The Way of the Cross Leads Home
The road to heaven is a straight and narrow road; a road fraught with dangers and difficulties along the way; a road that requires a great battle against sin; a road that has sorrow and tears strewn along the pathway, with thorns and thistles at the sides and an enemy with fiery darts waiting to attack us at any available sign of weakness. In order to successfully travel this road we are to wear heavy armor- the armor that God has given to us. We are to carry heavy burdens – bear many responsibilities, deny ourselves so many of the things that seem so pleasurable in this life – and we must keep moving, there is little time to rest. This is the way of the cross that leads to heaven.
From the worldly person’s viewpoint, it seems that there is no joy in the way of! righteousness, on the pathway to heaven. They view true Christians as a sorry lot of people who are going through some initiation process to receive their promised reward at the end of the journey, while they are reveling and having all the good things that life has to offer, with little thought as to what is at the end of their road. They are rich, they are famous, and they appear to be happy. They have all that the world has to offer.
Even from the modern-day Christian’s point of view, the true followers of Jesus are taking upon themselves more than it seems necessary in order to meet God’s approval. Why could a loving God, who loves His people so dearly, even think of imposing the kinds of “rules” that the true followers are obeying? Would God really ask them to deny their appetites, change their habits of dress, keep the Commandments – especially the 4th, and give their tithes to the church? No, they reason, that a God of love would not do this. This would not give happiness – there is too much self-denial involved. These people who keep these “rules” must be some sort of fanatics. All they talk about is over-coming sin, and the way of the cross. God wants happy – joyful people. And you walk into some of the churches of these false Christians and you see everyone so happy. They are joyfully singing and dancing in the aisle to wild music. Is this what God wants from His followers?
Is the Christian way really a way of sadness, sorrow and gloom as is often thought? Is it really too difficult to deny self that the majority are not willing and able to do so? Is it really difficult to be saved and reach salvation? Is it really an initiation process where the sorrow precedes the joy that is to come?
In the Bible we see that Asaph was troubled about this false accusation that is often brought to true Christians. “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. . . When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me..” But in seeking the Lord he found the answer, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.” Psalm 73:1-3, 16-18.
However the question still remains. Is the way of the cross only a way of sorrow and gloominess?
“He hath made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 R.V.); and true beauty will be secured, not in marring God’s work, but in coming into harmony with the laws of Him who created all things, and who finds pleasure in their beauty and perfection.” Ed 198.
Paul placed value on the ability to be happy. He encouraged us to “Rejoice evermore.” 1 Thess. 5:8. Why should the Christian be happy under all these seemingly forbidding circumstances? It is because they value what is most important in life. They have a free conscience. They have been forgiven their sins and with a free conscience they have peace in their souls. Nothing else is of as great value. Nothing else can bring such supreme happiness that only the true Christian can experience.
“Those professed Christians who are constantly complaining, and who seem to think cheerfulness and happiness a sin, have not genuine religion. Those who take a mournful pleasure in all that is melancholy in the natural world, who choose to look upon dead leaves rather than to gather the beautiful living flowers, who see no beauty in the grand mountain heights and in the valley’s clothed with living green, who close their senses to the joyful voice which speaks to them in nature, and which is sweet and musical to the listening ear – these are not in Christ. They are gathering to themselves gloom and darkness, when they might have brightness, even the Sun of Righteousness arising in their hearts with healing in His beams.” MH 251.
Many condemn true Christianity from a lack of knowledge. How do they know that the way of the cross is only filled with self- denial and sorrow unless they have experienced for themselves? It is a mystery to worldly-minded people that true Christians can be happy and joyful in the midst of the most forbidding circumstances. They can be happy while denying themselves and adhering to the “rules” contained in the Ten Commandments. They are happy to give a day to the Lord, to give to the poor, to help the needy rather than using their time and means for themselves. They are happy to part with 10% of their income because it was not theirs in the first place – they acknowledge the fact that it belongs to God and would not dare to steal from God. Can there really be happiness in all of this? David gives encouragement, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8. David wrote this in the midst of his flight from King Saul. His life of piety led him to the life of a fugitive for awhile, however he could still say that the Lord is good and encourages everyone else to give Him a try. Don’t take anyone else’s word for it.
Put the matter to the test yourself. The surest proof of religion is found in the personal experience. Without Christ the religion of Christ is only a theory and as a mere theory has no power.
“How shall we know for ourselves God’s goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us- not, to hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but – “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Instead of relying on the word of another, taste for yourself…
“Some – yes, a large number – have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. These persons are ever slow to heed the testimonies of warning, reproof, and instruction indicted by the Holy Spirit. They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. They believe in the value of the soul and that erelong its Redemption ceased forever. Yet they neglect the most precious opportunities to make their peace with God.
“They may read the Bible, but its threatening do not alarm them or its promises win them. They approve things that are excellent, yet they follow the way in which God has forbidden them to go. They know a refuge, but do not avail themselves of it. They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good. ” 5 T, p. 221. Such was the state of the Seventh-day Adventist church around the time of the 1888 conference in Minneapolis and may God help us not to follow in their footsteps, but to make earnest efforts to escape the destruction that is coming on this earth.
“While the Christian’s life will be characterized by humility, it should not be marked with sadness and self-depreciation; It is the privilege of everyones to live that God will approve and bless him. It is not the will of our heavenly Father that we should be ever under condemnation and darkness. There is no evidence of true humility in going with the head bowed down and the heart filled with thoughts of self. We may go to Jesus and be cleansed, and stand before ~e law without shame and remorse The Christian’s life should be one of faith, of victory, and joy in God.? GC 477. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Neh. 8:10.
Even though there is a cross placed before us, a life of self- denial we are promised that, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Ps. 126:6. All we have to do is step out by faith, believing the promises of God. “There are many who have the erroneous idea of the life and character of Christ. They think that He was devoid of warmth and sunniness, that He was stem, severe, and joyless. In many cases the whole religious experience is coloured by these gloomy views.
“It is often said that Jesus wept, but that He was never known to smile. Our Saviour was indeed a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief, for He opened his heart to all the woes of men. But though His life was self-denying and shadowed with pain and care, His spirit was not crushed. His countenance did not wear an expression of grief and repining but ever one of peaceful serenity. His heart was a wellspring of life and wherever He went He carried rest and peace, joy and gladness.” SC 124.
For that matter when the sinner claims that the life of a Christian is a gloomy life from his perspective he is correct. Adam and Eve enjoyed joyful communion with Jesus until the time they sinned. Then they ran away to hide when they heard His voice. “Such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart. It is not in harmony with God, and finds no joy in communion with Him. The sinner could not be happy in God’s presence; he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings. Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him.” SC 14. Without Christ, there is no joy or happiness in the Christian life: Those who view it from the outside see only the self-denial and rigorous fight against sin, they do not see the sheer joy and peace that is offered. And also those who try to walk the Christian walk without Christ have a similar view. Often they will get discouraged under the heavy load and give up. For them, there is no joy and the sinner is correct in his view of the Christian life. Things change however when a person meets Jesus.
Why is there seemingly so much toil and sorrow on the life journey of the true Christian? They are battling at every step of the way. They are swimming up-stream against the strong current of all the powers of darkness. Their fight is against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” On their own they will utterly fail. What makes the uphill battle even more difficult is those occasional times when we try to fight on our own – we see how weak we are. We go our own way. “Jesus invites us to come to Him and He will lift the weights from our weary shoulders and place them upon His yoke, which is easy, and His burden, which is light.. The path which He invites us to walk would never had cost us a pang had we always walked in it. It is when we stray from the path of duty that the way becomes difficult and thorny. The sacrifices which we must make in following Christ are only so many steps to return to the path of light, of peace and happiness. Doubts and fears grow by indulgence, and the more they are indulged, the harder they are to overcome. It is safe to let go every earthly support and take the hand of Him who lifted up and saved the sinking disciple on the stormy sea.” 4T, p. 558. We can only make the way more difficult if we go on our own way. We then can only blame ourselves when the way gets more rough.
“Do you feel that it is too great. a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question, ‘What has Christ given for me?”
The Son of God gave all – life and love and suffering – for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of His grace, and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from when we have been saved. Can we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and yet be willing to do despite to all His love and sacrifice? In view of the infinite humiliation of the Lord of glory, shall we murmur because we can enter into life only through conflict and self-abasement?” SC 45.
It takes great faith to let go of every earthly support and take the hand of Jesus. Many shrink from the prospect. They can see their earthly supports, while they must use their eyes of faith to see the heavenly support. Only those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good will understand the true joy there is in walking the tear-stained narrow path to salvation. May God help us to have this kind of faith so that when the whole world is arraigned against God’s people, the joy in our hearts that comes from the assurances and promises that God has made to us in His Word, will see us through. All earthly supports will be taken away and we will have to have implicit trust in God who has never yet disappointed one of His true followers. The way of the cross leads home. AMEN.