Choice – Judgment – Execution – Beyond

The Church and the World struggle with the message of Jesus Christ because it is too challenging yet too simple. When Jesus paid for all of it – whatever was or is in the way of you becoming one with the God of the Bible – it became too simple. Before Jesus did what he did there were all of these requirements to righteousness: meaning to be in right standing with the God of the Bible. After Jesus did what he did the complicated challenge became “what’s in my heart, why do I do what I do, how does that honor the God of the Bible”?

The first thing is “choice”. The challenge in this life is to acknowledge and ignore all of the distractions of this world and life and choose God. The challenge is to not do “something” but to not do something and choose God. Every time.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam did not ignore everything and choose God. Adam ignored God and chose the fruit his wife gave from the tree God said do not eat; because its fruit results in disobedience, the willful withdrawal from God. This resulted in death, just like God said would happen. The fruit of the tree was and is disobedience which results in separation; and separation from God is death for God is life.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus – the last Adam – chose God, and it cost him. The stresses on Jesus to choose any other thing, including letting this whole thing pass away from him, caused Jesus to sweat blood. The physical stresses were enormous. Huge. But Jesus chose God for us instead of anything else this world had or any other thing that might have been easier.

The choice will cause judgment. You will be condemned by God or condemned by the world by the choice you make. If you choose the world the price of sin or separation from life, separation from God, is death. Death that kills the immortal Man, not just the flesh.

If you choose God you will die daily by your own judgments, by those in the Church because you do not live nor believe like they do, by those in the world and any sundry of religion or philosophy for following after the God of Israel, and some will even challenge your philosophy and understanding of your choice to serve the God of Israel. You will die often, and may even die physically for your choice to believe what Jesus said was so.

Either way, judgment will come. Jesus was judged by the Sanhedrin, his own family. Jesus was judged by the Romans, his conquering overseers, those who had usurped authority over him. Jesus was judged by Herod, the one charged by God to oversee and protect him, to be his advocate. Instead, those who should have guarded and cared for Jesus judged, mocked, and ridiculed him. Jesus took all that by choice. He took all that in your stead, in place of you.

Jesus was judged and punished by his choice. He willfully chose to take our place in judgment and punishment so we could have what he has: a right relationship, a perfect relationship with God the Father.

Jesus was the sacrifice and the result.

Judgment is meaningless unless there is a follow through. Judgment without action toward the judgment is just a threat. The Romans did not threaten when they condemned a man, judged a man to a death sentence. The judgment of sin was laid upon Jesus. The weight of his own execution was on him. The torment for sin was laid upon his back. The scorn of those who recently hailed him as savior now cried for his death.

The cross was laid upon Jesus’ shoulders. Jesus carried his death on his shoulders. The vehicle of his death was his alone to carry, but God foresaw that part of that judgment of death was to be carried by man, and Simon carried the cross the rest of the way to death.

Man must carry his/her cross the rest of the way to judgment.

At the place of the execution of judgment no one could take Jesus’ place. At the place of the execution of the judgment of sin no one can take your place. You have to come to the place of the death of sin by your choice. And by your choice you have to join Jesus in death, at the judgment of sin. You have to, by choice, choose to join Jesus in “It is finished”. Like Jesus, die to sin at the cross.

At the cross the curse of sin was/is broken. It was at a tree where sin started. It was at a tree where sin was broken.

At the tree life died. At the cross life died.

Mourning and grief for the cause and judgment of sin is right and normal. Grieve that life died that you might live. Spend a season in death, but no more than three days.

Death cannot conquer life.

The life in the body is by faith – hope, confidence, trust, being fully persuaded or convinced – that God gave Jesus the power to overcome death. Death and sin could not touch Jesus, because Jesus was never separate from God his Father until Jesus became sin for you and I.

Beyond the cross is life.

Beyond the cross is the choice to believe all that God said was so.

Beyond the cross Jesus opened the scriptures and their hearts burned within them.

Beyond the cross Jesus manifested himself and blessed them, taught them.

Beyond the cross Jesus restored all those who ran away from him in his time of need.

Beyond the cross even doubters were given assurances that Jesus was who he said he was.

Beyond the cross was/is the overwhelming presence of God through and by His Holy Spirit.

Beyond the cross is the promised life of oneness with God, the promised restoration of life with God.

Beyond the cross is everlasting life and oneness in God just like Jesus is one with God.

Beyond the cross is life everlasting in God.

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If you do not yet know God through Jesus Christ, today is your day to choose. Simply choose now to believe Jesus Christ is your Lord and your Savior.

“Lord Jesus, I thank you for taking my judgment, for taking my punishment, and taking my death. I ask you come into my life. I choose you and your life, and I ask you to make me one in God just as you are. I thank you.

“Lord God, I ask you to bring me and give me Your Holy Spirit. Amen.”

It is done, friend. You choose God and God will choose you.