Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

These were the words that angry mob hurled at Pontius Pilate when he attempted to release Jesus from fulfilling the law. “The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner.” ¹

‘Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” ² “For (God) hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” ³

“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” These same words are today echoed by the scribes and Pharisees of spiritual Babylon. These words are also secretly cherished like water by the tares growing in our Lord’s vineyard. “The tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles. ‘The enemy that sowed them is the devil.'” ⁴

In essence, they say, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Again! And again! Crucify Jesus! Each and every time I sin!” Or, would you prefer to lay your hands upon the head of the Lamb of God and slit His throat? “The blood, representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary.” ⁵

These deluded souls are in agreement with Satan. “Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts.” ⁶ “If those who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their course, they would make haste to confess their sins and to put them a way. Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed.

Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome.” ⁷

“Hatred of sin is vital to full salvation. Humanly speaking, no man is safe until he has learned to hate sin as deeply as he formerly loved it. He may resist sin; he may even flee from it, but as long as there is a lingering love of sin in the heart, he is not on safe ground. As love of good is vital, so also is hatred of evil. It may truly be said that our capacity for love of the good is measured and balanced by our capacity for hatred of evil.

Of Christ it is said, ‘Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.’ Hebrews 1:9. In Christ, love of righteousness was accompanied by a hatred of evil. Because of these two attributes, He was anointed for His work by God. This combination of love and hatred must be in every Christian. They are fundamental in Christianity…”⁸

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him…” ⁹ “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” ¹⁰ “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” ¹¹

“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” ¹² “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” ¹³

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” ¹⁴

“Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do? ¹⁵ “fearful will be the doom of that soul of whom the pleading Saviour shall finally declare, he ‘is joined to idols, let him alone.'” ¹⁶

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” ¹⁷ Amen. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” ¹⁸
AMEN

1) PP p. 63
2) Romans 6:6
3) 2 Corinthians 5:21
4) COL p. 71
5) GC p. 418
6) DA p. 24
7) GC p. 489
8) TSS p. 15
9) 1 Kings 18:21
10) Romans 6:16
11) Luke 6:40
12) John 8:34-36
13) 1 John 3:8
14) Hebrews 2:14, 15
15) SC p. 34
16) PP p. 165
17) Deuteronomy 30:19, 20
18) Joshua 24:15

Chester Cosby