Listen to the words of A. W. Tozer, spoken over 50 years ago:
The new cross says “come and get.” And a selfish human … will use the Cross for his own benefits, whereas the old rugged Cross says, “Come and give.” … God has intended that this Christian life shall be based on this one principle: The new life is lived not unto self, but unto God. Whereas the old Cross was meant by God to be the symbol of death and detachment from the old Adam life, this new substitute cross does not intend to slay the sinner but just redirect him. It gears him to a cleaner, jollier way of living and saves his self-center and ambition. To the self-assertive it says: “Come and assert yourself in the Lord.” To the religious egotist, it says: “Come and do your boasting in the Lord.” To the thrill seeker it says: “Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship.” The modern message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue, thereby catering to human taste and reasoning.
[The new cross] lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher [moral] plane.
Beware of Cross-less Teaching
Now, because we are celebrating Easter weekend, I must comment here about a current trend in the Evangelical church: a popularized version of Christian teaching that offers abundant life without the cross. This teaching says: “Believe in yourself! Follow your dreams and fulfill your destiny.” We must be leery of any teaching that is not founded on this principle: the cross is God’s means for fulfillment. This “new” gospel allows one to find fulfillment in one’s desires, never questioning one’s motive. This “new” teaching (it’s not really new; it began in the Garden of Eden!) says you can be “like” God and do anything. Beware of such cross-less teaching! The Bible says in the latter days people will be “lovers of self.”
Love your blog. We live in a fallen world and are so easily entangled in its thinking. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteRe: Easter from the web site www.gotquestions.org this is what they say about .... Again even our Christian traditions get polluted by the world. Now I know at least the difference.
"What are the origins of Easter?"
Answer: The origins of Easter are rooted in European traditions. The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. Today, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.
In the Christian faith, Easter has come to mean the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after His crucifixion. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year because of the significance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the events upon which Christianity is based. Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.
Because of the commercialization and pagan origins of Easter, many churches prefer to refer to it as “Resurrection Sunday.”
Now I know.
Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday,
Kathy
thanks for the great comment and enlightenment!
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