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What Shall I Do With Jesus?

by Gordon J. Pennock

There is nothing which compares with the trial of Jesus Christ in all the records of court procedure. Whether we consider the matchless character of the prisoner, the prejudice of the prosecutors, the incompetence of the judge or the complete disregard of the verdict rendered it stands without a peer.

Pontus Pilate, the judge, suspected that Jesus was innocent of the charges which were leveled against him. He was reasonably sure that he was only a victim of envy and hatred. In fact, he received a warning form his wife who said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him” (Matthew 27:19). And the meekness of the prisoner before him strongly suggested that he was being falsely charged. When Pilate asked him, “Art thou the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:33-36). By this he meant that his kingdom was not of this realm of darkness, hatred and injustice.

Upon hearing this testimony, Pilate went before the people and declared, “I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4). But this verdict served only to infuriate the multitude, and further charges were made. They also sought to intimidate Pilate by cautioning, “If you release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend” (John 19:12), thinking, no doubt, that the fear of political pressure would accomplish their purpose.

Still undaunted, Pilate next sought to release Jesus upon the basis of custom. Each year, during the Passover, some notorious Jewish criminal would be released by the Romans. So Pilate called for one named Barabbas - a man who was guilty of robbery, murder, and insurrection. Placing him beside Jesus, he asked, “Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?” (Matthew 27:21). In thundering unison they cried out, “Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas” (Luke 23:18). It was then that Pilate mournfully queried, “What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ?” Again, the mob cried, “Let him be crucified” (Matthew 27:22).

Finally, Pilate called for a basin of water, and washing his hands in the presence of the multitude, said, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it” (Matthew 27:24). But this act did not remove his responsibility; it merely demonstrated his own weakness and hypocrisy. His duty was to execute justice and restrain men from lawlessness, but instead, he consented to the murder of a man in almost the same breath in which he declared him to be blameless. Certainly, Pilate must stand in the pages of history as one who was a time-serving politician who had not the courage to stand upon his convictions when challenged by those who despised law and justice. He will therefore be held in contempt by all who become familiar with his ignoble deed.

“What Shall I Do With Jesus?”

My dear readers: Pontius Pilate and the enemies of Jesus are not the only ones called upon to make a decision concerning this question. It poses a challenge to all of us today. Each of us must give an answer respecting it. It is a question which thrills with personal interest since it emphasizes the idea of personal responsibility to God. It confronts us regardless of our race, color, status or station in life. It demands our concern since it involves man's greatest need – his salvation. The Holy Spirit, through the apostle Peter, said, “In none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven that is given among men, wherein we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus boldly asserted, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my savings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). Surely in the light of these statements, we arc compelled to make a decision respecting “Jesus who is called Christ.”

Different Decisions

It is now proper that we point out that there are three possible decisions which may be made concerning Jesus. In the first place, we may render the decision which rejects him. That was the decision made by the Jews who pressed their demands upon Pilate. In anger and bitterness they cried, “Away with him! Crucify him! Crucify him!” Although we may not be as emphatic as the avowed enemies of Jesus, it is possible for us to make the decision which rejects his person and his claims. Despite the fact that God has given him “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), we may still say, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”

It is furthermore possible for us to make the decision of Pilate – the one in which we refuse to assume our responsibility toward him. Although he was convinced of the innocence of Jesus, he did not have the moral strength to act upon his convictions and carry out his duty as he ought to have done. He sought to assume a role of neutrality, so far as action was concerned, by which he hoped to appear blameless in the eyes of all. It is tragically true that multitudes of people in our time are pursuing a similar course. But, friends, we cannot be neutral toward Jesus! He refuses to approve such a course. He himself said: “He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth” ( Matthew 12:30). It may be that you are hesitating to make a decision in favor of Jesus because you fear to lose the applause and friendship of the world. If so, then you are marching along with it toward eternal ruin.

The third decision which may be made is, of course, the right one. It is the decision which accepts Jesus as the Son of the Living God. When one makes this decision he places himself and his life under the authority and the control of Jesus – he owns him as his king and the captain of his soul. The decision which accepts Christ as the one which deepens one's love, faith and trust toward him leads one to turn from sin by repentance as well as to descend into the water of baptism in which his sins are washed away and he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Read : John 8:24; 20:30-31; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 17:30; 22:16; Romans 6:1-4; Galatians 3:26-27; II Corinthians 5:17.

Three thousand sinners made this decision on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon offering salvation through the risen Christ. He appealed to their hearts by saying, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.” Being pricked in their hearts, they cried out, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter then said, “Repent ye, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins.” “They then that received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:36-41).

This is the plan by which every sinner in the world must be saved, if saved at all. Have you made this – the most important of all decisions? If not, then we encourage you to do so.

Truth Magazine III:6, pages 23-24
March 1959


"Where Can I Go From Thy Spirit? Or Where Can I Flee From Thy Presence?" - Psalms 139:7

by Chris Simmons

David was a man who dealt with enemies throughout his life and, on several occasions, had to flee and hide from men such as King Saul and his own son Absalom. But when it came to God, David understood that there wasn’t anywhere he could go that he could escape His presence. Whether hiding in a cave or sitting on his throne, David understood that God was “intimately acquainted with all my ways” (Psalms 139:3). In verse 7 of Psalms 139, David then rhetorically asks “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?” The answer is, nowhere. David had learned his lesson from his sin with Bathsheba. Nathan the prophet said of David’s sin, “Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun” (II Samuel 12:12). When David wrote Psalms 139, he understood that nothing that man does is done in secret. Do we live our lives with the same understanding of God’s continual presence and intimate knowledge of all that we do and say and think?

The temptation is for man to think that we can keep some of our thoughts, words or actions secret from God. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 29:15-16, “Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, ‘Who sees us?’ or ‘Who knows us?’ You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made should say to its maker, ‘He did not make me’; or what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?” Therefore, to presume that we can do, say or think anything without God knowing is to sinfully consider ourselves as equal to God and cast dispersions on His infinite knowledge.

There was a man that we read of in the Old Testament who thought he could flee from the presence of God. That man is Jonah and we read in Jonah 1:3 that, “Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” After God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, we read in Jonah chapter two of Jonah’s prayer to God acknowledging God’s presence and confessing his sin.

Those who walk with God, live with the understanding that God sees and knows our hearts each day. Job stated in Job 34:21-25, “For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For He does not need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and sets others in their place. Therefore He knows their works, and He overthrows them in the night, and they are crushed.” Solomon stated, “For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths” (Proverbs 5:21).

Thus, living in the presence of God is to constantly go through the process of honest self-examination (II Corinthians 13:5). If God is always aware of our thoughts, deeds and words and will ultimately judge us on those things, should we not continually, carefully, soberly and honestly examine ourselves to see if we are “in the faith”? The question is, do we see ourselves as God sees us? We read in I Samuel 16:7, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Living in the presence of God and walking with God includes so much more than knowing He is there. It includes our daily communication with Him in prayer. Certainly, we are to be mindful of the command to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). Through prayer, like David, we will daily live life with the view of God as a “very present help” (Psalms 46:1) and not consider living life in His presence with a “gotcha” mentality. Peter writes that we are invited to cast all of our anxiety upon Him “because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:6-7). We are to view God’s continual presence in our lives as an asset rather than a liability. Beyond living in the presence of God, those who walk with God never forget that they are also in the presence of the roaring lion (I Peter 5:8) who seeks to spiritually destroy each one of us.

When we think about David’s question once again, “where can I flee from Thy presence?”, having considered the passages referred to earlier, should we not come to the conclusion, “why would I want to?”

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