - to follow the sound of His voice - heard upon the high places (Ps.18:33), heard coming past the point of no return, coming from beyond the cross, and calling us to a heavenly place. One where all are invited, one where many are called to come to but few are chosen that actually do obey and follow. (Matt.22:14)
Like marriage vows, they are the special and endearing word spoken to the heart calling the bride to "Come Away My Beloved". These are words of love and peace and encouragement that strengthens the faith, trust and assurance needed (Luke 14:28) to continue following the voice of that word that belongs to the One they love, past that point of no return and on into His arms.
Even though they may be brought to the end of the road and go down into the shadow of the valley death, and like Job, lose all they have, nevertheless He is with them, guiding them to Himself (Ps.23:4; Luke 1:79) and they will follow no other!
For in their heart of hearts they know that He alone is all they need and will ever want! He was made just for them, and they for Him.
It is written (1 Cor.2:9-12) that no man knows God but by the Spirit of God, and the spirit of a man knows all about the man. So when the Spirit of God comes shining the Light of Truth into our hearts like a beam, then we shamefully come to see and recognize ourselves for the sinful and vile creatures that we are without Christ in comparison to God's glory, and realize then and there that we need to become renewed and made Holy like Him.
This is the place where the end of the road is reached and where one steps through that door into the great beyond, a place where it is impossible to come back and regain that certain self-relationship or something that we once had before. There is a "death" to all of that! The door is closed with Him sitting on the throne, and us at His feet where we belong. There is no getting back or wanting back where and what we were BEFORE all of this took place. (Isa.50:7)
It's like an explorer who sees the wonder of Niagara Falls or the beauty of Yellowstone for the first time. It becomes embedded in them - where they become a part of it and it becomes a part of them - and no one can take it away. So how is it that others can "appreciate = know" what only they themselves have come to see? The truth is that others can't!
It's like trying to explain to the blind and deaf what vision and sound are like. It can't be done! Impossible! (They have to be able to "experience it" for themselves!)
It's like trying to read the Bible to others over and over in hopes that by flooding them with the truth they will come to hear/understand it! (It doesn't work that way!)
Better yet, it's like the guy in "Pilgrim's Progress" who was told to head for "Yonder Light", and not rest until he made it through the gate of it! (That's what it's really like!)
Otherwise, it's like trying to explain "Spiritual things" to many church goers in many of todays dead churches! They may politely nod and even agree with what you are telling them (because they heard it all before in the Bible), yet they have absolutely no comprehension of where you are coming from, nor any understanding of what you are talking about, nor even why you are bothering to preach it to them, of all people, in the first place?! "Go preach it to sinners", instead!
Their "knowledge" stems from their religious traditions and/or from what their church teaches, and not out of having their own deeply personal relationship with Christ. Theirs is the kind of knowledge that has them believe it isn't really necessary to sell all to follow Jesus.
It is this "knowledge" that the flesh will gladly tolerate and is even invented for it, so that it may have some semblance of pride left to it and remain in some comfort. As long as the old man (what we are without Christ) isn't demanded to "die", our flesh will do everything in its power to keep on living, by hook or by crook, even if that means living in such a way as to make the Pope look like a sinful piker.
Putting it all together in Christian terms, it's like the "chasm" that seperates the believer from the non-believer in Luke 16:24. Neither one can cross over to the other side! Once the point of no return (in this case: 'physical death') has been reached and passed it's over, finished. Unless one knows what "spiritual death" is like first hand there's no way to get the importance and urgency of ones message across.
This applies not only to Life and Death, but to Marriage and Divorce, to certain Mental and Physical Traumas, as well as a host of other things. "Experience" speaks volumes (John 3:11), especially where it concerns "spiritual things".
A right experience of the Lord can apply to Knowledge as well! And knowledge is what I am applying it to here!
In the same way, knowledge is power! I refer here primarily to the kind of knowledge one gains when one first stumbles upon and discovers a vast buried treasure, who before had nothing!
Think of the knowledge/power such a person has gained through God who can not lie that causes him to say: "I'm Eternally Rich beyond my wildest dreams!"
This is the kind of knowledge I am refering to here. One that is so liberating and so full of joy that it sets you forever... FREE...
"...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you... FREE." John 8:31-32
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36
The knowledge and strength of faith gained when one realizes that they have been made free through the Truth, is so liberating that for the one who has been made free this life is officially over for them! Though they still may go through the motions of breathing and eating, their heart has been stolen and is already Home with the Lord awaiting them.
Death has lost its grip it once had. Now the person knows what TRUE riches are, having seen them in person, realizing that they cannot be condemned by God ever again. (John 5:24) They are at peace, and have found rest for their souls.
This is exactly what happens to a person when they are born again in the love of God! They're on cloud nine! What a far cry this all is from the lusterlessness and dinginess of what the world treaures and deems as "precious" and what it strives after.
Concerning knowledge, we are responsible for what we know! We will each be held accountable to God for what we knew in our hearts was true, and what we did or didn't do with it!
In one way then, "Knowledge" can be so... "Devastating". Because in this case, the more one knows (concerning the things of God) the more one is responsible for keeping and doing them. If indeed we have received new hearts then that leaves us without excuse. We are expected, even commanded to keep them.
And so, the person who has sat down, examined themselves to see what kind of resolve was in them, and weighed the cost of what such knowledge brought them, is in turn "expected to die" because of that very knowledge. (Matt.10:39) He is "expected to go past the point of no return", dying to self out of love for Christ in order that he may be empowered to live unto God in the only way possible: "as a new creature with Christ"as his head!
With knowledge of the Holy comes power, the transforming power of the Spirit who in turn enables us to live the Christian life! This requires a brand new heart - a new man IN Christ - one where the old one passes away!
And those who continue in His word receive even more liberating knowledge of the truth, until a point of no return is reached - a place of all or nothing, either do or die is realized - a very narrow gate is seen standing in the way - an impossible chasm is seen existing between the man and his God - a point of no return is reached where the truth shows us WHY we must be crucified with Christ... and awaits our approval with our own life.
Knowledge is power!
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:14
It is in the Spirit's taking and "Showing us Christ's glory" where we receive the power necessary to Die for, Live for and Obey Christ!
A mere Flesh and Blood, Bible reading knowledge and understanding of God cannot enter the Kingdom! Only a Personal and Saving Knowledge of God in doing what He says, contains the Spiritual power necessary to sell all one owns in order to go past the point of no return including ones own death, laying it all down.... entirely out of Love for Him!
This SAME WONDERFUL LOVE is in operation between the Father and the Son as revealed by the Spirit!
It is the SAME WONDERFUL LOVE that a truly born again Christian husband has for his wife, a love that is made more than capable of laying his life down for hers, as Christ loved the church and gave His life for us.
This is what it means to be... "WHOLLY COMMITTED!"
This is what it means to be... "DEEPLY IN LOVE!"
This is what it means to be... "ONE!"
This is what it's like when one has only eyes for Jesus, and goes on through the point of no return, no matter the cost! "They're hooked on Love but good!"
To obey is better than sacrifice. Just for the honor and privelage of obeying Him, even without reward and even if all we see is death all around us, is reward enough! For He is worthy! Anything else is bonus! (Phil.3:8)
The bottom line in a nutshell is this...
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. John 14:23-24
The man who truly loves Him is the man who heard and followed Him out of himself to that Point of no return, and beyond, allowing the Spirit of Truth His rightful entry to the throne room within, and has been made free through the Truth.
And we also come back in (worshipping at His feet), but we are now no longer the same...
and we, in this new love relationship with the Father and the Son, will never be the same again. (Gal.6:15)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:27-28
May every blessing in Christ be yours,
Biff
