Walk the Walk

2012-05-27

There are days that we do not feel like trusting God. It is easier to just follow your sinful nature, or wallow in self-pity, or do anything that is contrary to following Jesus Christ. I have had those days, and I am sure most other people have as well. In a way, it is a form of atheism. We say to ourselves, “God will never see me do this, and God will not know that I thought this.” I have subconsciously thought things like this before, and we need to be rebuked by Psalm 14:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

Today I want to write about three reasons why we need to trust Jesus Christ right now. Before I continue, I am assuming that we trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. I am talking about trusting him with our daily lives and daily tasks.

The Cost of Our Salvation

Isaiah 52:14: “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” The Lord Jesus Christ was tortured before he died. He was scourged, meaning he was lashed very hard with whips by professional Roman executioners. Many say he was whipped with 39 lashes because the Jews always played it safe by whipping a wicked man within the allowable punishment of 40 lashes (Deuteronomy 25:3 and 2 Corinthians 11:24). However, the Jews did not torture him; the Romans did. They did not necessarily know of any type restriction.

They smashed Jesus on the head with a reed after they embedded a crown of thorns on his head (Matthew 27:29-30). There was no mercy on Jesus, though there was no evidence that he had done anything wrong. They spat on him (Mark 15:19). They took his clothes from him (Mark 15:24). He was ashamed openly and publicly by these men.

His blood was poured out. His blood was the atonement for our sins, and it was not a few drops of blood that was shed. One could not even recognize him because he was so horribly marred.

This is our king, our savior, our great God, and he was more than just beaten. He was ridiculed by those who looked on (Mark 15:29-32). But Jesus, though innocent, did not do anything to retaliate (Isaiah 53:7).

This physical and psychological torture was not the end. He also descended into hell (Acts 2:27). This was a part of the “sign of the prophet Jonas” (Jonah 2:2, 6). Before you begin your protests with terms such as sheol, hades, and the like, telling me that he did not really go to hell, understand what a sin offering consists of. After they would slay an animal for a sin sacrifice, and the blood was poured out, what would they do to it? The inward parts were burned on the altar, and the rest was burned outside the camp (Leviticus 4:8-12)! He burned in hell, just like we deserve! Everything that he suffered, should have been us. We deserved the torture. We deserved the ridicule. We deserved to be burned in the fires of hell. But we did not go through any of that! Jesus did! It was this drastic measure that God had to perform himself because there was NO OTHER WAY POSSIBLE that God could reconcile the world to himself.

When you think about telling that white lie, picture the disfigured face of Jesus Christ on the cross. Picture those Roman soldiers beating him. Think of those Jewish leaders that conspired against him to kill the innocent Savior. And remember, you are just like all those who destroyed the Prince of life from the earth. What does your sin look like? It looks like the marred Christ on the cross. Do you want to know what God thinks of the garbage in our lives? Look at the bloodied mess that was the crucified Lord Jesus.

The Fate of the Lost

Revelation 20:15: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” We do not really believe this. If we did, we would never stop talking about the Gospel everywhere we go. What Jesus went through will be the fate of every man and woman who does not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The difference was that Jesus could pay for everyone’s sins, and therefore could rise from the dead. Those without the sacrifice of Christ will not be able to pay for their sins, leaving them in hell for eternity. If we could believe this, it would drastically change our lives.

Do you care that lost people need to hear about Jesus Christ? Then you must stand up and tell them. Is your reputation that important? Oh, if we could just tell people the truth, we may just possibly save some. That friend of yours that does not know the Gospel? He is on his way to hell. If you have not told him the truth, then you are no friend of his. You are worse than an enemy.

The Uncertain Future

Mark 13:35-37: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

You do not know when persecution will be commonplace. You do not know how much time you will be free to speak of Christ. You do not know when the Tribulation will begin or when Christ is going to come. You need to be ready. Do we really want to be ashamed when Jesus comes back? We must walk the walk now.

Conclusion

That is just it. We must walk the walk now. God hates sin enough to pour out extreme wrath on the Lord Jesus. People need to hear about Christ if he really is Savior. And we do not know when trying times or the return of our Lord will happen. Walk the walk. What is our vanishing lifespan in the light of eternity? Walk the walk.