The New Car In The Cross
The verbiage that flies at us today from so-called Christian television and radio programming is redefining the Bible and the Christian faith. There has never been a time in history when Christianity is being so corrupted and falsified, while the masses, churched, and unchurched, lap it up like thirsty panting dogs drink water on a hot summer day.
This is all happening through preachers, evangelists, and pastors who are apostate media ministers that are tickling the public and parishioners under the chin, but at the same time are sticking them with the knife of untruth under the fifth rib. It is all done with fawning, friendly, and favorable lies as they con the viewing and listening audiences with very seductive, advantageous, but counterfeit Christianity.
The Bible strongly warns us about the last days in the words of II Timothy 4:3-4,
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers in accordance with
their own desires;”
“and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn
aside to myths.”
*******
YOUR NEW CAR IS IN THE CROSS
The problem is that the perversion of Christianity has become so profuse and so popular, that the blasphemy of it doesn’t reach the hearts of the tickled-eared masses at all. They love the feelings of the modern ooie-gooie temporalized, relativized, and materialized religion, and so they embrace it all like a child being lured into a car by a smiling and candy-handed sexual predator.
Speaking of cars, just the other day a preacher on a fund-raising money-a-thon on television, in a very emotional and tearful moment, overcome by the Holy Spirit as he put it, said to the viewing audience, and in particular to a viewer who wrote in about her need for a car:
“YOUR NEW CAR IS IN THE CROSS, SO PICK UP THE
PHONE AND CONTRIBUTE.”
Without going into all of the heresy of the slick ploy involved here, and it is loaded with slickery, let’s just focus upon DAS AUTO IN THE CROSS. You are perhaps when reading this saying to yourself, “What kind of insanity is this? Is this guy nuts? What kind of cornball religion is this? Are you making this up Bob?” Yes I know, it all sounds like what is really needed is a call to 911 to take this fruit-loop off from TV, and put him in a hospital for the theologically insane.
But it isn’t as simple as that for sure, for it is the essence of a false theology that has permeated the world’s pulpits and is believed by the hundreds of thousands of very religious people. The Bible calls it MYTH, and this RELIGIOUS MYTHOLOGY has in fact become the THEOLOGY OF HUGE SEGMENTS OF THE MODERN CHURCH. And when they hear the preachers say,
“YOUR NEW CAR IS IN THE CROSS, THEY BLOW THEIR
HORNS AND WAVEAND SHOUT HALLELUJAH.”
What is at the bottom of it all? It is the following totally false PROSPERITY GOSPEL, which couplet makes me puke, for it isn’t the Gospel at all, but a total perversion of the Gospel:
“JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO MAKE US
MATERIALLY WEALTHY.”
It is like the Progressive Insurance ad on Television, which we shall now adapt to illustrate this:
“CAR – CHECK – IT’S IN THE CROSS; HOUSE – CHECK –
IT’S IN THE CROSS;
BOAT – CHECK – IT’S IN THE CROSS; MOTORCYCLE –
CHECK – IT’S IN THE CROSS;
RV – CHECK – IT’S IN THE CROSS.”
Bob, are you exaggerating? I wish that I was, but no, I am not exaggerating one lick. If you will:
“EVEN AS IN THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH DAYS THERE
WAS GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS, SO IN THESE
DAYS OF THE CALVARY GOLD RUSH,
THERE IS GOLD IN THAT
THERE CROSS.”
Or whatever it is that you want in terms of mammon, from houses, to cars, to boats, you name it, IT IS ALL IN THE CROSS.
Never, and I mean never have I seen in all of church history the CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST SO WANTONLY CORRUPTED, DEGRADED, CHEAPENED, AND BLASPHEMED. Never!!! Nothing has ever reached this low in the church of whatever age. Nothing!!!
*******
THE TRUE GOSPEL – JESUS BECAME SIN
The true and glorious message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is found in many places throughout the Bible, and among them is II Corinthians 5:21,
“He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him.”
That is an amazing EXCHANGE OF CALVARY, namely, that Jesus Christ on the cross was made to be sin itself, that through his SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH, we might become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. Glorious GOOD NEWS – awesome GOSPEL. It seems too good to be true for a wretched sinner like me, but that is what Jesus has done for you and me, that is:
“WE EACH HAVE A RAP SHEET AS LONG AS ETERNITY
AND AS DEEP AS HELL. BUT THROUGH HIS
BECOMING OUR SIN ON THE CROSS, AND
HIS UNSPEAKABLE SUFFERING AND
DYING IN OUR PLACE, WE ARE
MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF GOD JUST AS IF WE
HAVE NEVER
SINNED.”
God be forever praised:
“THERE IS ETERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, FORGIVENESS,
CLEANSING, PEACE, AND PARDON IN THAT
THERE CROSS.”
That is why sinners can be justified and not condemned, delivered and not enslaved, Heaven-bound and not Hell-bound, righteous and not rotten. THAT IS THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THAT IS THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST, THAT IS THE ONLY TRUE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY.
Under oath I tell you that I will never believe in or accept another Gospel than God’s Gospel. My car is in the garage, and my righteousness is in the CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST. My car is empowered by gas, and my soul is empowered by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary’s Cross.
My car has breakdowns, but I have sin-downs. There is not one man on earth, including all Christian men, who cotinually does good and never does bad. The whole idea that we can live without sin is nothing but fiction. Every reference to GOOD MEN is a relative statement – it means RELATIVELY GOOD. But every time we use the word GOOD IN REFERENCE TO GOD – it means PERFECT GOOD. When my car breaks down, I take it to the service department of the car dealer. But when I break down in sin, I go to the CROSS where I confess my sin and ask for forgiveness, and Jesus Christ cleanses me and declares me to be NOT RELATIVELY RIGHTEOUS, BUT PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. How in the world have we allowed Jesus to become our new car dealer?
*******
JESUS DID NOT BECOME A JUNK HEAP CAR
Satan has never pulled off a caper quite like this one! If there is a new car in the Cross of Jesus Christ, then:
“JESUS WOULD HAVE HAD TO BECOME THE RUST OF
OUR OLD CAR, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE
THE CHROME OF A NEW CAR.”
And:
“JESUS WOULD HAVE HAD TO BECOME A JUNKYARD
WRECK, SO WE THAT WE COULD DRIVE
A SHOWROOM MODEL.”
And once more:
“JESUS WOULD HAVE HAD TO BECOME A
BROKEN-DOWN OIL BURNER ON THE
CROSS, SO THAT WE COULD DRIVE A
CATALYTIC-CONVERSION ON THE
HIGHWAY OF LIFE.”
In short, what we have in contemporary false Christianity is not A CROSS THAT DELIVERS US FROM THE LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYE, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE, BUT A CROSS THAT CATERS TO AND STRENGTHENS THEM. A cross that no longer determines our ETERNAL STANDING WITH GOD, BUT OUR SOCIAL STATUS WITH MAN!
Illustration
I have first-hand proof that in one of these new-car-in-the-cross churches, if a parishioner is driving an old clunker, he is asked by the church leadership to park it far enough away from the church, for he is a poor example of what the crucified Christ really does for “Car Christians.” Only the newest and latest and hottest and most expensive cars are allowed near the church. In other words:
“JESUS NOT ONLY SEPARATES THE SHEEP FROM THE
GOATS, BUT HE SEPARATES THE CADILLACS
FROM THE CLUNKERS.”
Now follow along here, because where this leads is as deluded as anything could possibly get. We read in I Corinthians 15:3 the inspired words of Paul,
“For I delivered to you as of FIRST IMPORTANCE what I
also received, that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures.”
Well then, if there is a new car in the cross, as the TV preacher stated to the caller, and if as Paul said that Jesus died for our sins, that of necessity means that her old car or non-car status is a sin for which Jesus died. And if she would now reach out in faith and send in an offering, she would be given the wherewithal to get her new car purchased by the blood of Jesus – HER SINLESS NEW CAR IN THE CROSS.
Therefore, it must be concluded that her old car or non-car status was sinful, and her new-car status would be righteousness. This is where this madness takes us. This stuff is like an intoxicating liquor received into the stomach, which continually sends thick clouds and lies to the brain. It has resulted in vast segments of modern religion being stone drunk on THE DAMNABLE PROSPERITY GOSPEL.
***
But there is more! All of this means that CARS and HOUSES etc. are no longer to be looked upon as AMORAL – AMORAL traditionally meaning that they are neither right or wrong, good or bad, righteous or sinful. If you will, they are not moral issues, and in and of themselves do not convey righteousness or sinfulness. THEY ARE AMORAL ITS! There is no such thing as a MORAL OR IMMORAL CAR, that is until now.
So now, if the new car and house are in the cross, they are both spirtual and moral issues. THEY NOW ARE IN THE MORAL ARENA. How! If one or both are dilapidated, broken, and worn out, that is a sinful and IMMORAL STATE that Jesus took upon HImself on the Cross. But if they are new or in pristine condition, that then is a righteous and MORAL STATE that Jesus provided for us on the cross. YOUR NEW MORAL CAR IS IN THE CROSS, and YOUR OLD IMMORAL CAR WAS CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST ON THE CROSS. So:
“COME ON DOWN AND SEE WHAT IS BEHIND CROSS #2.”
Therefore:
“THERE IS NO CAUSE OR REASON FOR YOU TO BE
LIVING IN OLD DIGS AND DRIVING AN OLD
PUDDLE JUMPER, IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH
FAITH IN THE CROSS WHICH YOU
NOW EXERCISE BY SENDING IN
MONEY TO THAT PARTICULAR
MINISTRY.”
I tell you, this is one most absurd and demonic heresies ever having infested the Christian Church. It is totally a pagan and heathen religion, and the only reason people do not know that Satan has deceived them is because he has done so already.
Illustration
Barbara Brown Taylor once said that if a man in the church loses his job, and has to get a less lucrative job, the pastor may well call this person to offer compassion and prayer.
But suppose that a pastor one day got wind of the fact that a certain member of his congregation had gotten a big promotion at work along with significantly more pay. And suppose the pastor then called this person and said, “Charlie, I’ve heard your news and so was wondering if it would be OK if I came by sometime to pray with you about this. I’m concerned about the temptations this new venture may throw your way as well as what it may do to your ability to serve here at church. So I’d like to pray for God’s strength for you in the face of this new success.”
You see:
“THIS MATERIALISTIC NEW-CAR-IN-THE-CROSS GOSPEL
IS PREDICATED UPON THE ASSUMTION THAT MORE IS
ALWAYS GOOD, AND LESS IS ALWAYS BAD;
THAT NEW IS ALWAYS GOOD, AND THAT OLD IS ALWAYS
BAD; THAT THOROUGH-BRED ARE ALWAYS GOOD,
AND THAT HALF-BREEDS ARE ALWAYS BAD.”
That would be hard to prove in the life of the perfectly righteous and moral Lord Jesus Christ Who road an “IMMORAL DONKEY” rather than a “MORAL STEED.”
*******
OWING GOD THE UNPAYABLE
The implications of YOUR NEW CAR BEING IN THE CROSS, just continues to get more degrading and embarrassing.
One glorious reality of the Cross of Christ is that sinners don’t have to pay God a thing for the forgiveness of sins, and they couldn’t if they had to. How could spiritually bankrupt sinners like us even begin to pay a perfect God for perfect forgiveness and for perfect salvation, when everything we do is imperfect? Or again, how can finite sinners pay back in any way the infinitely perfect God for the infinite glory we robbed Him of by our sins? Forget it! Not a chance in Hell or Heaven! How can a pauper ever satisfy a millionaire?
The fact is that we could never pay God back. Period! Ever! When you and I sin against infinite holiness, we become infinitely indebted to God. That is the fact! Infinite debt owed by the finite sinner to the Infinite Holy One! Yet God in His infinite grace sent Jesus Christ to pay the infinite price of our infinite sin-indebtedness to God, and thereby satisfy infinite justice in unspeakable suffering and pain. That is Christianity!
Illustration
Has it ever occurred to one of these perverters of the Cross that the only reason God blesses us is because He is good, kind and loving? It has nothing to do with our giving to a ministry, but everything to do with God’s giving heart.
A “Dennis the Menace” cartoon caught my attention. As you know, Dennis was known as a menace indeed to his next-door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, and yet Mrs. Wilson continued to be kind and gracious. This particular cartoon shows Dennis and his little friend leaving Mrs. Wilson’s house, their hands full of cookies. Joey says, “I wonder what we did to deserve this?” Dennis answers, “Look, Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we are nice, but because she is nice.” Hello!
***
But here is the great and good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Cross of Calvary. We read in Isaiah 55:1,
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who
have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine
and milk without money and without price.”
Everything that Jesus alone can give us, whether the waters of eternal life, the wine of the everlasting joy of forgiveness, or the milk of unending spiritual and moral nourishment, it all comes to us FREE and FULLY CALVARY PAID. Jesus did it all! Jesus paid it all! We all owe to Him our eternal gratitude.
*******
NEW CAR FOR NOTHING
So then, let us say that JESUS SUFFERED AND DIED FOR OUR NEW CAR, AND THAT THE NEW CAR IS IN THE CROSS. That is:
“JESUS PAID IT ALL, AND BECAME THE OLD-WORN OUT,
RUN-DOWN CAR FOR US ON THE CROSS. SO NOW WE
CAN RIDE IN NEW CARNESS WHICH HE PAID FOR
BY HIS OWN AUTO-BLOOD SACRIFICE.”
Likewise, Jesus would have never paid for the new car unless we couldn’t, because we are all by nature AUTOMOTIVELY BANKRUPT. On the cross, Jesus only did what we could never do for ourselves, and only paid for what we could never purchase on our own.
So then, we go to the car dealer to pick up our new car, and we tell the car dealer that Jesus Christ already paid for the new car with his shed blood on Calvary. It’s a done deal, it is finished. Thus we say, “We really like that one over there, THAT CROSS GT, so would you please give us the keys, for that car with all of the bells and whistles is already ours paid in full! We can’t afford it, but He already bought it for us. Thank you Jesus!” See if you can get away with it without be looked upon as just another complete lunatic and a spiritual nut job.
(Yes, and more than that, all that you really are is a lazy no-good materialist who lusts for material things without having to work and pay for any of the material. All that you are is a lazy, no-good mammonist who lusts for mammon things without having to work and pay for the mammon. All you are is a lazy, no-good carnalist who craves carnality without having to work and pay for carnal pleasures.)
*******
CONCLUSION
But more than all of this:
“TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR CRAVING FOR MATERIAL
PLEASURES, YOU HAVE INVENTED A COUNTERFEIT
CHRISTIANITY IN WHICH JESUS DIED ON THE
CROSS FOR THE PHYSICAL AND NOT THE
SPIRITUAL, FOR THE TEMPORAL AND
NOT THE ETERNAL, FOR THE
EARTHLY AND NOT THE
HEAVENLY,
FOR THE PERISHABLE ANDNOT FOR THE
IMPERISHABLE, FOR RICHES
AND NOT FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
And because of you mammon preachers who tell people that their new car is in the cross:
“PEOPLE ARE COMING TO CHRIST TO CLUTCH AT
STRAWS TO FULFILL THEM,
AND NOT CRYING OUT FOR THE BLOOD OF CHRIST TO
CLEANSE THEM.”
If you will:
“IN THE NAME OF FAITH AND THE CROSS, YOU ARE
TURNING PEOPLE INTO NOTHING MORE THAN
DECEIVED INFIDELS.”
I guess Jesus, after it is all said and done, stated it best in Mark 8:36,
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?”
And he who does:
“ONE MOMENT AFTER DEATH SHALL DISCOVER THE
HORROR OF HIS MISTAKEN VALUE SYSTEM.”
And:
“ONE MOMENT AFTER DEATH HE WILL DISCOVER THAT
THE CAR-IN-THE-CROSS CAPER WAS NOTHING MORE
THAN A CAR-NIVAL INVENTED TO PLEASE
THE FLESHLY APPETITES OF THE
CAR-NALLY RELIGIOUS.”
You know, I am so overjoyed that we in Christ are going to a place where every wrong will be be replaced by right, every unfairness will be replaced by fairness, and every insanity will be replaced by perfect sanity. Frankly, I don’t really like this world, and I don’t believe anything that this world and worldly churches teach. I believe in a new world wherein dwelleth perfect righteousness which will last and will last and will last forever. Maranatha – Come quickly Lord Jesus. Please don’t honk your horn if you agree. Just shout Amen!!!
