Look away from yourself to the cross

Now, there is a way in which we have to admit that sin is sometimes preached—and an awareness of sin fostered—so as to destroy a Christian’s hope and joy. And it seems that this was the problem that accounted for the paralysis of Rabbi John Duncan. One biographer described him as a truly humble man whose desire was to behold by faith the face of his Saviour. And yet, here is this same man in fear of his remaining sin. He realizes that he is a growing Christian. People do not think he is a sinner, but he knows he is a sinner, and it causes him to wonder if he really is saved. He was seeking, in his own experience, nearly sinless signs of piety. And his mistake was to seek for salvation—or at least the assurance of salvation—in his own spiritual performance. Therefore, he came to look with terror upon the God he really loved.

But notice what Paul does. Paul does not say to primarily look within yourself for signs of salvation. He tells us to look away from yourself to the cross of Jesus Christ. Let this be the hope of your salvation. You are asking, What truth is going to allow me to be protected in my thinking and my desiring? He died for us. There it is, Paul says. Let yourself rely upon what Christ did for you—dying for your sins on the cross. That is the hope of salvation that frees us for a joyful living and expectation of Christ’s return. Am I a sinner? Oh yes, but he died for me.  Is my life still tainted by sins? Oh yes. I am only becoming more and more aware of it, frankly. But he died for me.  How can such a poor Christian as me hope for salvation in the end? Because Jesus died for me. There is the helmet of the hope of salvation.

And yet, looking away from ourselves to Jesus does not mean that Christ is not doing anything in us, because he most certainly is going to do that. According to Paul in verse 10, the same gospel that delivers us from wrath also saves us to a new life. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:10: He died for us so that… we might live with him. We are saved from wrath to a new life with the Lord Jesus Christ. These words so that express a purpose clause. Jesus’ death had the purpose first of delivering us from wrath, but then of enabling us and empowering us to live for and with him. And Paul speaks of that throughout his letters. He is always teaching this to the churches that he is serving. In 2 Corinthians 5:15, he expands on the same theme. Listen to what he says there:  He died so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. He died for me so that I may live for him.¹

Richard D. Phillips