If God won the War, Why isn't It Over?

The Cross:
Turning Point, Not End

 

So far we have discussed sin and salvation in the abstract, using diagrams and words. Now let's look at the actions of God as He moves into the realm of humanity and time to win us back.

But first some distinctions. To ignore these is to lose the flow of the rest of this book, so note them carefully.

  1. There is a difference between the winning the battle between Jesus and Satan and the the ending of the battle. Age-old arguments between a "complete atonement" and an "incomplete atonement" have missed this distinction -- with those who hold our far a complete atonement trying to say that Jesus won the victory on the cross, and those who stress and incomplete atonement trying to explain why the rebellion goes on more that 1900 years later. Thus we suggest the phrase "atonement in progress to better describe what God has been doing since the cross."
  2. There is a similar difference between the necessary response for my personal salvation and the distinct privileges of cooperating with God in ending the battle -- the great controversy. In the Bible, human performance is not set forth as the basis for salvation, but is urged as a necessary condition for helping God out. Perhaps much of our confusion on the matter of Christ-like behavior stems from the fact that we seem most interested only in our own salvation.
  3. Again, we must maintain a sharp distinction, in discussing the sin problem, as to whether we are discussing God's attitudes about man or discussing man's attitudes about God. Too often we assume that the sin problem is wrapped up in God's opinion of man. ("Does He regard me as guilty, or innocent?" "does He love me?"). It was man -- Adam and Eve, -- chaning his opinion of God, who broght sin into the world. And it is our opinions which must be changed before sin can be eradicated from the planet.

And now our attention focuses on the cross. How could we improve on Paul's summary of praise to this, the grand turning point in the history of the universe? "God forbid that I sould boast about anyghing or anybody except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which means that the world is a dead thing to me and I am a dead man to the world." "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14

Since virtually every Christian knows what happened on the cross of Calvary, let us concentrate on the meanings of the cross in the overall plan of atonement. Two qustions: What was settled at the cross? And, What remained yet to be settled after the cross?

What was Settled at the Cross?

  1. The consequences of sin were at last fully revealed. God had truthfully warned Adam and Eve that sin would cause a terrible death, bringing total separation from God, Satan immediately refuted the warning, saying that it would not. "'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman." Genesis 3:4 Who was telling the truth -- God or Satan? Strictly on the basis of available evidence, it might have seemed that Satan had the edge on truth. After all, for some 4000 years, God has "passed over" those sins, "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished -" Romans 3:25. not allowing that final death to take place. Of course, had anyone suffered that deserved death, he would not have been around to benefit from the demonstration of God's truthfulness. So in His mercy, God held back the full and final consequences of sin. But then came that awful moment when all those consequences, for all of humanity, realized their full expression -- in one Man! And He cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' -- which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" Matthew 27:46. In that moment "mercy and truth ... met together." "Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." Psalm 85:10. It was mercy in that Jesus died rather than us. It was truth in that Jesus died as God had said sinners would. Thus, one purpose of the cross "was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous." "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished --" Romans 3:25. That is, you can count of God always to tell the truth, even if the truth is costly. (What is more, He is even willing to bear the cost!)
  2. On the cross, the nature and extent of God's totally self-giving love was fully revealed. the impact of that extreme sacrifice for undeserving rebels was electrifying through the whole universe. Angels, perceiving its meaning more quickly than men, were entralled. "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12. It shattered the last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly hosts. Having seen the malicious hatred of Satan toward their loving Commander in stark contrast with Jesus' compassionate forgiveness toward His murderers. the heavenly hosts would never again be duped by Satan's lies about God. And the record of those events was preserved for us humans to ponder, that -- with the Spirit's aid -- we might come to the same conclusions.
  3. Having died in our place, Jesus won for us all the right to stand free from all guilt when we are joined to Him by the bond of faith. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," Romans 8:1. This is the great truth of justification by faith: that God is eager to view us all as though we had never sinned. The sentence of death which we have borne is not only repreived, it is fully cancelled. Nor is this because we have done anything which would deserve a different treatment. It is entirely an expression of God's gracious love to the prodigals who have come home. And it is theirs as long as they stay home! "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13; "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23; "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
    Forgiveness is a concrete expression of God's attitude toward all sinners. He offers it freely to all sinners who will accept it by trusting Him. As repentant, loyal members of God's family, we can be sure we are forgiven, because we can be sure of the Forgiver. Forgiveness is more a statement about God than about me. The good news is not just that I am forgiven, but that God is the Forgiver -- that it is an inherent part of His nature to treat me that way! That is the basis for my assurance. It is grounded in who God is, rather than in anything that I am or ever can do.
    In the strictest sense, forgiveness deals with one's legal right to return to fellowship with God. But at the pratical level, that gracious expression by God does more than just open the door for me to return to God; it tugs me throug that door! What thoughtful person could resist those open, extended, pierced hands?
  4. The cross of Christ guaranteed the victory of Christ in the great controversy. No longer was the ultimate outcome in question. From that moment, Satan was a defeated foe, and Jesus was Victor. Though it sounded to the onlookers like a moan of defeat, Jesus' cry "it is finished" was the victor's shout. "When he had received the dring, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30. The Son of man had met the prince of this earth on his own ground and came away undefeated. throughout eternity, as the redeemed join the myriads of heaven in singing, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain," "In a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"' Revelation 5:12. they will know that He was willing to even die for His creation.

That Jesus is victor in the great controversy is assured. Only two questions remain: Who shall share the victory with Him? When shall He claim that victory?

What Remains to Be Settled After the Cross?

The Cross was the turning point in the great controversy. But it was not the end. The very fact that Jesus did not destroy Satan on resurrection morning and take home His band of loyal followers is evidence that some aspects of the atonement are still in progress. To identify some of these aspects is not to depreciate the cross in any way. Rather, it is to acknowledge that the cross was intended for the winning of the controversy, but not, by itself, for the ending of the controversy.

Notice these additional factors:

  1. The world's inhabitants did not yet fully know or understand the saving revelation of God in Jesus. The truth about God is of value only when it gets into th4e inds of the people whom God wants to win back. This message He has entrusted into the hands of His people, His continued body on earth. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as through God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. And He has asked that we share it with the whole world, for He loves the whole world. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19, 20. God intends that no person should ever make a decision about Him without a clear picture of who is being accepted or rejected. "You will know the truth," Jesus promised, "and the truth will make you free." "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32.
  2. The world needs to witness sin's ultimately self-destructive nature. Indeed, whtn God leaves sinners to reap the final consequences of their rebellious choices, this seems so out of character with His patient love that it is called His strange deed, His alien work. "The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon - to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task." Isaiah 28:21. Had God destroyed Satan and his followers when they first rebelled, even the angels of heaven would have viewed it as an act of arbitrary power and would have served God from fear. Paul describes how that in contrast to the clear portrayal of the truth about God, there will also be a fuller manifestation of Satan's character and work in the final days before Jesus returns. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.Again, the purpose of this fuller revelation is not so that God can view sinners any differently, but so that mankind can understand why God views them as He does. They need to see why God views them as unfit for heaven's fellowship.
  3. The universe needs to know whether God's methods of restoration really work. They have seen that He can indeed forgive sinners. But forgiveness, relatively speaking, seems the easier part. It has to do with God's attitude toward man; and God is the stable, clear-thinking One. But what about man's attitude toward God? That has always been the trouble spot. His thinking always seems so prone to poor reasoning -- so vulnerable to bad information. Yet God has proposed to bring these wayward minds back into informed, settled, unchanging loyalty to Himself, solely through a living revelation of Himself. No "spiritual magic" to be worked on our brains. No loyalty-by-restructured-neurons approaches. Just truth, freedom, time -- and love.
    But will it work? Satan can no longer validly argue that repentant sinners do not have the right to return to fellowship with God. He knows the meaning of the cross. But now he charges that rebels cannot be made ready to remain in heaven's fellowship. " Zechariah 3:1-7 (see also Psalm 24:3-5; 1 John 3:2, 3, 8-10).
    And that's a fair quston! Even as we rejoice in the present assurance of God's forgiveness, we know enough about ourselves to wonder if we caould be trusted with the perfect, endless freedoms of that pure place without "messing it up" all over again. Many have set that readiness as their goal, yet have died enroute, knowing precious little about the principles of the kingdom and its resulting life-style. But they have known heaven's Lord, and thus He has reserved the right to complete their readiness process "in residence." "Remember the promise made by Christ to the dying thief: Luke 23:39-43.
    But God is proposing that He is indeed able fully to prepare a people to relocate directly into the kingdom without seeing death. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. The issue is not that such persons are required to attain some higher degree of righteousness to deserve salvation! It is not a matter of what they can do for God, but of what God can do for them -- if they are willing to accept the privilege. For a number of reasons (to be discussed later), heaven longs for such people. Romans 8:18-24. For such a people Paul pleads: "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfectly in the fear of God." "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1.
  4. All living, thinking persons must have an informed basis for making a final, total decision for or against God. The heavently angel told John that a time would come when people would no longer be changing sides in the great controversy -- that even though they are alive, they would not be changing their minds. "Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy." Revelation 22:11. Time for choosing (probationary time, we call it) would be no more. Not because God has arbitrarily shut it down, but because it would no longer be needed. Everyone will have made a final, unchageable choice for the lordship of Satan (described as receiving the "mark of the beast" "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead." Revelation 13:16 and chapters 17 and 18.) or they will have made an unchanging decision for the gracious lordship of Jesus (referred to as the "seal of God" "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheands of the servants of our God." Revelation 7:3.). No more middle ground. No more undecided persons, pleading "Well, I really don't know which way to go." The issues will be starkly clear: Christ and His character versus Satan and and his character.

And this is the whole point: It would be contrary to every aspect of the way God woks for Him to bring the world to the point of this finaly choice without giving them adequate information upon which to base their choices. Thus Jesus said the gospel "will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come." "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14, emphasis supplied. Truth will be a final, confronting evidence, bringing the whole world to the point of decision.

Were God to say today to the world, "Choose you this day whom you will serve," "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15. most of the world would have to say, "Who is the Lord? What is He like?" Forced to make decisions about Jesus, many would understandably choose against Him, because the picture they have of Him is Satan's picture. and God won't force such a choice.

And so we wait. God took the time to win the great controversy in such an impeccably fair way that none could challenge it throughout eternity. We can trust Him to end it in the same way. Even if it takes more time. God's intense desire to bring the universe to oneness again is exceeded only by His desire to do it in such a way that it can never be questioned throughout eternity. For this reason, the work of at-one-ment is still in progress.

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