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Reflections on God’s Guidance from the Book of Acts

In his letter to the Roman Christians, the apostle Paul declares, “As many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). What a thought! Can it really be that part of our inheritance in Christ is to be guided by the Spirit of God in all our decisions, just as the Lord Jesus was? Paul certainly seemed to think so! Moreover, as we read through the book of Acts, we find that for the early Church this was indeed the case: In manifold ways, God graciously guided His people in the fulfillment of their mission, and in so doing provided helpful instructions and examples for us to follow. The purpose of this essay is to spotlight the main ways in which God guides his New Covenant children, and to illustrate them from the Book of Acts. May this brief meditation enrich your confidence for walking with him!

How God Guides His New Covenant Children

He guides us personally

In OT times God usually guided his people through appointed leaders such as judges, priests, prophets, kings, etc. To be sure, his Spirit worked in the hearts of all his OT elect, giving them ears to hear what their leaders were saying. But it was a rare privilege for God to speak personally to the OT saints. For this reason, the writing prophets looked forward to a happy day when God would speak directly to ALL his people (Numbers 11, Jeremiah 31:31f, Joel 2:28f). And according the Lord Jesus, that day has come, for now ALL his Spirit-filled sheep hear his voice and follow him (John 10:26-27, 5, 16:13)!

He guides us inwardly

In OT times God guided his people by a pillar of cloud and fire, the Scriptures, the Urim and the Thummim, the casting of lots, and the words of specially appointed leaders. These were outwards means of guidance; the people had little or no expectation of God speaking to them inwardly. Now, however, under the New Covenant, outward means of guidance have been replaced by inward; now God is committed to guiding each individual Christian by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Again, this great boon was promised in OT times (Isaiah 30, 54, Jeremiah 31, Ezek. 36-37, etc.), and fulfilled under the New Covenant in Christ (John 16:13a, 1 John 2:26, Rom. 8:14, Col. 1:9, 1 John 2:25-26).

He uses chosen instruments

As in OT times, so in the New: God is pleased to use various instruments to guide his people personally and inwardly. But since those instruments are unique to our day, it very much behooves us to know what they are, lest we turn to OT instruments for NT guidance! The Urim and Thummin are gone (or rather, they now live inside us!). No longer are we to cast lots or look to special leaders. Rather, we are to the look to the Lord himself, and to expect him to guide us according to the uniquely NT methods he has chosen.

Here is my view of what they are, illustrated from the book of Acts.

He guides us through the Scriptures

This is by far the single most important means of NT guidance. As we read the Bible, and especially the NT, the Holy Spirit illuminates and internalizes the Word of God. It becomes our internal guidance system. Slowly but surely, Christ is formed in us (Gal. 4:19), we receive the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), and our senses are trained to distinguish between good and evil (Heb. 5:14). The result: As we walk through life and face various decisions great or small, the Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures (or Scripture-formed intuitions) to guide us. As a rule we are barely conscious of his activity, but the Spirit and the Word are at work, nonetheless. Accordingly, it is written that the early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42). Paul commended the Ephesians to God, and to the Word of his grace, which was able to build them up in their most holy faith and give them an inheritance among those who are sanctified (Acts 20). It is, then, vital that each of us has a daily quiet time; that fathers and mothers lead their children in family devotions; and that we seize every opportunity to hear, ponder, and discuss the Word of God. In so doing, we are letting the Spirit internalize God’s premier guidance system! It is the plain sense of Scripture that marks for us the path of duty, and that stands as final arbiter over every other form of spiritual guidance (Gal. 1:8).

He guides us through special promptings of the Spirit

From time to time, Christians “feel impressed” by the Spirit to do this, that, or the other thing. Such experiences are biblical. Certainly we see them in the life of our Lord, who spoke of doing only those things He saw his Father doing. We also see them in Acts. When Peter beheld the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, he was prompted to speak a word of healing to him (Acts 3). When Paul observed all the idols in the marketplace of Athens, his spirit was provoked within him and he addressed the Athenians boldly (Acts 17). In Acts, such promptings are styled as “little infillings” of the Spirit. Peter, “filled with the Spirit”, addressed the rulers of Israel; Paul, “filled with the Spirit”, rebuked wicked Elymas (Acts 4, 13). All forms of divine guidance are supernatural, but special infillings of the Spirit feel a little more supernatural than others!

He guides us through open and closed doors

Christians understand that God is the High King of Providence; that he is causing ALL THINGS to work together for the good of His people who love Him (Rom. 8). Accordingly, when faced with a decision, they seek the Spirit’s help in discerning whether or not God has arranged their circumstances in such a way as to favor the decision or discourage it. It is written that the exalted Lord set before the Philadelphian church an open door that no one could shut; doubtless they walked right through it (Rev. 3:8)! In Acts, the Christians in Antioch rejoiced that God had opened a door to faith among the Gentiles (Acts 14:24). In watching for open doors, we must also watch for joy and liberty from the Spirit to go through them; inward affirmation and outward opportunity must go hand in hand. By means of an earthquake, God opened the door of the prison in Philippi, but Paul declined to go through it, lest the jailer be executed. Rather, he waited till the jailer, newly converted, ushered him through the door himself (Acts 16)!

He guides us through counsel and consensus

Because of immaturity, residual sin in our members, or the opposition of powers and principalities, some decisions are beyond us. In such cases, God encourages us to seek the counsel of other more mature believers who know and care for us (Prov. 11:14, 15:22). Moreover, if we have sought advice from a number of believers, and all agree as to the proper course of action, it would be wise indeed to listen hard (Mt. 18:19)! This principle is beautifully illustrated in the Jerusalem Council, at which the leaders of the infant Church had to decide whether the Gentiles must obey the Mosaic Law. Having “taken counsel” with one another in a lively discussion, they finally came to a unanimous decision on the proper course of action, a course that seemed good both to them and to the Holy Spirit. Such Spirit-wrought unity is extremely valuable for discerning the will of God in difficult situations. It should be noted, however, that on rare occasions God calls a believer to stand alone in a chosen course of action, even in the face of good, united counsel to the contrary (Acts 21).

He guides us with bolts of lightning

Though the Spirit normally uses the Scriptures, inward promptings, circumstances, and counsel and consensus to guide us, he sometimes uses what I like to call bolts of lightning: special, highly supernatural forms of guidance. We observe them all in the book Acts:

1. Dreams: Promised to NT believers (Acts 2), and apparently experienced by Paul at Troas (Acts 16)
2. Visions: Seen by Ananias at Damascus (Acts 9), and Peter at Caesarea (Acts 10)
3. Audible Voice of God: Heard by Saul at his conversion (Acts 9)
4. Angelic Visitations: Experienced by Philip on the road to Gaza (Acts 8), and Peter in jail in Jerusalem (Acts 12)
5. Prophets: The prophets gathered for prayer at Antioch (Acts 13); the prophecies of Agabus (Acts 11, 21)

It is important to understand that bolts of lightning are not God’s normal method of spiritual guidance; if we believe they are, we will certainly experience great frustration in our Christian life. Possibly, such things were more frequent in the days of the early Church, when the NT Scriptures were not yet complete and God was specially authenticating the ministry of the apostles. In any case, it is clear from the NT that God means believers to be guided primarily by the four methods mentioned above. That said, I find nothing in the NT even to suggest that God cannot or will not use bolts of lightning to guide his children. To shut ourselves off from the very possibility of such things is to say “No” where God has said “Yes,” and so to risk grieving the Spirit by a lack of openness to certain special adventures that the Lord may have for us in our walk with him!

He guides us by the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Every divinely ordained method of spiritual guidance can be counterfeited or contested by Satan’s powers and principalities. The devil can quote Scripture, burden us with dark impressions, give false readings of our circumstances, poison our minds against the counsel of the brethren (or poison the counsel itself), and feed us with lying dreams, visions, angelic visitations, and prophecies. For this reason, it is vital that God’s people learn to shield themselves from counterfeit guidance, not only by consulting the Scriptures, but also by maintaining a high view of God’s goodness; of the kind and loving way in which he is committed to leading his dear children along.

Over and again the NT reminds us of this liberating truth. The law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8). Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is LIBERTY (2 Cor. 3). The LOVE of Christ controls, constrains, and compels us (2 Cor. 5). We must let the PEACE of God rule (i.e., serve as an umpire) in our hearts (Col. 3:15). The wisdom (and the guidance) that comes from above is first of all PURE (James 3:13f). God has written—and today speaks—so that our JOY may full (1 John 1:4). And the list goes on!

One big reason we are so often led astray is that in our frailty we listen to voices from the dark side. Having a low view of God’s kindess, and of his immutable love for every son and daughter in the Beloved, we yield to Satan’s flaming arrows aimed at our flesh: doubt, fear, guilt, compulsion, anger, vain ambition, lust, and more. What do all these things have in common . . . besides that they result in terrible decisions? They are NEGATIVE, dealing out death. What do love, joy, liberty, and peace have in common? They are POSITIVE, bringing life. So then, if we deliberately embrace a Principle of Positivity—refusing to be led by negative inputs, but standing firm in our faith that a good and loving God is committed to leading us by positive inputs—we shall make great strides in our joyful, Spirit-led walk with the Lord (Phil. 4:8-9). (1)

He guides us as we do our part in the process

Paul writes that the Spirit within us moves us to will and to work for God’s good pleasure. This implies that in our quest for good decision-making we have a simple but important role to play. We must meditate regularly on the Word of God, and teach it to our children. We must obey it implicitly. We must pray to God for special wisdom, and trust that he will indeed give it to us. We must wait patiently till it comes, and, if necessary, be humble enough to ask for godly advice while we wait. And above all, we must watch: watch for the joyful, peaceful, liberating, life-giving witness of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, who, in one precious way or another, lovingly whispers in our ears, “This is the way, walk ye in it!”

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of Him in every place!”

Notes

1. True conviction of sin, wrought by the Holy Spirit, comes with godly sorrow, and is always a positive, life-giving experience. It is worlds apart from the condemnation and false guilt that control so much of our thinking, praying, and deciding. Alas, it is too true that Christians can sometimes resist the Spirit of conviction, and so bring chastening upon themselves until, humbled and broken, they finally yield to God, only to discover that, in perfect love, he has been there all along! (Rom. 8:1f, 2 Cor. 9:7f, Heb.12:1f)

Gird Your sword upon Your side, O mighty One. And in Your majesty,
ride forth victoriously, in the cause of truth , humility and righteousness.
Psalm 45:3-4

Note: In the days when I served as a pastor, I wrote this article for Christian young people, especially those attending public school.

As school days draw nigh, filling us all with thoughts of carpools, classes and careers, let’s pause–high schoolers and college students in particular–for a quick backward glance at one of the more troubling developments of the summer of ’94: the growing strength of the so-called Gay Rights Movement.

Recall, for example, the events surrounding Gay Pride Day in New York city. There were the Gay Games, with 20,000 lesbian and homosexual competitors. There was gay theatre, where angry, raucous, and sometimes weeping crowds cheered Tony Kushner’s play, Angels in America, billed as “a gay fantasia on national themes.” And there was the Gay Pride March, with over 100,000 participants trailing rainbow streamers, boldly declaring that the Queer Nation will have its place under the American sun.

Anyone willing to look beneath this veneer of bravado would certainly have found that most of the participants were deeply unhappy people, haunted by fear, guilt and shame. Yet columnist David Broder, speaking for a sympathetic liberal media, was rapturous: He counted himself lucky to witness history in the making, “. . . as another group of . . . brave, funny, addled, and angry . . . Americans were claiming their place in our culture and politics.”

All the World Loves a Cause

What are Bible-believing Christians to think of all this? Why are such movements so popular? How should we respond to them? And what can they teach us about our own place in the world?

These are complex questions. But perhaps we can begin to get a handle on them by recognizing first that all the world loves a cause. And perhaps by thinking for a moment about worldly causes, we can gain some fresh perspective on our own heavenly one.

A cause is a purpose or goal which animates a group of persons. They think it is right and important, that the rest of the world should recognize it, and that it is worthy of great dedication, toil and sacrifice.

A popular cause usually has a leader and a spokesman. Occasionally, as in the case of Dr. King, the leader will become a martyr.

A cause will have a philosophy and a set of values to undergird it. It will unite its adherents with a feeling of esprit de corps. It will usually face adversaries, and may therefore elicit unusual courage (or unusual fanaticism) from its defenders.

Some causes are worthy, others evil. Some are weighty, others trivial. But whatever their character, the world is never lacking for causes, and men are ever eager to take them up.

Made for a Cause

Yes, all the world loves a cause, and as Christians we can understand why. We know that God Himself has designed and made us for a cause. As the Scriptures reveal, He has created us all to glorify Him through good works which He lovingly prepared even before we were born.

What’s more, in our cause He gives us a leader: His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us a true philosophy and godly values in His Word. He unites us with a supportive community, the spiritual family we call the Church. And He lays challenges before us, that we may grow in wisdom, courage, and perseverance.

In all this, we see why the world loves a cause: It’s just human nature. Yes, men can and do reject the cause their nature was created to serve. But no one can reject his nature itself. For this reason, everyone will serve a cause. The only questions is: Whose will it be?

Getting Ready to Ride

Christian youth returning to school must ask themselves just this question. The answer, I think, is found in Psalm 45.

There the writer is catching a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming again in glory on the last day. And how is He seen? He is seen riding forth victoriously ” . . . in the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness.”

Here is the key. For if tomorrow Christ will return to vindicate all who welcomed the truth of the Gospel, then obviously we must commit ourselves to that truth today.

If tomorrow He will exalt all who served mankind in humility, then clearly we must resolve to become humble servants today.

If tomorrow He will reward all who loved righteousness, then certainly we must embrace, defend and promote righteousness today.

In sum, if Christ will ride out of heaven tomorrow to triumph in His cause, then nothing could be important than our riding through the earth to meet Him, this day and every day.

But if you are young, you must first spend some quality time getting ready to ride.

How can you do this?

Likely as not, you already know the answers. Take full advantage of your education. Acquire a biblical worldview. Understand the culture in which you are called to minister. Prayerfully begin to search out your gifts and callings. Strive to set worthy goals. Develop useful and profitable skills that will open wide doors of service. Maintain sexual purity. Establish godly friendships, disciplines, and convictions. And above all, prepare to give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that lies within you, with gentleness and respect.

Christian young person, understand that the world has always been filled with ungodly and unworthy causes. Tomorrow’s world will doubtless be filled with more. But your Leader tells you not to be distracted by them. Yes, he may ask you to do battle with worldy philosophies, values, and practices. But in the end, this is always with a view to rescuing those who hold them, to advancing the cause of Christ and the gospel. You are not to be of the world, but to ride through it, joyfully and singlemindedly fixing your eyes on Him.

If you do, be assured that a little flock of world-weary travelers will indeed take note. They will cry out to join you. They will beg you to lift them up.

That is a very great joy. Are you prepared for it? Are you dedicated to it?

As the school year begins again, are you getting ready to ride?

The anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, legalizing abortion on demand, has come and gone again. This year, however, there was little cause for hope in the pro-life camp. Even as pro-lifers rallied in Washington to stir the conscience of the nation, President Clinton swept aside regulations controlling fetal experimentation, abortions on military bases, and the use of tax-payer dollars for abortion and abortion “counseling” both here and abroad. A seemingly indifferent nation scarcely blinked an eye.

If it is true, as most polls suggest, that Americans are uncomfortable with abortion on demand, it is also an inescapable fact that they are not uncomfortable enough to do much about it. Whether from conviction, confusion, or consuming self-interest, Americans have in fact accepted Roe and the cultural mega-shift it represents.

If, then, abortion–and related practices such as fetal experimentation, infanticide and euthanasia–are to be woven into the very fabric of our national existence, let us at least be as clear as possible about what such a step really means, and where it will take us. Perhaps some careful thought along these lines will persuade us to think again.

In this article, I want to suggest that the abortion controversy is not only political in nature, as some would have it, but also spiritual. My thesis is that the ideology and practice of legalized abortion serves as a kind of window onto the American soul. Looking through the window, we see nothing less than an entire nation at a spiritual crossroads. We see America–indeed, all of Western Civilization–poised between two life-ways: Christianity or Paganism. And the choice we make is, appropriately enough, a matter of life and death.

By way of explanation, let us begin by viewing the life issues in historical perspective.

Though it is has sometimes been romanticized, serious students of history know that the pagan world was not a pretty place to live. Indeed, for women and children, it was often a deadly place. Whether in Persia, Greece, Egypt, Asia, India, Arabia or Rome, abortion and infanticide–especially of baby girls–were accepted practices. The abuse of the weak and innocent by the strong was acceptable routine.

In Rome, for example, a man might have one wife, but many concubines. If any concubine bore him a child, according to the tradition of paterfamilias he could kill it or save it alive, at his discretion. If the verdict was death, the child would be left on the city walls to die of exposure or be eaten by wild animals. Anyone who tried to save the child was liable to criminal charges.

Significantly, there was not a single pagan philosopher (unless we include Hippocrates in their number) who condemned such practices. Indeed, they recommended them, and callously described both methods and procedures.

Then, in the first century, a new philosophy began to spread throughout the Empire, a philosophy that would increasingly challenge the status quo. The followers of Jesus of Nazareth, guided by his teachings and those of the Hebrew Scriptures, began to proclaim that human life, being God’s highest and noblest creation, was sacred. Moreover, they solemnly warned and inveighed against its unlawful destruction by abortion and infanticide.

A crucial battle in this spiritual conflict occurred at the instigation of Basil of Cappadocia. In the course of his relief work among the poor of Caesarea, this pastor discovered a guild of abortionists called the sagae, who provided herbal potions, pessaries and surgical remedies for women who wanted to abort. The fetal remains were sold to cosmetologists in Egypt.

Appalled and outraged, he publicly condemned the sagae, and urged local officials to take action against them. He began to preach to his flock about the sanctity of life and exhorted them to open their homes to pregnant women and children. Finally, his tireless labors gained the attention of the emperor Valentinian, who later decreed that all parents must support the children they conceive, and that those who brutalize or abandon them should be subject to the full penalty of the law.

It was a pivotal moment in the history of the West, a triumph for the biblical vision of the sanctity of life. And from that time on, amidst all too many failures, countless earnest Christians–whether missionaries, pastors, doctors, feminists, lawyers, or just plain folk–have tried to show, by word and deed, the value placed on every human being by the Lord of life.

Their dedication–for which some paid the supreme price–has always been based on three simple biblical principles.

First, human life is both unique and sacred. This affirmation flows from the fact that God intended man alone to live in fellowship with Himself, and that He therefore created him, unlike the animals, in His own image and likeness, with special authority to rule over all other creatures (Genesis l:24-28, Psalm 8). We see the sanctity of human life even more vividly in the incarnation of God’s Son, who not only became a human being, but did so with a view to the salvation, not of animals, but of a new and eternal race of human beings (John 3:l6). In short, biblical teaching on the creation and redemption of man reveals both the uniqueness and infinite value of all people.

Secondly, the pre-born are fully human (though not fully mature) from the moment of conception. The Bible conveys this important truth in several ways. For example, it explicitly affirms that the soul–i.e., the seat of human personality–is the animating principle of the body (Gen. 2:7, James 2:26). Therefore, if a fetus is alive, it has a soul; and if it has a soul, it is indeed a little person. Not surprisingly, we therefore find the Psalmist speaking of the devloping fetus as a fully human being (Psalm l39). Along these lines, we also have the profoundly suggestive case of Elizabeth and Mary, whose pre-born children recognized one another while yet in the womb. Indeed, when little John (six months old) discerned little Jesus (one month old) in the room, he (John) not only recognized him, but leapt for joy (Luke l:39-44)!

Finally, God cares for all people at all stages of life, especially the innocent and the weak; moreover, He casts himself as their defender and avenger, ready to arise in judgment against all who would harm them (Exodus 22:22-24). In particular, He has laid it down as law that we must not kill the innocent (Gen. 9:6, Ex. 20:l3), but instead seek to protect them (Proverbs 24:ll-l2). The government–which is His appointed instrument of justice in the earth–bears a special responsibility in this regard (Romans l3:l-4).

In short, the distinctively Western conviction concerning the sanctity of every human life is rooted in a distinctively biblical world-view. This is expeically true of pro life people, whose ethical impulse usually arises out of a deep conviction that an infinite, personal, holy God stands as King and Judge over the creation He loves; and that we, having a small share in His dominion, must respect and defend all His creatures, most especially the sons and daughters of men.

The pagan world-view, on the other hand, is powerless to generate such concern. For the pagan, there is no living God from whom man ultimately derives his dignity, or to whom he is accountable. There is only matter in process, or perhaps an impersonal cosmic consciousness evolving towards some kind of mystical self-realization. In either case, it is man who is really in the driver’s seat. With no revelation of moral absolutes, pagan man is responsible to none but himself. He must create his own values, basing his choices on purely private determinations of what is desirable or useful or conducive to “personal fulfilment” and “quality of life.” Unfortunately, a Nero, a Hitler, a Pol Pot, or a Saddam Hussein may have one definition of “quality of life,” while their countrymen have quite another.

Here, then, is the deep, underlying significance of the abortion debate. More than a political crisis, the abortion controversy signals that we have now entered a profound cultural crisis, a crisis that forces us all to re-examine and redefine the very foundations of our corporate life, and then to choose the kind of future we want for ourselves and our children.

Though many will resist it, both the Bible and history assure us that in the end we really have only two choices. We can embrace the biblical world-view and the “sanctity of life” ethic that it generates, or we can embrace a pagan, humanistic world-view, and the “quality of life” ethic it generates. To put the matter more bluntly still, we can submit to the reign of the living God, or we can reign over ourselves. It is not a choice that we sinners have ever found easy to make.

Does the choice seem too narrow, and the options too few for our pluralistic, “live and let live” culture? Those who think so would do well to consider the following remarks of Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote about the brave new ideologies of his own era:

“There are those who believe that a new modernity demands a new morality. What they fail to consider is the harsh reality that there is no such thing as a new morality. There is only one morality. There is only true Christian ethics over against which stands the whole of paganism. . . All these blatant sham reformers, in the name of a new morality, preach the old, old vice of self-indulgence which rotted out first the moral fiber and then even the external greatness of Greece and Rome. If we are to fulfill our destiny as a people, then we must return to the old morality, the sole morality.”

Strong words, I admit, but amply vinidcated by the gulags, gas chambers, and killing fields that followed. And with 40 million innocent children now dead in Americas abortuaries, multitudes of our women scarred for life, and the last walls of legal protection crumbling all around us, perhaps we need some strong words.

Perhaps, before it is too late, we should reconsider our rich biblical heritage and the sanctity of life ethic that made Western Civilization and America great. Are we really prepared to discard them? What will happen to us and our children if we do? The warnings of Scripture, the dark course of modern history, and the un-pretty picture of ancient paganism supply a sobering answer.

Yes, America really is at a spiritual crossroads. And as for the nation, so for the individual: Each of us must choose. Therefore, since the hour is very late, let us hear afresh the word of God to every man, woman, boy and girl of every time and every place in the whole of this dark and tumultous world:

“Today I set before you life and death, blessing and curse.

So choose life, that you may live, you and your seed.”

(Deuteronomy 30:19)

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision,
why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross is ceased.
Galatians 5:11

My year as a college student in France provided me with a lurid but instructive memory. Nice as it was on other counts, the youth hostel where I lived had a definite problem: cockroaches. During the midnight hours when I rose to use the restroom I would have to brace myself for a genuinely creepy rendezvous. One had only to turn on the light in the bathroom, not just to see the big black bugs, but to see them in great abundance, scurrying every which-way back into their holes. The unpleasant creatures did not like light. Indeed, light clearly caused them pain. It offended them, and sent them racing to home base: darkness.

Such, I am afraid, is the biblical testimony concerning man. No, God does not look upon us as cockroaches: If we are more valuable than many sheep, then surely we are more valuable than many insects (Matthew 12:12). Indeed, because we have been created in His image, He reckons us just a little lower than the angels; indeed, like God himself (Psalm 8).

Yet in one important respect we are very much like those creeping things: From birth we are creatures of darkness, both by nature and by choice (John 3:19, Acts 26:18). This is our sad inheritance from the first man Adam, who long ago chose lies over truth, covetousness over contentment, and rebellion over obedience (Genesis 3). And when he chose that darkness, he chose it not only for himself, but for his posterity as well (Romans 5:12f). Ever since Eden, darkness has been home base for the family of man.

This testimony is difficult to receive. As a rule we fancy ourselves creatures of kindness, goodness, and light, no matter what history or the daily news say to the contrary. But there is any easy way to get at the facts of the matter: We need only to stand before the cross of Christ and study carefully how we respond. Then and there the truth will be told.

The apostle Paul understood this. From painful personal experience, both as a persecutor of Christians and later as a messenger of Christ, he knew that the cross is an offense to fallen man. Unless and until God performs His miracle of regeneration in our hearts, we will flee it rather than embrace it; we will back away into darkness rather than bathe ourselves in its wondrous healing light.

Indeed, this is precisely what certain Jewish “Christians” were doing when they told the Galatian believers that they had to be circumcised. They were saying, in effect, that these new disciples had to obey the Law of Moses in order to be forgiven and accepted by God. Such “legalism” sounded spiritual, but in fact it betrayed a terrible misunderstanding, for no man can perfectly obey God’s Law, so that no man can be saved by it (Romans 3:20). More importantly, Jewish legalism actually revealed a hidden enmity towards the true, God-given instrument of salvation: the cross of Christ. Apart from the cross, says Paul, man is hopelessly trapped and lost in his sin. Yet at this–their only way of escape –these Jewish “Christians” had taken offense.

Why the Cross Offends

Why does the cross so offend fallen man? And how, precisely, does it offend him? What effects does it have upon the sinful human self when it is faithfully preached; when Christ Jesus is “clearly portrayed as crucified” (Galatians 3:1)?

Here are a few biblical answers to these important questions.

First, the cross offends our self-estimate. By nature, we think of ourselves as good people; not, perhaps, perfect, but with only enough naughtiness to make us interesting. The cross, however, renders a far more sobering diagnosis, declaring that in God’s sight we are evil people; not, perhaps, as evil as we could be, but fundamentally evil: fundamentally hostile to the true God, rebellious towards His revealed will, and indifferent to His glory (Mark 7:21f, Luke 11:13). At the cross, God certainly judged something. If it was not the evil of His people, graciously and mercifully laid upon His Son, what was it?

Secondly, the cross offends our self-importance. It belongs essentially to our fallen nature–to our mutant and inflated egos–that we compare ourselves with others, rank ourselves above others, and seek out the flaws in others whom we know to be better than ourselves (Luke 18:11). But before the cross, all such self-importance withers away. For the meaning of Jesus’ substitutionary death is quite clear: All have sinned, all are loved, all are judged in Christ, and all are forgiven–if and when they come to Him. The way is the same for rich and poor, smart and simple, beautiful and homely, famous and infamous. The cross is the great leveler of men. Where then is self-importance? Where is boasting? Paul tells us where: “God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

Thirdly, the cross offends our self-righteousness. Fallen man knows that he is sinful, that he has fallen short of the perfect righteousness that God requires (Romans 3:23). But instead of humbly seeking out the perfect righteousness that God has graciously supplied, he prefers to fashion a righteousness of his own, based on good deeds. To be sure, God knows our good deeds and approves them; yet He also knows that good deeds cannot cancel evil deeds; and also that good deeds, even their best, are always contaminated by evil motives. For in God’s sight a deed is good only when it is done out of pure love for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor. I wonder if even one such deed has ever been done under heaven, save every deed performed by God’s one and only Son.

Knowing, then, the futility of self-righteousness, God wisely and mercifully ordained the cross as His appointed way of righteousness. There we behold the matchless gift: One whose people’s sins were credited to His account, so that His perfect righteousness might be credited to theirs. The saints, having been taught the depth of their sin, love and cherish this simple way of salvation. But the self-righteous–unwilling to acknowledge their sin and intent on earning their place in the household of God– are offended by it. Even at the peril of their eternal souls, they turn away from the cross (Matthew 22:1f).

Finally, the cross offends our self-rule. Independence, autonomy, self-rule–all belong to the very essence of sin. God’s original plan for man was to live in him, walk with him, and work through him. Life was to be a Father-Son business, with the Father leading and the sons following, prosperously. Jesus modeled this life for us, declaring that He always did only those things that He saw the Father doing (Luke 2:49, John 5:30). But Adam rejected this God-centered life in Eden, and his fallen offspring have spurned it ever since.

This is why we also spurn the cross. For there we see not only a condemnation of sin, but also a call to a new and better life– resurrection life, life beyond the grave of our own sinful self-rule; life like Christ’s life; life in God and with God, forever. One would think that people would find such a life attractive. But until God makes it attractive, we will flee it every time. The cross does indeed invite us to life, but always at the price of death: the death of our self-rule. And as much as he needs to, autonomous sinful man definitely does not want to die.

We see then that man, by his very nature, is offended by the cross. But if he is constitutionally hostile to the cross–if he has to commit a species of suicide in order to come to Christ–how can anyone be saved? Jesus himself gave us the answer: “With men, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26). In other words, God Himself must give sinful man new eyes and a new heart, so that he can see the meaning of the cross, behold its beauty, and desire to come to the One who died upon it. As Jesus put it, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father draws him. You must be born again” (John 6:44, 3:7).

How the Cross Attracts

Happily, this too is a Father-Son business in which everyday Christians can play an important part. Knowing that our unbelieving friends and loved ones find the cross offensive, God invites us to co-labor with Him in making it attractive. And this is not so difficult, since, for many reasons, the cross is attractive. Here are a few of the best.

First, the cross is attractive because it exhibits the unconditional love of God for fallen man. Long before a single sinner ever came to the Savior, God planned to send His Son into the world to be the Teacher, Priest, Sacrifice, and King of His people. He was certainly not moved to do so because He foresaw their holiness. To the contrary, foreseeing them in their sin and lost estate, He was moved with compassion and unconditional love to give His one and only Son to save them (John 3:16). Here is a most attractive flower in the garden of biblical truth: We do not have to be lovable to be loved!

Secondly, the cross is attractive because it displays salvation as a gift to be received, rather than a work to be accomplished. This is why, as Jesus breathed his last upon the cross, he triumphantly cried, “It is finished!” All that was necessary for our salvation–a life perfectly lived and a death willingly endured–had now been accomplished. Henceforth, says the Bible, Christ has done all, and fallen man can contribute nothing whatsoever to his finished work. All we can do is receive it gladly and gratefully, as a gift (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Yes, there is work for the Christian to do. But it is not done in order to be accepted; rather, it is done out of joy for having been accepted. Because of the cross, guilty, anxious, and driven souls can rest at last. Jesus said so himself. With the cross in view, he told sinners in Israel, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:30). He says the same to us today.

Finally, the cross is attractive because it offers hope of a life beyond the grave. All who learn of Christ’s death, learn also of his resurrection. All who see the cross, see also what lay beyond it–resurrection, ascension, the throne of God, and life in Heaven with God forever. To receive Christ is to receive it all. What an attraction! The cross is not the last word. The Savior is not dead, but lives. And if He lives, He can come to us, live within us, teach us, change us, take us safely to Heaven when we die and, some glorious day, raise us from the dead for even fuller life in a glorious new world (John 11, 1 Corinthians 15)!

Yes, of all its attractions, this may be the greatest–and the reason why multitudes of poor sinners, struggling to emerge from their darkness, keep turning to the cross day after day, year after year, even to the end of time. For there, atop Mt. Golgotha, we behold the very portal of Heaven. There, amidst the most dreadful darkness, divine light pours through most purely, most powerfully. There we see everything: God, sin, wrath, justice, love, grace, mercy, death, and–most attractively–eternal resurrection life with Him who loved us all.

If, by God’s grace, we have seen this great sight, let us labor with God to help others see it too. Let us labor to portray, not only the offense, but also the attraction of the cross. And let us labor confidently, knowing that with God all things are possible; that because of our simple obedience, many who are today offended by the cross will tomorrow count it their greatest glory.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By it, the heroes of today are standing firm, and so, like those of yesterday, will receive a good testimony from the One whose witness counts!

By faith they are bringing down walls of confusion, worldly distraction, theological immaturity, spiritual indolence, and besetting personal sin . . . encircling them all for seven seasons with believing prayer and the promises of God till they finally come crashing to the ground.

By faith men are purposing to become strong and gentle servant-leaders in their home and community. They pray for their family, talk from the heart with their wives, and read the Scriptures to their kids and grand-kids. Teaming up with their mate, they seize interesting opportunities to learn about God’s world, and to serve people in it. They take time for the serious business of fun and wholesome recreation.

By faith some among them have even stopped the mouth of television, quenched the violence of R-rated videos, overcome information addiction, and–fearful of surrendering their offspring to pagan priests in the government schools–are educating their children at home, or working hard to send them to a local Christian school.

By faith they are becoming valiant against workaholicism, the love of money, and the idolatrous aspects of the American Dream.

By faith, some of them are growing mighty in the scriptures, hoping to serve as elders, scholars, or missionaries. Others run successful businesses, employ the needy, witness to their workers, and systematically support the work of the kingdom with their increase.

By faith wives are triumphing over false guilt and over-commitment, dedicating themselves in all simplicity to the help of their husbands, the nurture of their children, the adornment of their homes, and the edification of their sisters in the Lord.

By faith some volunteer at the local pregnancy counseling center, others work with Release Tme, and still others take their kids to visit the sick and elderly.

By faith young couples are adopting orphans, welcoming exchange students into their homes, and sheltering women and girls who face crisis pregnancies.

By faith, many are eschewing fear, sloth, and bad theology so as to get involved in cultural transformation and the political process. Imitating the way of Christ and his servants of earlier generations, they are becoming skilled, gracious, and fearless proponents of biblical justice, limited government, personal responsibility, private charity, sexual purity, traditional marriage, and the sanctity and protectability of human life from the moment of conception till the moment of natural death.

Still others are serving in their local church, supporting local and foreign missionaries, encouraging persecuted Christians at home and abroad, writing poems and books, making films, composing or playing God-honoring music, loving the brethren, respecting all men, and delighting themselves daily in the Lord . . . that the light of heaven may continue to shine in the darkness of an increasingly evil world.

Yes, all these and more–by looking up to Him who dwells above, and ahead to Him who soon will come–are diffusing the grace of Christ to all everywhere, and so are sure to attain this testimony from the One whose witness counts: their faith was real, and their lives were indeed well-pleasing to the Lord.