John 12:32 (KJV) 2 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
For several days I have been thinking about steeples which are those tall pointed structures on the top of some churches. Most of them were topped by a cross in the past. Steeples are tall so that they can be seen from great distances. They point towards the sky so that they are able to direct our attention upwards toward God. A cross sitting on that steeple immediately takes your mind to the church. Steeples lifting up a cross are meant to remind us of the story of the cross on which Christ died. They help people to remember that Jesus Christ, the Son of the True and Living God, died on an old rugged cross so that mankind could be saved.
I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but many steeples no longer have the cross on it. Men have taken them down because some non-Christians are offended by the cross. Why? Because the devil doesn’t want men and women to remember that Jesus shed His holy and precious blood, then died on a cross for their sin-sick souls. They don’t want us to think about our Lord and Savior who suffered a bloody and horrible death for us. They don’t want us to remember that He was resurrected with the victory over death, Hell, and the grave. They don’t want us to think about the fact that He lives and through Him, we can live forever. It is no wonder that Satan is on such a campaign to have the cross removed from steeples. Some churches have had steeples with the cross for decades. And now, in this untoward generation, evil men want the cross removed.
The steeple in itself is not that important. It is the cross that it holds that give steeples importance. Steeples, along with their crosses, lift up or exalt our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They praise and give glory to our God. But personally, I feel that I don’t just have to have a cross on steeple to lift up the Lord for me. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that it is a desecration to remove the cross from steeples. But if crosses are removed, it means I must be more vocal in lifting up Jesus with my tongue and with my life. Luke 19:40. says that if we don’t praise Him the rocks are going to cry out.
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
I don’t need rocks to praise God for me. That’s my job. In this new climate in which crosses are being removed from steeples, the redeemed must be more proactive about lifting up the name of Jesus. Jesus Himself said in the Book of John,
John 12:32 (KJV) 2 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
I’m lifting up Jesus. Just as rocks don’t have to praise God for me, steeples don’t have to lift Him up for me. That’s my job.
For those of you who, for some reason might not know who Jesus is, allow me to introduce Him to you. Jesus Christ is the Son of the True and Living God. He is the second member of the Godhead, fully God as well as man. He came down from Heaven to earth and was born of a virgin named Mary but fathered by the Holy Ghost. Initially, His address was in Heaven with His Father. But because mankind sinned and broke fellowship with our Holy God, God asked His Son to come down to earth to die for us so that we would not have to pay the sin debt. John 3:16 says
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God asked His Son to come to earth as a man, to lay down his heavenly robe and take on the body of a man. He asked Him to model holiness so that men would see that it is possible to live a clean and a holy life as God requires. He then asked Jesus to allow Himself to be rejected by men, betrayed by men, and ultimately die on an old rugged cross at the hands of men. Our Lord and Savior agreed to everything that He was asked to do in obedience to His and our Heavenly Father. By the way, had you thought about the fact that if Jesus had not completed the task, you and I would be eternally lost? We would have no way out of eternal death. Hell would have been our destination forever. I’m lifting up Jesus today because He is so worthy to be praised.
Jesus came to His own people, the Jews, but they rejected Him. Their rejection opened up the way that you and I, lost sinners that we were, could be delivered. Some of you may have never heard that you can be delivered. Others might ask, “Delivered from what?” You can be delivered from any thoughts, acts or habits that are unholy and unapproved and against the nature of God. Sin is the name for these unapproved thoughts, acts, and habits. Sin is the transgression of God’s law according to 1 John 3:4.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
When God tells a man that he is not to do a thing and that man does it or, when He tells a man to do a thing and a man refuses to do, that’s sin. Let’s list some of the acts that fall within the category called sin. Fortunately, Jesus is well able to deliver us from them all. You know them. Some of you are still involved with some of them now. They include lying, cheating, stealing, backbiting, drinking, smoking, clubbing, hooking and crooking. Self-righteousness, pride, gossip, and gluttony are found there. Abortion, hatred, judgment, fornication, adultery, murder also make the list along with many other sins. The list goes on and on. (We are not just pointing a finger at you because some of us were into those things. But we got delivered.) Jesus’ death on the Cross of Calvary has the power to break the yoke of sin from your neck. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yes, sin does earn wages and those wages are death. But if you choose Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior you will receive the greatest gift ever known. That gift is salvation and eternal life with God. I’m lifting up Jesus today because I believe that if I lift Him up He will draw you to Him. If I do the lifting, He will do the drawing. I’m going to lift Him up by telling some of the things that the Bible says about Him.
He is the Almighty One (Rev. 1:8); He is Alpha and Omega (Rev. 22:13); He is Our Advocate (1John 2:1); He is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1); Bread of Life (John 6:35); Chief Cornerstone (Ps. 118:22); Good Shepherd (John 10:11); Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14); King of Kings (Rev. 17:14); Lamb of God (John 1:29); Light of the World (John 8:12); Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5); Messiah (John 1:41); Mediator (1 Tim 2:5); Redeemer (Job 19: 25); Savior (Luke 2:11); The Door (John 10:9); The Way (John 14:6); The Word (John 1:1); True Vine (John 15:1).
I’m lifting up Jesus by living a clean and holy life. My goal in life is to lift Him up so that He can draw lost men unto Himself. Please, if you are not saved, let Him draw you. Let Him draw you unto Himself. Look up and live. May God bless you.
