The Two-Fold Work of the Cross

The Two-Fold Work of the Cross
by Chip Brogden

http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/the-two-fold-work-of-the-cross.html

"Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (I Peter 2:21).

If we were to ask a Christian, "Have you accepted the work of the Cross?" Many of them would say yes. If you ask them what the work of the Cross is, they would respond by saying that the work of the Cross is the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus for the sins of the world.

While this is true enough, it can be misleading. A better question to ask is, "Have you accepted the two-fold work of the Cross?" Try this out on a few Christians and you will probably get a puzzled reply along the lines of, "What is the two-fold work of the Cross?" That is because most people are only familiar with one side of the Cross, not both sides.

For many years I was only taught one aspect of the Cross - that is, the cross on which Jesus died for me. That is all I knew, and so that is all I taught. On this cross He was crucified as my substitute. He laid down His life for me. His precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of my sins. Not only that, but the Bible says that God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. John the Baptist calls Him, "The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the whole world."

By identifying with His sacrificial death, He becomes our Substitute. We enter into His finished work. We are made one with Him there on the Cross. Thank God we do not have to pay this debt, for it has been paid for us. We do not have to go to the Cross and be crucified for our sins.

I would suggest that almost every Christian is familiar with this aspect of the Cross. It is the foundation of evangelicalism, the basis of millions of sermons to millions of believers. It is the truth, and we thank God for the truth whenever it is proclaimed.

There is another side to this Cross, another dimension of the same truth, which is not as well-known, and is hardly preached at all. As a result, many believers are content to embrace the "Sinner's Cross"; that is, they have confessed Jesus as Savior, and they understand and accept Him as their Substitute. It is certainly true that Jesus is our Substitute, and that He died on the Cross for us. But as we have said, there is a two-fold work of the Cross.

Peter alludes to this two-fold work when he writes, "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." Christ suffered FOR us; that is the first aspect. But He left us an EXAMPLE; that is the second aspect.

So the work of the Cross is two-fold. First, Jesus is our Substitute. Secondly, He is our Example. In the first case, He took up the Cross. In the second case, I take up the Cross. The first work of the Cross is for the Sinner; the second work of the Cross is for the Disciple.

Jesus said that the way to Life is through a narrow Gate and a difficult Path. The Gate is only the beginning of the journey; it is not the destination. So we must have both the Gate and the Path. One is not complete without the other. Once we are through the Gate, there is a Path for us to walk. The Gate makes it possible for us to walk the Path, but the Gate is incomplete without the Path. The Life is at the end of the Path, not at the beginning.

This corresponds to the two-fold work of the Cross. The "Sinner's Cross" is the Gate. Because Jesus is my Substitute, I can now walk the Path. The "Disciple's Cross" is the Path. Now I am following His example. Can you see the difference?

Jesus says the way to Life is through a Narrow Gate and a Difficult Path. The Narrow Gate is Christ. It is Narrow because He is the Only Way. But why is the Path so difficult? Partly because it is much easier, much more appealing, to accept Jesus as a Substitute than to accept Him as an Example. Stated differently, it is much more appealing to accept Jesus as Savior than to accept Him as Lord. With a simple prayer I can acknowledge Him as my Substitute and Savior. But to make Him my Example and my Lord, to actually walk in His footsteps, is not so appealing.

Why? In the first case I simply embrace the "Sinner's Cross" and everything is done for me. But in the second case I must take up the "Disciple's Cross" and actually follow in the steps of the Master. It only takes a moment to pass through the Gate, but the Path takes a lifetime of walking.

Peter wrote of this two-fold work of the Cross, but we see in Matthew 16 that he did not always have this understanding. In Matthew 16 we see Jesus as our Substitute and our Example all in one chapter. First there is Jesus as the Substitute. He begins to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and raised the third day. For His sins? No, for our sins. So in this He is our Substitute.

Peter, taking offense over this, pulls Jesus aside and begins to rebuke Him. Imagine! Peter is rebuking the Lord Jesus over this issue of the Cross. It is, indeed, a difficult thing to comprehend. But Jesus turns and rebukes Peter. Yes, it will be so. I will go to Jerusalem and die for the sins of the world. I must complete My substitutionary work.

But the two-fold work of the Cross goes deeper than the physical death of Jesus. And so Jesus immediately begins to speak to them, not about HIS Cross, but about THEIR Cross:

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it'" (Matthew 16:24,25).

Peter objected to the death of the Lord Jesus and wanted to prevent His crucifixion. The Lord Jesus responded that not only must the Master be crucified, but anyone who desired to follow after the Master would, of necessity, have to take up their Cross as well.

Peter eventually learned this lesson, and it is time we learned it as well. Jesus is both my Substitute and my Example. Jesus, is both my Savior and my Lord. Jesus is both the Narrow Gate and the Difficult Path.

If there is any doubt as to the reason for a lack of power, a lack of joy, a lack of faithfulness, a lack of Spirit-and-Truth today, we need only examine a person's ultimate attitude towards the Cross. Is the Cross, to them, something that Jesus saved them FROM, or something that Jesus saved them FOR? The fruit, or the lack thereof, tells the whole story. For there never will be, and there never can be, any fruitfulness apart from embracing the two-fold work of the Cross.

The question will of course arise: can Jesus be Savior, but not be Lord? Can I accept the salvation but not the discipleship? Can I enter the Gate but not walk the Path? And the underlying concern is really this: can I pray the Sinner's Prayer, live any way I please, and still go to heaven when I die?

The question itself is very revealing in the ones who ask it. Consider that it takes two beams to make a Cross; one beam is not enough. If we accept only half of the two-fold work of the Cross then we have not truly embraced the Cross. If we continue to preach an easy Gospel and bring sinners to an easy Jesus by having them pray an easy prayer then we are guilty of propagating another gospel, a false gospel, a Gate without a Path.

The Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus with the exact same concern: what must I do to inherit eternal life? His primary concern was going to heaven when he died. For many Christians that is the ultimate objective and the motivation behind everything they do. In actuality, Jesus said comparatively little about "going to heaven when you die." But He had quite a bit to say about being obedient to the will of God and producing fruit while you're still living here on earth.

To the Rich Young Ruler who wanted to be saved, Jesus offered discipleship, not salvation:

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.' But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!'" (Mark 10:21-23).

Not "how EASY for them to enter the Kingdom of God", but "how HARD it is". The two-fold work of the Cross is a hard saying for rich and for poor alike. Many turn away sad and sorrowful at the thought of taking up the Cross as a disciple. For that reason, only the first half of the two-fold work of the Cross is preached.

I suspect that the Rich Young Ruler would have eagerly accepted Jesus as his Substitute - because the subtle implication is that since Jesus died on the Cross, I won't have to die! But like all the other suggestions of the adversary, this too is only a partial truth. For the whole truth is that the work of the Cross is two-fold, and we can embrace both, or neither, but we cannot keep one and discard the other.

You may be concerned that if we make salvation contingent on discipleship then fewer people would get saved. That's exactly the point. This is precisely what Jesus meant when He said, "Few find it" (Matthew 7:14b).

So what are we do to? Should we continue to give false comfort to those who are unwilling to take up their Cross, deny Self, and follow Jesus? By no means. Instead, let us endeavor to show others, by example, that the only way to Life is through Death; the only way to reign with Him is to suffer with Him; not those who hear, but those who hear and put into practice, are His true disciples.

May the Lord Jesus Himself bear witness of these things, that they are true. Amen.

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

Kingdom 2

Hi all,
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Have you wondered if the Lord accepts the praises of the person across the church from you who lied about and hurt you, yet they are right there in church like nothing happened? Do you think 'turn the other cheek' means being willing to be misused and suffer loss? (wrong) My newest series, "Forgiveness, How to be a forgiving person in an unforgiving world" answer questions like these and more! The link is to the right.

Kingdom of God
Remember from last week, Jesus is the king of the kingdom of God, and He spent time eating and drinking what was set before him, spending the night with them in their homes, walking through the countryside, sitting around the campfire. What a king! What a kingdom, where the common man was valued and had something to offer.

Jesus taught about the culture and values of the kingdom of God among the people during daily life; values very different from both the Roman and first century Jewish culture around them. Herod nor the religious rulers, minor kings, mixed with the common man, spoke on their level, or valued daily hardships of life.

When Jesus was alive He taught of the kingdom of God. When He was resurrected, Acts 1:3 says in those 40 days He taught them about the kingdom of God. A few years later, Acts 8:12 says when Philip preached in Samaria, they believed him concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

Some 30 years later still the book of Acts concludes in 28:31 saying Paul '..proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without any hindrance from his home'.

They carried that awareness and culture of the kingdom, that of the approachable and relevant King, to the people! Not Hollywood Jesus, not a Lord where you have to climb 120 steps on your knees to light a candle, but a down to earth King and Lord, who now lives in us. That's a kingdom unlike any other, and they taught about it and lived it throughout the New Testament.

Our focus?
Jesus was offering people citizenship in a whole other kingdom with a whole other set of values than what Imperial Rome, the Jewish religious aristocracy, or the gods, goddesses and temples of Rome offered. Today the gospel of the kingdom remains as different from modern life and churchianity as it was from Rome.

Are we as aware as they were that we are citizens of the kingdom of God? Are we presenting a whole picture of the culture and values of the kingdom? Do we practice our faith the same way Paul and the writers of the New Testament did?

Church culture says 'turn or burn', or maybe no confrontation, just 'seek', raise your hand, meet the pastor after the service in the reception room. Church culture says 'join us' in competing marquees each posting a witty saying as a means of saying 'come here'. Is that church culture or kingdom culture?

The Bible values relationships; we value numbers. The Bible converts people by teaching and then doing as we walk through life together - the older teaching the younger, the experienced teaching the new to the faith in relationship; we wonder how many attended and how big the offering was.

They gathered people in homes recognizing the home and the family together as the core place for learning about God ever since Adam & Eve were joined in the garden by the Lord; we gather people into large auditoriums where the family separates to age appropriate groups to hear strangers tell them about God.

Their faith was dirty. They knew each other, walked through life's struggles with each other, challenged, offended, forgave and worked through difficulties with each other; we have a sterilized faith where we give money in the offering and someone else will be involved with 'those people'.

They taught the whole package of another kingdom with a different set of values - the kingdom of God; we present a tiny sliver over and over until people think that is what God is all about. As a result, the churches that were once 'cutting edge' of what God is doing, have become irrelevant to their generation and even a laughing stock to anyone with an objective mind, as empty as most of the denominations that preceded them down the path into traditions of men and social irrelevance.

But...People are mentally and prayerfully sorting these things out in an internal struggle. In one column they are listing values of the church world around them, in another column they are listing things that resonate in their heart, in their spirit.

Bible reality
If you read the Great Commission, there is nothing about being born again. There is nothing about tent meetings or revival meetings or crusade evangelism designed to get a count of hands raised or collect cards with names on them for a count of how many 'decisions' were made. Praise God for the people won to the Lord using those methods, but what if we went back to spreading our faith as they did?

Jesus said spread the gospel by 'teaching them to observe and to do what I commanded you". This is relationship, for teaching and observing cover both the learning elements of teaching, while 'to do what I commanded you' is the demonstration in daily life of how to apply what Jesus taught. Mt 28:20

Mark 16:20 says signs followed the believers. Healings of body and soul were the results of them having been in a home, in relationship with others in the faith - healings and other miracles were the aroma of wholeness lingering as they taught and showed others how to live their faith.

Today we advertise miracles and healings BEFORE they happen to get people to come because we have no relationship with them - just another meeting to go to and maybe see a miracle, making us no different than an ambulance chaser who just wants to see what's happening, or the John 6:26 people who followed Jesus not for eternal life, but because their appetites were satisfied. Which group do we want to be in?

It has been observed and I've said it and will say it again; Christianity started out as a relationship when God came to man in Israel. It went to Greece to become a philosophy, to Rome to become a religion, to Europe to become tradition, and to the USA to become an enterprise.

The book of Acts is normal Christianity
I remember realizing this as a teenager. I remember telling myself the denominations are not normal, they are abnormal. They all may think that what I believe is abnormal, but the reverse is true. Acts is normal.

It is normal to see people healed, to see demons cast out, to have experiences seeing angels and/or the Lord as in the book of Acts. It is normal to have close friends in the faith, meeting in homes in informal meetings. What I see around me; the structure, the hype, the merchandising, the honoring of one gift above all else, is abnormal, even dysfunctional...the book of Acts is normal Christianity. It is how the kingdom was practiced by our founding fathers of the faith.

That's one reason Barb and I latched onto what we called at the time in the mid 1970's, 'prayer meetings', and grew so fast. Thursday night was a meeting in a church basement - a bunch of teens and a church elder who opened the building for us. Saturday night was at a farm house with a mix of all ages. Sunday night was with a smaller group of teenagers rotating host homes.

We worshipped, we prayed, the gifts flowed, no matter who was leading, they would always lay aside the direction they thought the meeting would go if the Lord took it another direction. But we often had contact with each other during the week. Some saw each other at school. Hours were invested on the phone or in person talking through family situations or growth in Christ decisions to be made, always one generation of experience helping the younger generation, even if there were only months separating our ages, spiritually one was an elder in the faith while the other was a babe in Christ, yet we were all equal.

For the first time in history perhaps, at least in terms of numbers this big, people are leaving church and not falling away from God, but finding Him. They are finding him in true relationships, in home meetings, just as the book of Acts presents.

We have become as the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11:16: "But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."

Next week - walking it out
Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch. org