Boasting in the Cross

I have decided that I fail to think long and hard about things. A lot of times I’ll think about something for a little bit and then promptly move on to the “next thing”—whatever that may be. Today in reading Don’t Waste Your Life, I was really struck by the first three pages of fourth chapter entitled “Magnifying Christ Through Pain and Death.” Now, I did not get very far because I was really challenged by what Piper had to say. So I decided to not finish the chapter and to just think about the contents of the pages I trudged through.

Piper begins the chapter talking about how “living to magnify Christ is costly.” (pg. 61) The reason it is costly is because like Mark 8:34 talks about, believers are to follow Christ and pick up their crosses. Jesus had to die on the cross—one of the most cruel and horrible forms of death ever invented by mankind; He gave up His very own life and calls us to do the same…that is why “living to magnify Christ is costly.” We are called to suffer alongside of Jesus. Why? We know that the cross is the ultimate picture and display of God’s glory because His Son, the perfect sacrifice, willing chose to die so that He might redeem sinners and pay the price they owed for the guilt of violating God’s law through sin. Piper says, “Suffering with Jesus on the Calvary road of love is not merely the result of magnifying Christ; it is also the means.” (pg. 61) In other words, we do not only suffer because we magnify and glorify Christ; suffering ourselves like Christ did is also a way that we can magnify and glorify Him. It took me a while for me to really grasp what Piper was saying…I’m not quite sure why, but my brain definitely got a mental workout today. =P

Piper continues talking about boasting in the cross when we bear suffering. This also made my mind spin and took me awhile to wade through. I have always known the concept of fully devoting one’s life to serving God after salvation and that the believer’s life would then be full of suffering because Christ suffered first, but I think Piper explained it in such a way that I was fully able to grasp why we suffer as believers. I always, I guess, just assumed we suffered because Christ suffered and that was all there was to the story. Let me go on to type the section where Piper elaborates. He says…

“The normal Christian life is one that boasts only in the cross—the blazing center of God’s glory—and does it while bearing the cross. ‘Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple’ (Luke 14:27). Bearing the cross is the means by which we are increasingly liberated to boast in the cross. Suffering [or the reality and occurrence of Christ’s suffering at “the Cross”] is God’s design in this sin-soaked world. It [I believe Piper means “it” to take the place of “suffering” or more specifically “the cross”…so…The Cross] portrays sin’s horror for the world to see.” (pg. 62)

Now, here it would seem that “sin’s horror” is the incredible debt owed by the sinner for his sins that could only be repaid by a holy and blameless, innocent sacrifice; the horror is the reality of the vastness and depth of sin’s debt and the fact that man can never repay a just God. Because of not being able to repay God, man would then face the horrors of spending eternity in Hell separated from his Creator. The Cross shows the world this reality and how it would truly be a hopeless situation except for the fact that Jesus—our perfect sacrifice and propitiation—hung on the cross and died in the place where we should have hung and died for our sins.

Piper continues… “It [Suffering] punishes sin’s guilt for those who do not believe in Christ.” (pg. 62) So unbelievers suffer in this world and in Hell because it is punishment for the sins they have committed. Continuing, Piper presents the hope and joy of the believer who has been justified by grace through faith…

“It [The Cross and suffering of Christ] breaks sin’s power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. And because sin is the belittling of the all-satisfying glory of God, the suffering [of Christ at the Cross] that breaks its [sin’s] power is a severe mercy.” (pg. 62) YEAH!! =]

“Whatever makes us more and more able to enjoy making much of God is a mercy.” (pg. 62) Again, we must keep in mind that God wants to give His children the best thing He can and so He gives us Himself—the best thing. So whatever things He gives us as a means to enjoy Him is a merciful act on His part because He loves us enough to give us what is best for us.

Continuing…“For there is no greater joy than joy in the greatness of God. And if we must suffer to see this [aka: “this” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] and savor it [aka: “it” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] most deeply, then suffering is a mercy. And Christ’s call to take up our cross and join Him on the Calvary road is love.” (pg. 62)

If the only way God is going to show us His greatness—which is our ultimate and highest joy—is through having us suffer, then He is being merciful to put us through suffering to see our ultimate and highest joy—God. Christ is being loving because of calling us to follow Him in His suffering. Suffering as Christ did reminds us of His suffering on the Cross…suffering as Christ did reminds us what His pain and agony—not only physically but also by being separated from His Father—did for us…Christ’s suffering made it possible for our broken fellowship with God to be restored. Because of the Cross and Christ’s suffering there, God looks at us as pure and holy as if we had never sinned; all of this is made possible because Christ died the death we should have died. Anytime we suffer or go through a trial, we can remember with great hope and joy that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ also suffered…the God of the universe also suffered for us so that we might be reunited with our Heavenly Father and Creator. We can take hope in that even though trials and sufferings might end our lives, there is nothing that can ever separate us or take away our salvation in Christ because His suffering broke the bondage of sin and death. “[The Cross and Christ’s sufferings there] breaks sins’ power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus.” (pg. 62)

Wow. When I suffer or go through trials, God reminds me of the hope that I have in Him. I suffer so that I might remember that Christ suffered to break the bond of sin over me…that nothing I go through can ever separate me from His love…that even if my life ends during a trial that I will live in paradise with Him because Christ made it possible. That is a reason to find joy in trials…that is a reason to rejoice in the Cross and to glorify my God! Suffering points us to the Cross…suffering points us to God and His greatness. That is the reason I cannot ignore the glory of the Cross and the reason I need to boast only in the Cross so that I might not live a wasted life. That is something I should think long and hard about every day.