COGWA on the Resurrection: That's Nice, Now What?

It's almost Easter, which means it's time for the Churches of God to wax eloquent on the sign of Jonah and chocolate rabbits; while making only passing mention of the greatest miracle in the history of the world.

I'm used to it. I cheered it on for years from the sidelines. Now I cringe, but still, I expect it. It takes a lot to shock me. But something I read in COGWA's latest issue of Discern stopped me dead in my tracks:

“Drive down a church-filled road on Easter Sunday, and you'll encounter the literary equivalent of a broken record: He is risen! He is risen! He is risen! He is risen! He is risen!” COGWA writer Jeremy Lallier laments on page 14 of Discern magazine's March/April edition. 

“It's meant to be encouraging, but seeing sign after sign bearing the same emphatic declaration instead leaves me with a single nagging question: Now what? Yes, He is risen, but now what?”

Lallier continues, in his article titled “He is Risen, NOW WHAT?”: 

“Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins, but now what? Where do we go from here? What do we need to be doing?”

Let me digress from my shock over the seemingly flip words COGWA saw fit for its flagship publication to bring you the following message: Guys, when are you guys going to stop pretending that no one besides you knows that Romans 6 is in the Bible?

I could spend the rest of this post citing the same passages as Mr. Lallier to prove I know they exist, but what would be the point? Either you believe me when I say many churches outside the COGs teach about sin, repentance and obedience; or you don't. Yes, some mainstream Christian churches are soft on sin. There are some where “repentance” is a dirty word. But that isn't all of them, it isn't even most of them, and it isn't mine. The standard COG claim that all “so-called Christian” pastors are spineless about sin is just plain silly.  Even total skeptics must admit that the stereotype of the“hellfire and brimstone preacher” had to come from somewhere.

But really, complaints like “now what?” and “Easter doesn't tell the whole story” are just distractions from the real issue. I could just as easily point to an individual Holy Day in a vacuum and complain that it doesn't give a full picture of salvation. We've dealt with the problematic Easter narrative handed to us by Herbert Armstrong and Alexander Hislop many times. Today, let's set aside the hot-button "E-word" and instead talk about something more relevant, like the resurrection.

The deeper issue is this: discussing Jesus Christ and His resurrection really aren't a high priority for COGWA. Or for the other, competing WCG splinters that share its theology. Anyone who professes faith in Christ; yet can respond to the resurrection with "now what" in any manner other than Acts 2:37 brokenness and humility, fails to fully grasp the significance of Christ's sacrifice and what it accomplished. We're talking about the biggest miracle ever, the proof that Christ WAS the Savior and not a madman, the reason for us to have any hope in this life. It's not exactly an occasion to be snarky.

Sure, COGWA and its sister splinters pay lip service. They say the right words when people like me press them on the issue. But, really, Jesus Christ is a footnote; His resurrection is simply one checkpoint along “God's plan of salvation.” And not a very big one, either. After all, if God had wanted us to celebrate Christ's resurrection, He would have made it happen on a Holy Day! I mean, He even had two feast days to choose from that very week! 

As COGWA states in the very same magazine issue, on page 29, “It's all about the Father.” That's pretty obvious. We've seen COGWA's Encourage, Equip and Inspire parenting manual. Jesus didn't even make the short list of biblical characters whose life lessons are lifted up as examples in its "People of the Bible" section. Christ got an honorable mention in the lesson that discussed Simeon in the temple, but apparently didn't merit His own section when compared to people like Abraham, Abigail and Timothy.

According to the COGs, Jesus Christ was the second being - both in number and importance – in the God family; which will become a divine polytheistic oligarchy at His return.

Furthermore, Jesus had to qualify during his time on earth for reinstatement to this soon-to-be Pantheon. Your own founder, the one who created your theology and shaped your religious environment, stated that church members would essentially become co-Saviors with Christ in the Kingdom. COGWA, you claim that “the entire Bible leads us to the Father.” Is it any wonder that the resurrection is a blip on your radar screen?

Dear reader, the entire Bible doesn't point only to the Father, as the latest issue of Discern states on page 29. Don't swallow this dangerous lie. The Bible primarily points to the Savior and man's need for Him. It is intended to convict you of your sin and point you to the only possible solution. Over and over, we see themes of sin, desperation, sacrifice and deliverance. Noah and the Ark. Abraham and Isaac. The blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts. The Sabbath. The Holy Days. The Serpent on the post stopping the plague. Blood sacrifices in the temple. The Holy of Holies. Ruth and Boaz. The Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Paul, Stephen, Peter and even Jesus Himself showed how the Old Testament pointed to Him:

(Luke 24:25-27) Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

That's the whole point of the As Bereans Did blog. To help people who have been trapped in Herbert Armstrong's web of false doctrines to untangle the scriptures and learn the truth:

(Acts 17:11) These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

So, like the believers at Berea, let's reason from the scriptures to see what they reveal  about the Christ (Acts 17:2-3):

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

(John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The whole world was made through the preincarnate Christ.

(Colossians 1:16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

(Genesis 3:15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” This is considered the first Messianic prophecy in the Bible.

(John 1:45) Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” The law and prophets pointed to Christ.

(Luke 4:16-21) So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Christ explained that these scriptures were fulfilled in Him.

(Luke 24:44) Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. The Law and Prophets pointed to and were fulfilled by the Christ.

(Romans 10:17, ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. The NKJV renders the last word of this verse God, but in the Greek it is clearly "Christou." Faith - which is what saves us - comes through hearing the words, the teachings, of Jesus. 

(Revelation 17:14) They will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kinds; and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful. Jesus Christ is King of King and Lord of Lords.

(1 Timothy 6:13-15) I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time - He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords..." This same King of Kings and Lord of Lords is the ONLY SOVEREIGN.

(Revelation 22:12-13) And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

This is clearly Jesus speaking in Revelation 22. He is the Alpha and Omega. The same Jesus being worshiped in the center of heaven before His return in the following verse:

(Revelation 5:11-14) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Jesus is the Lamb and He is to be worshiped, praised and glorified. 

I suppose, in a roundabout way, God's plan for salvation is the story. But only because Jesus is – and always was – God's plan for salvation. The risen Christ is not half the story, as COGWA suggests. No, Mr. Lallier, we are not the other half of the story. Not by a longshot. No, returning to Sinai Covenant law is not the other half of the story. Jesus didn't suffer and die to initiate the better New Covenant in His blood so that we could cling to practices from the inferior covenant (and hopefully perform them well enough that God will let us into the Kingdom). We dishonor God and cheapen Christ's sacrifice when we claim that we can use the filthy rags of our deeds to cleanse the sinful stains from our hearts.

The story is all about Him. We are blessed to even be the clay in the potter's hand; to be instruments He can use for His glory. We have been set free from sin, and now live our lives as servants of righteousness (Romans 6:18). We do good works, but only because we are His workmanship, created and equipped by Him to do them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

So, He is risen. Now what?

• Now we can be reconciled to God through Christ rather than our deeds (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

• Now God can call hard-hearted sinners like us (Romans 5:10) to Himself (John 6:44).

• Now God can grant us salvation when we place our faith in His promise to save us through the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10)

• Now God can regenerate our hard, darkened hearts (Colossians 2:13) and give us new life (2 Corinthians 5:17) through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). 

• Now we can have Christ's righteousness imputed to us, so that we are found blameless in God's sight (Philippians 3:9, Galatians 2:16, Romans 4:5)

• Now God can lead us through the Holy Spirit, so that we can cooperate with Him and become more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 12:2).

• Now we need not fear death, since we know that when we leave our earthly body, will will be present with the Lord  (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). 

• Now we can have faith that God will transform our earthly bodies into glorified bodies like the resurrected Christ's at His return, reuniting them with our souls (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). 

Now what? Now we can place our full faith in God for salvation, rather than toiling and worrying whether He will decide we are "good enough". Now we can strive to follow Him, to obey His commands; secure in the understanding that we will not be condemned when we fail; secure in the knowledge that God will finish what He begins in us (Philippians 1:6).

Now we can have hope, because of the resurrection.

Now that's something to celebrate.

************
It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
************