Why the World is Cross with Christ, While the Cross of Christ is Light and Life to the World
Christians boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ because of the wisdom and power of God displayed in it (1 Cor 1:24; Gal 6:14). To speak of the light and life the cross gives to those who receive Christ, delights the believer and draws the ire of the those void of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9). There is something in the cross that divides people who love Christ, with those who love the world and all that is in it.
The Christian is moved to humility, gratitude, joy, and love when he or she is presented with the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The believer’s estrangement from God has been rectified. The enmity has been removed (Rom 5:10; Eph 2:15–16). No more hatred and hostility remain because a perfect atonement has been achieved. God was in Christ reconciling a people for Himself from the whole world — from every nation, tribe, and tongue (2 Cor 5:8–20; Rev 5:9; 7:9).
As a substitute sacrifice for sinners, Jesus laid down His life (Jn 10:11, 15) in love for His people whom He came to save (Mt 1:21). As a representative for His people, He served as the great High Priest in the presence of the holy Judge of all the earth (Gen 18:25; Heb 4:14; 9:11). Jesus did what we could not do to have legal right standing before God (righteousness). Today, He is positioned before God, at the right hand of Majesty (the Father), and He serves as the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5).
Jesus demonstrated God’s agape love while dying on the cross as the Lamb of God slain (Jn 1:29; Rev 5:6, 12). His self-offering stands in stark contrast with selfish man’s self-preservation. In this, Jesus exposed the natural man’s love of darkness (Jn 3:19), and his unwillingness and inability to resolve his separation from God his Creator (Rom 3:10–12; 8:7).
“You are wrong, sir,” is nothing anyone enjoys hearing, but here is one message sent from the Cross to the world. The world is offended by the judgment issued from Calvary. The world is very cross toward Jesus and His Cross because the light of the world illumines truth for all things to be judged with perfect justice. The world was wrong to crucify the Lord of glory. Through their unbelief, today, people continue to tell God, “No, You are wrong.”
Light shines in the darkness, even if it is not understood (Jn 1:5). The Gospel, even if it is hidden from the minds of men (2 Cor 4:3), remains as the only good news for life in a dying world. It is the devil who prevents people from seeing the truth that would set them free from being slaves to him as the ruler of this world (Jn 12:30; 14:31; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4). Only Jesus has the power to open the eyes of the blind (Jn 9), and it is His exclusive prerogative to reveal God the Father to whom He wills (Mt 11:27). No one comes to the Father except through Jesus (Jn 14:6), and no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44, 65).
God gives life to whom He wills (Jn 1:13; Rom 9:16), and who He wills to give life is His eternal decision. It was a decision made before Creation in the eternal counsel of the Trinitarian Godhead. God is eternal and immutable. He does not change because He is the perfect God in wisdom and power. The will of God is always done, and all His works were finished before the world began (Heb 4:13). Knowing the end from the beginning (Is 46:10), our God is never surprised by people or events because He has ordained everything that shall come to pass.
The reprobate enemies of God were made by God to be His enemies (Prv 16:4). Wicked unbelievers serve God by performing their works of unrighteousness, so as to be objects of God’s just judgment. In this, evil doers glorify God for His attributes displayed against them. In short, the reprobate unredeemed are objects of God’s eternal wrath being prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22). As responsible agents each unbeliever desires darkness leading to outer darkness. Sinners get what they want, and there is nothing in their dead souls and dying bodies that desires God or His salvation (Acts 4:12; Rom 3:10–12).
The autonomous free will of man is a myth, but under the influence of the devil and His world system, the will of man chooses to scorn Christ and scoff at the Holy Spirit, who inspires and emboldens Christians to bear witness in mission to the world (Acts 1:8). The result of the Christian’s boast is twofold. The message of the Cross is received by those appointed to life (Acts 13:48). The Word, however, has no place within the hearts and minds of those who did not receive the Holy Spirit (Jn 8:47; 14:17; Rom 8:9).
The world has no love for God or for Christ (Jn 5:42), and the Christian, crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20), has no love for the world (1 Jn 2:15–17). The contrast is evidence of the conflict. Christ divides people — His church from the people of the world. Christ unites His people by giving them His Spirit, who gives them God’s Word. The Spirit — who the world cannot receive (Jn 14:17) — along with the Word are the change agents in conversion. If God has determined that a man or a woman are to become Christians, then with ultimate confidence we will be witnesses to His amazing grace for their salvation.
People who were not chosen for salvation will never defect from their hostile position toward Christ and His Cross. The world will never change (Eccl 1:9). The rebellion of men and devils will persist until the last day, when all people who were ever conceived by God in their mothers’ wombs will be resurrected from the dead (Jn 5:28–29). Those who were appointed to life will be raised to life with glorified bodies and souls (Rom 8:30; 1 Cor 15). Those who were reprobated as unredeemed unbelievers, will be resurrected to judgment with bodies and souls fit for eternal punishment in fiery hell (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).
In conclusion, the salvation that belongs to God is a perfectly sure salvation. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). He is mighty to save and in the accounting of His perfect salvation, none of His elect people are separated from Him (Rom 8:35–39) or taken from Him (Jn 10:28–29). In this, Christ is exalted, and God is glorified for the great things He has done.
The world will never join the holy nation of God’s beloved in singing His praise or in giving thanks to God for His indescribable gift (2 Cor 9:15). As for me and my house, we will sing of His love, forever.
David Norczyk
Missoula, Montana
August 8, 2022
