A FOR ABANDONMENT
What could possibly be considered gospel, or “good news,” about abandonment? Well, the gospel spells out how souls can be saved from the complete and total abandonment their sins deserve, and that is definitely good news.
Let’s talk about abandonment a bit. I know a family that adopted a baby girl from an Asian country. The baby had been abandoned soon after birth and left on some steps in front of a store. She was abandoned by her parents, but she was not completely abandoned because the baby was found and put into an orphanage. The orphanage could never give the baby the same level of love and care that her mother might have, but she was cared for nonetheless. Then a few years later, she was adopted into a family that loved her and gave her a forever home. Was she abandoned? Oh yes, but it was not a complete, total, irreversible abandonment.
Complete, total, irreversible abandonment is what will take place when unbelievers die and pass out of this world and are sent out of God’s presence into the outer darkness of hell. “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)). That is total abandonment because for all eternity there will be no escape.
Consider what you would experience if you were to be cast into the outer darkness of hell. Sometimes that word “outer” is translated as “utter.” In hell the darkness will be total and complete. Not the slightest ray of light will ever illuminate its darkness. It will also be utter darkness because there is no way out of it. For an endless eternity, people will remain forever lost in its darkness.
Forever separated from God’s presence and still wanting your own way which you can never have would cause you to endlessly weep and gnash your teeth. If you close your heart to God’s grace, at death you will be completely and irreversibly cast by Him into hell. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,” reads Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).
To save us from such a fate, the Son of God came into the world. For 33 years He lived a perfectly righteous life and never sinned. Then He experienced abandonment at the cross. Although He had done no sin and guile was never found in His mouth, He was taken by cruel hands and crucified.
Those who passed by while He hung on the cross mocked Him and said, “Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:4040And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Matthew 27:40)).
The chief priests, scribes and elders derided Him as He hung on the cross saying, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save.”
Thorns penetrated His brow. Nails pierced His hands and feet. His back, which had been savagely scourged a little while before, rubbed against the rough wood of the cross. Every breath He drew caused excruciating pain. Was ever sorrow like His sorrow? Then just before He died, He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:4646And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)).
Why was He forsaken or abandoned on the cross? Why did He have to undergo such torment? It was for His creature’s sin. It was for you, me and every other person who has ever lived. By His death, He made a way that sinners who deserved to be abandoned for their ungodly deeds might have a way to return to God and have their sins forgiven. He was abandoned that we as sinners might not ever have to be abandoned for the sins we have done.
He died to show His grace and bring salvation to those who didn’t deserve it. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). The gospel tells us if we believe on this One who was forsaken at the cross, we will receive the gift of eternal life. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
B FOR BURIAL
The good news is that a man named Joseph of Arimathea took the body of the Lord Jesus down from the cross and buried Him in a tomb cut out of solid rock. Joseph of Arimathea and his servants wrapped the body in clean linen and then a rock was rolled over the entrance of the grave. The governor Pilate at the request of the chief priests and scribes allowed a troop of soldiers to stand guard over the grave so that none of the followers of the Lord Jesus would come and steal His body. Then on the third day the Lord Jesus arose from the dead. He returned to life in a resurrected body. The rock that closed off the entrance of the cave was rolled away. The soldiers ordered to watch the tomb fled. Early Sunday morning two women, both named Mary, came to the tomb and discovered the tomb was empty. The grave clothes were neatly folded and they saw two angels in shining white, where the body of Jesus had been laid. One angel announced to the women, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-65And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:5‑6)).
He had been violently taken away. His dead body was buried in a tomb cut out of rock. But death which is so final for the rest of us could not hold Him. He arose from the grave. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is a great truth each of us has to deal with.
Since He arose, it won’t do any longer to plead ignorance about what happens after death. It won’t do to think it is all up to us what we believe concerning the future. The Lord Jesus shows after His death, burial and resurrection that all people will likewise be resurrected. His word tells us that there is going to be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust. As sure as you are alive here and now, your body will be resurrected, and all will stand before God to give an account for what they have done in this life. Before that awe-inspiring day comes, won’t you repent of your sins and fall on your knees before the Lord of life and ask Him to forgive you? For those who believe, the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is good news indeed.
C FOR CITIZENS
There are two kinds of people that belong to two very different cities. Those who are saved say, “Your will be done” and belong as citizens to the city of God. They belong to God in this life and will belong to Him in heaven in the life to come. “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God” (Psalm 87:33Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. (Psalm 87:3)). Grace illuminates and strengthens their hearts and enables them to live in a state of spiritual well-being before God.
On the other hand, those whom God must ultimately judge are those who insisted on going their own way through life and never saw their need to humble themselves before God and seek His forgiveness. They belong as citizens to the city of men. They refused God’s offer of grace. Pride characterizes them because they don’t submit to God. Beyond this life, the city of men will become the dark city of hell. In that dark city nothing good will ever enter. There will be no love, peace or joy, only suffering forever. It will also be populated by the devil and his host of fallen angels.
Who in their right mind would ever want to belong to that city? If people just stopped to think and consider what it means to be cast out of God’s presence, many of them would fall on their knees at once and not hesitate to make Jesus their Lord and Savior.
“Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self,” wrote a great Christian thinker.
Because there are just these two cities and we belong to either one or the other, we are all citizens. The good news is that through Jesus and His work on the cross those that belong to the city of men can pass over and become citizens of the city of God. Through faith in Christ, they may be justified and pardoned. By God’s grace, they may have a fresh start in life. No longer do they want to live in pursuit of sin and its pleasures. They begin to take pleasure in knowing and loving God.
To which city do you belong? God is willing to receive all those who seek Him. He is not willing that any should perish. He wants all to come to repentance. Will you believe in the name of Jesus and become a citizen of the city of God?
There are many good reasons to believe in Christ. Will you by faith receive the Savior? What a wonderful Savior is Jesus the Lord!