The Cup of Christ

Sin brings death in its wake.  The person who abides in Jesus can say in the resurrection morning, ‘where is deaths sting’ as sin has been removed from the sinners character. This is what is being considered in these last days as we are soon to stand without a mediator.  We need to understand what sin is and what it can do.  We can identify with Jesus what pain he experienced because of sin and we can do the same and flee from it.

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

We are to have fellowship with Christs sufferings and to be made conformable unto his death.  The mother of John and James had a desire for her sons to sit on either side of Jesus in heaven.  It was a foolish question she asked as Jesus then asked her, are you able to drink the cup that I will drink?  The cup that Jesus drunk, when was it?  At Gethsemane.  The disciples were also to drink the same.  God will not suffer us be tempted more than which we are able.  The cup we have to bear is in connection with our spiritual life.  Jesus had his cup which had bigger dimensions than what we will have. God’s church collectively will drink the cup which Jesus drank of.  As Jesus was the Lamb of God, he calls his disciples lambs.  He said, ye are lambs among wolves.  Apostle Paul says that I might know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.

How few have any conception of the anguish which rent the heart of the Son of God during His thirty years of life upon earth. The path from the manger to Calvary was shadowed by sorrow and grief. He was the Man of Sorrows, and endured such heartache as no human language can portray. He could have said in truth, “Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow” (Lam. 1:12). His suffering was the deepest anguish of the soul; {TMK 66.2}

What sort of pain was it?  The deepest.  The bosom is the deepest part of our being.  The place where we protect everything.  That is where the anguish was.

…and what man could have sympathy with the soul anguish of the Son of the infinite God? Hating sin with a perfect hatred, He yet gathered to His soul the sins of the whole world, {TMK 66.2}

He opened himself wide, opened to be damaged.  With hatred of sin he gathered so our bosoms can be free from it.  What did Adam do with his iniquity?  He hid it in his bosom.  In order for us to have the resurrection, Christ had to draw sinner’s this bosom to such an effect he became sin.  We are called to follow in hi s footsteps.  Without Christ aren’t we 100% sin?  The bible says from the soul of the foot to the crown of the head there is no sound flesh.  If we desire to partake of the salvation, we need to have fellowship with his sufferings and to be made conformable unto his death.  Christ gathered the sins into his bosom and he died.  Do you know what we gathered into our bosom?  Light.  He gathered our sins so he could give us righteousness.  When you hear a message and it hurts or offends and the truth cuts, when someone says something true and it offends and you can take offence at the truth.  It hurts me but I’m going to keep holding the truth.  The bible says the truth will set you free.  It’s not magic, and if you keep loving it, it will change you.  If you keep pushing it away in your mind it won’t change you.

…as He trod the path to Calvary, suffering the penalty of the transgressor. Guiltless, He bore the punishment of the guilty; innocent, yet offering Himself to bear the penalty of the transgression of the law of God. The punishment of the sins of every soul was borne by the Son of the infinite God. The guilt of every sin pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world’s Redeemer. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. In assuming the nature of man, He placed Himself where He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, that by His stripes we might be healed.  {TMK 66.2}

We need to place ourselves where we are wounded for the truths sake.

Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

Consider the wording of the first text.  The call is to go to a place where you’ve already been hurt.  He will heal, the healing hasn’t happened yet.  Here are people that have been damaged by the Lord and its hurt them.  The call is, let’s go back to that.  He hath torn us but he will heal us.  This is so out of sync with human thinking.  If something hurts, you don’t touch it, you leave it alone and do things that are pleasurable.  We need to learn this text.

Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Does that sound like the resurrection?  What does Paul say?  That I may know the power of his resurrection.  Here these people have been wounded.  Let’s go and let’s be dead.  Let the sin in our character be killed and then we will know the power of his resurrection.  The church triumphant is the church resurrected.  It’s the glorious church.  Its not changed and made glorious at the Second Coming, it’s already glorious.  Only the frame is changed.  We are privileged to have this opportunity in these last days to have the bosom hurting relationship with Jesus. When will you know the power of his resurrection?  If you follow on through the pain and don’t give up.  If you don’t get offended and walk out.

Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful, and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord, and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. {CET 112.3}

What is the preparation of the latter rain?  By continuing in a thus saith the lord.  People are neglecting the preparation.  People neglect the assembling of ourselves.  Why were they staying away?  So they wouldn’t get wounded.

Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets, and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” {CET 112.4}

I once read a sermon and the first words by Sr White were spoken out very hard against some that didn’t come to church.  If anyone were to say that today, it would not be tolerated at all.  People don’t want to be hewed by the prophets at all. I saw that none could share the “refreshing,” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord, and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy, and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence. {CET 113.1}

We are to overcome pride.  The thing we carry in the bosom our selves we need to overcome that and let the arrows of truth destroy it.  If you ever wonder why you keep getting hurt by the truth, this is why.

Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.

What is God saying?  Judah, your goodness is like a cloud, its there and it’s gone.

Hosea 6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness [is] as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

6:5 Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth.

6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

In the margin it says the like men like Adam.  How did Adam transgress?  Job said he hid it in his bosom.  Secret sins that no one knows but you are hidden.  This is the type of sin that God is addressing.

I was shown that the follies of Israel in the days of Samuel will be repeated among the people of God today, unless there is greater humility, less confidence in self, and more trust in the Lord God of Israel, the Ruler of the people. It is only as divine power is combined with human effort that the work will abide the test. When men lean no longer on men or on their own judgment, but make God their trust, it will be made manifest in every instance by meekness of spirit, by less talking and much more praying, by the exercise of caution in their plans and movements. Such men will reveal the fact that their dependence is in God, that they have the mind of Christ.  {LS 323.1}

What did the people of Israel want in the days of Samuel?  A King.

Again and again I have been shown that the people of God in these last days could not be safe in trusting in men, and making flesh their arm. The mighty cleaver of truth has taken them out of the world as rough stones that are to be hewed and squared and polished for the heavenly building. They must be hewed by the prophets with reproof, warning, admonition, and advice, that they may be fashioned after the divine Pattern; this is the specified work of the Comforter, to transform heart and character, that men may keep the way of the Lord. . . .  {LS 323.2}

It is a clearer illustration of what it means to be hewed by the prophets.  This is the work of the comforter.  The voice from heaven.  As the truth is shared with power, God has the ability to speak to hearts.  Those who don’t share the truth don’t know what’s in the heart of the people.  Only God knows the core.  If your core is being tapped, it’s not man, its God.  Let it hew and square you so you can go into the glorious building.  The bible says we are to walk in the light whilst it is light lest the darkness come and you walk in darkness.  We are to walk in the light while it is light. It is my desire that we will be cleansed from sin just like Jesus.  As we have that one mind, we can fulfill the prayer of Christ.  Cherish every moment we have together in the bosom of Christ.  Cherish the blood of Jesus in the truth and God will look after the rest.

Amen