WorldNetDaily: The passion of the Christian
Before the movie The Passion of the Christ was released, based on all the articles about it I came to view it as a “magic bullet” for my lack of devotion to the Lord. I thought, “If I could just see and understand what He went through for me, then I will love Him more and I will WANT to study the bible and I will sin less.” The movie was everything I had hoped; the culmination of all the Easter Sunday services where the crucifixion was described in detail, where the medical descriptions of His suffering were presented, where skits and plays demonstrated how He was mocked and abused. When I left, I was weak and shell-shocked by the violence. Within 48 hours I was right back to where I had been before I saw the movie.
Here are some excerpts from David Kupelian’s article on WND, “The passion of the Christian”:
Here’s how Webster defines “patience”: “the bearing of provocation,
annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper, or anger.”
Certainly, Jesus’ words as he was dying on the cross – “Father, forgive
them; for they know not what they do” – are the kindest, most patient words ever
spoken.Thus, patience is nothing less than the basic “cell” or building
block of love for each other. The very idea of being patient implies suffering
with grace. The recipient of your patience – say, your spouse or child –
experiences that patience as love, just as they experience your impatience as a
lack of love.The only way God could “create” loving children was for us to have a choice: a choice to love Him, or to be our own god – literally, a choice to make something more important than our own lives, well being and comfort – a choice to love, in other words – and to be able to demonstrate that love, which involves suffering.
The point is, we’re not so much in need of a behavior change as we are of a nature change. The “cross” Christ prescribes for us is an instrument of death. But just as He died to bring life, we are supposed to “die” to sin that we may share His life.
All of which boils down to this: The real “cross” we have to bear is that we have a fallen nature, which we need to understand and relate to properly — which allows God to change us.
Ultimately he speaks of the necessity of repentance. Judges – 2 Chronicles has been a picture of unending rebellion, repentance, and mercy. It’s clear that Jesus really did have to die, because over and over again, we prove incapable of loving obedience to our creator. There are no “magic bullets” – no movie, book or program will ever improve on the simple and basic plan that God gave us. Hide his word in your heart, so that you might not sin against Him. Repent. Love your neighbor. Die daily. It may not be easy but it’s certainly simple.
