Depois que meu avô, William Maxwell, foi promovido à glória, tive o privilégio de receber algumas de suas anotações sobre a cruz de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo (um de seus assuntos prediletos) — aquela cruz “pela qual o mundo está crucificado para mim e eu para o mundo” (Gl 6:14). Pensamos com freqüência nesta dupla separação que a cruz representa? Ela pode ser vista nas nossas vidas?
Talvez a segunda parte seja mais fácil: “… eu para o mundo.” Porque assim que eu proclamar meu amor pelo Senhor crucificado, o mudo virará suas costas para mim e me desprezará. Não depende, realmente, de mim — é inevitável.
Mas talvez esquecemos que, pela cruz, o mundo está crucificado para mim — em todos os seus aspectos. Sua retórica (“Porque Cristo enviou-me, não para batizar, mas para evangelizar; não em sabedoria de palavras, para que a cruz de Cristo se não faça vã” — I Co 1:17), sua religião ( “Todos os que querem mostrar boa aparência na carne, esses vos obrigam a circuncidar-vos, somente para não serem perseguidos por causa da cruz de Cristo” — Gl 6:12) e sua riqueza (“Porque muitos há, dos quais muitas vezes vos disse, e agora também digo, chorando, que são inimigos da cruz de Cristo, cujo fim é a perdição; cujo Deus é o ventre, e cuja glória é para confusão deles, que só pensam nas coisas terrenas” — Fp 3:18-19). Estas são as únicas três vezes que a expressão “a cruz de Cristo” ocorre no NT.
Enquanto o mundo proclama as perfeições da sua sabedoria, o poder da sua religião, e os prazeres das suas “coisas terrenas”, nosso Senhor nos apresenta a Sua cruz. Qual nos atrai mais? Estamos dispostos a abraçar a cruz, e crucificar o mundo?
“Longe esteja de mim gloriar-me, a não ser na cruz de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, pela qual o mundo está crucificado para mim e eu para o mundo” (Gl 6:14).
© W. J. Watterson
Saturday 14 April 2007
The cross of Christ
After my grandfather, William Maxwell, went home to glory, I was privileged to receive some of his notes on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (one of his favourite subjects) — that cross “by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gl 6:14). How often to we think of this double separation which the cross represents? How clearly is it seen in our lives?
The second part is maybe easier: “… I unto the world.” For as soon as I proclaim my love for the crucified Lord, the world turns it’s back on me, and despises me. I don’t really have much say in this — it is inevitable.
But maybe we forget that, by the cross, the world is crucified unto me — in all its aspects. Its wisdom (“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” — I Co 1:17), its religion (“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” — Gl 6:12) and its materialism (“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” — Ph 3:18-19). Those are the only three times that the expression “the cross of Christ” occurs in the NT.
While the world proclaims the perfections of its wisdom, the power of its religion, and the pleasures of its “earthly things”, our Lord presents to us His cross. Which attracts us more? Are we wiling to embrace the cross, and crucify the world?
“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gl 6:14).
The second part is maybe easier: “… I unto the world.” For as soon as I proclaim my love for the crucified Lord, the world turns it’s back on me, and despises me. I don’t really have much say in this — it is inevitable.
But maybe we forget that, by the cross, the world is crucified unto me — in all its aspects. Its wisdom (“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” — I Co 1:17), its religion (“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” — Gl 6:12) and its materialism (“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” — Ph 3:18-19). Those are the only three times that the expression “the cross of Christ” occurs in the NT.
While the world proclaims the perfections of its wisdom, the power of its religion, and the pleasures of its “earthly things”, our Lord presents to us His cross. Which attracts us more? Are we wiling to embrace the cross, and crucify the world?
“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gl 6:14).
Thursday 5 April 2007
Medo transformado em saudade
Sidney Collett (em The Scripture of Truth, 17º impressão, Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1945, pág. 100) apresenta um detalhe interessante sobre a Palavra de Deus ao contrastar a primeira e a última vez na Bíblia que lemos de um homem falando com Deus. A primeira se encontra em Gn 3:10: “Ouvi a Tua voz soar no jardim, e temi, porque estava nu, e escondi-me.” A última está em Ap 22:20: “Ora vem, Senhor Jesus.”
Que contraste! No início da Bíblia, o homem tem medo de Deus — quando ouve que Deus Se aproxima, ele corre para se esconder. No final da Bíblia, o homem tem saudade de Deus — quando ouve Deus dizer: “Certamente cedo venho”, ele responde alegremente: “Vem!”
Eis, em resumo, a mensagem da Bíblia: Deus, por meio de Seu Filho Jesus Cristo, removeu a raiz de pecado que nos separava dEle, para que o temor e vergonha que sentíamos diante dEle pudesse ser substituído por uma saudade alegre da Sua presença. Quão grande é a Sua graça! Quão inefável é o Dom que recebemos dEle (II Co 9:15)!
© W. J. Watterson
Que contraste! No início da Bíblia, o homem tem medo de Deus — quando ouve que Deus Se aproxima, ele corre para se esconder. No final da Bíblia, o homem tem saudade de Deus — quando ouve Deus dizer: “Certamente cedo venho”, ele responde alegremente: “Vem!”
Eis, em resumo, a mensagem da Bíblia: Deus, por meio de Seu Filho Jesus Cristo, removeu a raiz de pecado que nos separava dEle, para que o temor e vergonha que sentíamos diante dEle pudesse ser substituído por uma saudade alegre da Sua presença. Quão grande é a Sua graça! Quão inefável é o Dom que recebemos dEle (II Co 9:15)!
© W. J. Watterson
Fear gives place to longing
Sidney Collett (The Scripture of Truth, 17th impression, Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1945, page 100) mentions an interesting detail about the Word of God when he contrasts the first and the last words of man to God recorded in the Bible. The first words are in Gn 3:10: “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” The last are in Rv 22:20: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
What a contrast! In the beginning of the Bible, man is afraid of God — when he hears that God is coming, he runs away and hides. At the end of the Bible, man longs for God — when he hears God saying: “Surely I come quickly”, his glad response is: “Come!”
This is the message of the Bible: God, by His Son Jesus Christ, removed the root of sin that separated us from Him, so that the fear and shame that we felt in His presence might be replaced by a happy longing for Him. How great is His grace! How unspeakable is His gift (II Co 9:15)!
What a contrast! In the beginning of the Bible, man is afraid of God — when he hears that God is coming, he runs away and hides. At the end of the Bible, man longs for God — when he hears God saying: “Surely I come quickly”, his glad response is: “Come!”
This is the message of the Bible: God, by His Son Jesus Christ, removed the root of sin that separated us from Him, so that the fear and shame that we felt in His presence might be replaced by a happy longing for Him. How great is His grace! How unspeakable is His gift (II Co 9:15)!
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