A crushed spirit…

Spurgeon describes a crushed spirit happens when someone is under a deep and terrible sense of sin. He says that no one can bear it when guilt comes clearly home and God is seen as just and perfectly holy. The crushing comes when a person realizes that He who is infinite love and almighty grace has been provoked and angered, and the One who is supposed to be our best friend has become our most terrible foe.

A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)

Spurgeon hopes that his readers do not understand what this means, but knows that some do. This kind of crushing is unbearable and like hell on earth. No one can avoid feeling crushed when the sense of being close to God is gone and that abiding presence is replaced by the pain of deep conviction.

What brings this deep conviction? Spurgeon says it can happen because of fierce temptation. If Satan tempts me to doubt, sin, blasphemy, even to “curse God and die” as he tried with Job, my spirit can be crushed if I fall under that terrible power. I will sense that God’s face is hidden if my choice is to not walk away from such temptation but give into it. Then, in the absence of my God’s sustaining presence, I am crushed.

Spurgeon speaks of those who get wild and untrue ideas, happily sailing above others, looking down on anyone who does not think the same way. Then, when their balloon bursts, they come down from that height and realize their error. They condemn themselves and become distressed and miserable. Their spirit is crushed and the only cure is to return to a humble walk with God.

As I read this preacher’s thoughts, and examine how God deals with me, I agree that a crushed spirit may happen, and that it is unbearable. I am also glad that this can be avoided, and if not, there is restoration in Jesus. Those who are willing to stay near Him and consider themselves always poor, needy and helpless sinners will always find everything they need in Jesus Christ. He gives strength against temptation and sin. He also restores sinners should we fail to stand the tests.

I’ve been there and know that I cannot bear a crushed spirit. But He did it for me, then declared, “It is finished” and now lives in me to give me everything I need.

An undeserved mercy

People who have been disappointed in love, ambition, loss and the sins of others can take their grief too far, as if we have a right to have our way in all things all the time. Today’s devotional reading says we need to be careful -- for if the Lord were to deal with us according to our sins, we would have something to bear far worse than any present disappointment.

For Christians, we are not to allow anything, including deep disappointment, to destroy our peace. I’ve noticed so often when my heart is crushed, there is a good deal of sin mingled with the sorrow, and a great deal of pride and even creature-worship and idolatry mixed in there too. If I make an idol and God loves me, I can be certain that He will break my idols.

A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)

This verse asks a rhetorical question, but there is an answer for it; Christ bears the crushed spirit. He bears our pain and suffering, but also bore all the sin and selfishness that is mixed with it.

Yesterday I listened to a lecture about His suffering on the Cross. The professor said that before Jesus could say, “It is finished” He had to experience everything that sinners deserve. For that reason, the speaker believes that Jesus experienced that biblical “descent into hell” before He died.

Hell has been said to be everything that God is not. Human language is no doubt inadequate to describe this. The Bible uses metaphors, but fire and brimstone are not sufficient. The lecturer tried to describe what it would be like for One who had perfect communion with God to be abandoned because of His Father’s wrath on the sin He bore as our substitute. His description erased all my wonder at why Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” For Jesus and for our sake, this was hell.

My disappointments are nothing. All my sin and pride that is behind thinking that my life should always be perfect was born by the sinless one. In bearing that sin, plus all sin for all time, He experienced death and hell instead of me. What can be said about that? Only that no matter how I weep, repent, or try to live a godly life, it could never be enough. Not only that, I should never be surprised by suffering, nor think that my fate is the worst thing or my pain is more than I can bear. Compared to Jesus, all of it is nothing. Truly, my salvation is by grace, an undeserved mercy.

The worst loneliness

For the past few days, my devotional readings have been about loneliness. It happens when I feel helpless, when I doubt God and when I am focused on myself. All three dance around the very worst loneliness — the loneliness of sin.

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. (John 13:21–30)

Notice that one disciple who was positive that Jesus loved him (and who wrote this passage) is leaning against Jesus. Can anyone be closer to God than that, or more intimate with the Holy One?

But there is that other disciple. He has already accepted a payment to betray Jesus. He must have been sitting close enough for Jesus to reach out and offer him bread, but he was far from being close to Jesus. In an act of hypocrisy, he accepted the bread and then Satan entered him.

Jesus knew. No sin goes without His knowing, but instead of a warning and a rebuke, He told Judas to go for it. Jesus knew that His Father had purpose for this betrayal, so He did not resist. The disciple left — on his way to deliver Jesus to death and on his way to his own destruction.

What was going on in the mind of Judas as he closed the door of the upper room behind him and walked out into the night? Imagine leaving a dinner party where everyone loves each other. You are alone and not included in that love. Worse yet, you are going to harm the host and scatter the rest. Was he gleeful? I don’t think so. Today’s devotional writer thinks that at that point, Judas experienced deep and shattering loneliness.

Sin is antisocial and destructive. It ruins relationships and puts up barriers. It separates us from God and from one another. Sin is not graded on a scale in the Bible, but if it were, what Judas was doing would be at the very lowest point.

For some strange reason, going in we think sin will make us happy. It doesn’t. In the end, it drives us into the night, away from all love, family, friends and fellowship. In His parables, Jesus spoke of one sheep who went astray, one coin that was lost, one son who left home for a far country. Why not five sheep or two coins? In using a solitary number, Jesus illustrates two things. One is that He cares about individuals, but also that those who choose sin are lost and alone.

I’ve learned the truth expressed in the devotional, that every sin I conquer leads me to richer fellowship with others, but every sin I deliberately cling to is a mighty power that drives me into the dark. Those who choose to stay in that darkness without repentance and turning back are in danger of being lonely and alone forever — and that is hell.

Does everyone have eternal life?

The parables of Jesus, I am told, have one basic meaning. These parables are like an extended metaphor in which Jesus is saying one thing (often the kingdom of heaven) is like something familiar to His hearers. Not every detail in the parable refers to some great truth, but the entire parable makes one point about the topic. 

For instance, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, or that the joy in heaven over sinners who repent is like the joy of someone who has found a lost coin.

Jesus also told stories, such as the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) that served as parables yet sounded as if they came out of the daily news. One of them is about a man who died…

There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. (Luke 16:19–28)

When I read this, I find it difficult to restrict the meaning to one point. Is Jesus describing the reality of life after death? The reality of heaven and hell? Or is His emphasis on the fact that once a person is dead and in one of these two places, there is no hope of getting out and going to the other one?

Jesus sometimes explained the meaning of a parable to His disciples later. For this one, He gives a bottom line in the words of one of the characters in the story.

But Abraham said (of the five brothers still living), ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ (Luke 16:29–31)

When some hear the Gospel and their need for repentance, they say, “I will wait and see what happens” or “I will let God decide my fate” not realizing that God has already spoken. He says that “the wages of sin is death” and although “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) that gift is for those who are living. As the story says, those who are dead will not repent; repentance is for the living.

The ‘rule’ about interpreting parables cannot dismiss all the other parts of this story on the grounds that they are not the main point. That is, we cannot dismiss the parts about hell. The Bible teaches elsewhere about eternal punishment in a place of torment, such as this most sobering passage…

… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might… (2 Thessalonians 1:7–9)

Some people describe hell as a void in darkness. They say that whatever sins a person enjoys now, that will be their occupation forever. That is, a liar will lie for eternity. Those who curse will curse non-stop. Those who covet will be envious forever. Anyone who refuses to hear Jesus now will never hear Him again.

It is also suggested that hell will be everything that Jesus is not. Instead of peace, stability, light, a good Shepherd, redemption, answered prayer, love, kindness, self-control, and incredible goodness, imagine the opposites. This makes me shudder.

No one needs to go to that place. It was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) and everyone who makes Jesus their choice can avoid that eternal torment. He says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

Those who follow Jesus eventually will say goodbye to all things physical and material, but death cannot take away the love of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, as everything else fades away, He and His goodness will be magnified.