The Pain of Salvation

March 29, 2020

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7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?... 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. (Hebrews 12:7, 11-13  NIV)  

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CS Lewis, in his book The Problem of Pain, once explained that God’s love for humanity will not allow him to leave us “free from alteration”—since he truly loves us he cannot leave us in our sinful condition. But change is often painful—a fact that makes it difficult for some to accept that God is acting out of love. The discipline God uses to bring about the necessary changes in our lives is not a pleasant experience. (See Hebrews citation above.) In order for modern men to accept that this level of pain is necessary we must accept that our condition is bad enough to warrant it. And many (if not most) of us today just do not accept such an appraisal.  

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The world of the first-century, to which the apostles originally preached the “good news,” accepted the offer of peace God extended because they believed they were deserving of the god’s wrath. The Pagan mystery religions were designed to offer salvation from the Divine anger. Epicurean philosophy attempted to convince men there was nothing beyond the grave and therefore no need to fear what was waiting in eternity. Still, most people remained uneasy and unconvinced that these attempts to ease their consciences were efficacious.  

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That’s why the apostle Paul described his reception at Thessalonica by saying, “...you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) The Thessalonians understood that they rightfully stood under God’s wrath but Jesus, whose appearing they now anxiously awaited, would rescue them from this fate. The gospel addressed their fears. It gave them a reason, “unlike the rest of mankind,” to face death with hope (1 Thess. 4:13).  

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In today’s world, the gospel does not offer the same hope because men today are unaware of their lost condition and the subsequent approaching wrath of God. They, like the Jews, have established their own form of righteousness—a righteousness that, curiously, asks of them only what they are willing to give! Yet the gospel of God has always (and continues to) involved sacrifice.        mp