Rooster's Crow

The greatest gift ever given to mankind is the salvation found in the blood of Jesus, who was the only one able to live a sinless life and bear the weight of death – the only acceptable payment for sin. This gift, by far the greatest gift, was needed because of the abuse of the second greatest gift – choice.

When God created the angels, they had the gift of choice. Isaiah 14:13-14 provides insight into the thoughts of Lucifer before he was cast out of heaven: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Lucifer exercised his freedom of choice to exalt himself rather than worship God, and God cast him out of heaven, along with a third of the angels that had aligned with him (Rev. 12:4).

God created man with the same freedom, the same gift of choice. Adam and Eve were created sinless; they did not have the sin nature that we are cursed with at birth. The serpent deceived Eve, convincing her to willfully choose laying down her identity in God. “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Gen. 3:4-5). Satan tells her that there is a better identity – to be like God with wisdom – rather than the identity that was given to her.

Eve chose to eat of the fruit and exchange her identity for one promised by Satan. She then gave some of the fruit to Adam, who also made the choice to disobey God’s command. “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil’” (Gen 3:22). God cursed the serpent, Eve with all women, and Adam with all mankind. They were then cast out of the Garden, the place of perfection that had been created just for them.

When the angels were cast out of heaven, their capability of choice was revoked. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment” (II Pet. 2:4). Humans were cursed but allowed to continue exercising choice. Why?

There are two questions that I have found perplexing. Why would God create humans when He knew that they were going to turn their backs on Him? How is it possible for me to choose God, when His perfect creation, which did not have the sin nature I’ve been cursed with, was unable to choose Him? These two questions bring a sense of despair and a feeling of being set up for failure. What kind of God would create something incapable of staying perfect? How could I ever live up to the life this same God commands me to live, when the first two perfect people created rebelled?

The answer can be found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Even though God knew that mankind would spit in His face, He already loved us. He wanted us to love Him back, in a similar, but immensely greater way, that a parent loves their child regardless of any love in return. God knew everything about us before we were born, and loved us before we were born. He wanted and wants a loving relationship with us, which is only possible if there is choice.

The angels were created with free will, the ability to choose who they would pledge loyalty to, but when the third of the heavenly hosts were cast out, their choices were permanently sealed – no more choice and no possibility of redemption. The angels long to understand the love of God that humans get to experience. “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look” (I Pet. 1:12). Angels do not get to experience the redemptive love of God, the love which transcends any other power in the universe.

This redemptive, boundless, reckless love of God is why He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die a death too horrific to fully comprehend. The power of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for humans is the answer to the second question. The power of His blood is what allows humans to be redeemed, to make the choice to love God, to live in sinless perfection once we get to Heaven. It is all part of a beautiful love story to which “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14).

The second greatest gift was the gift given first, and the greatest gift was given second, because the first was abused. But we, all of humanity that is alive today, have the capability of experiencing both gifts. The Spirit draws us to the Father, and we have the choice to refuse or accept His free gift of salvation. Once we have accepted His love, then we will daily have the ability to make yet another choice – to turn away or crucify ourselves every single day to experience the freedom His sacrifice and love provides. You have that choice because God wants you to love Him, to freely offer your love and affection.

Exercising the gift of choice daily is not an easy task. The cross is excruciating. No one would ever volunteer to be crucified, a concept that has lost meaning in our modern world. The cross was the most painful way to die that Romans could devise. It was meant to humiliate and prolong death under immense suffering. People used to truly understand what that meant, as they literally saw people suffer that dreadful fate. We are called to take up our cross, our death to fleshly desires, and follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24).

Taking up our cross is exercising the gift of choice. God does not force you to choose Him, but choosing Him comes with a price – losing your life. “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 22:25). What does it mean to lose your life? It means being obedient, even if you do not understand it. Jesus came to fulfill the law, that is, to provide us with the capability of following what God has commanded us to do. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (I Cor. 12:9).

Jesus gives us the power to exercise our choice to obey Him. When we grasp the reality of His power, we can use the Spirit He puts in us to command our body and soul to rise up and obey, even before understanding. We are made of three parts: body, soul, and spirit (I Thes. 5:23), but the body and soul are subject to the spirit. So, when our spirit is subject to Him, allowing His power to control it, the body and soul must follow suit.

What does that mean? It means we are not reliant on feelings. We are commanded to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thes. 5:16-18). It does not say when you FEEL joyful, or when you FEEL like praying, or when you FEEL like being thankful. It is commanded to be obedient no matter what. EVEN IF you feel sad, EVEN IF you are hurting, EVEN IF it feels like the world is falling apart around you, EVEN IF it feels like He does not hear your prayers, EVEN IF everything has been ripped away from you, you MUST be obedient.

WHY??? “Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands” (Ps. 149:6). Rejoicing, prayer, and gratitude are weapons, and they do absolutely no good unless they are wielded. For far too long, we have been living with a victim mindset. We live as though we are Satan’s punching bag. We act like God has tossed us by the wayside and doubt that He listens or cares.

WAKE UP!!!! Jesus conquered death!! Satan thought He had won. He laughed. He partied. He was jumping all around until that stone rolled away. All of creation and heaven screamed in joy when that stone rolled away and Jesus walked out of that grave. Death could not hold Him! He conquered the grave! That is who has saved your soul! Quit acting like a victim! We’ve allowed the Devil to take too much ground. We have to put on God’s armor, pick up our shield, and wield the sword of the Spirit in offensive mode. Go on the attack!! Kick the Devil in his teeth and take back the ground that he has stolen!!

Jesus did not die for us to mope around crying out, “Woe is me.” He died so we can exercise our God given gift to choose – to choose to worship, to choose to be thankful, and choose to be victorious!

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37-39).