An editorial note from Scott Ashley
In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, the patriotic song "Some Gave All" dominated the U.S. airwaves. In it the singer reflects on a soldier returned from war: "I can't forget the look in his eyes, or the tears he cries, as he said these words to me: 'All gave some and some gave all ..."
The lyrics are a powerful reminder of the high cost of war. In war, as he says, all give some, but some give all. They pay the ultimate price.
Yesterday I saw a profound reminder of something else- the high cost of sin. The lesson is graphically brought home in the movie The Passion of the Christ. You see, to pay the high cost of sin, One- Jesus Christ- gave all.
Do we grasp what it means to say that Jesus gave all? What exactly did He give up when He gave His life for the sins of mankind?
Many fail to realize, even though it is spelled out clearly in the ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18)., that Jesus was the divine Being who created the universe according to the will of God the Father. Ephesians 3:9 speaks of "God who created all things through Jesus Christ . . ." (emphasis added throughout). Colossians 1:16 says of Jesus: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible ... All things were created through Him and for Him."
Think about that-the One who spoke for the Father and the universe was created, who formed the sun, moon and stars out of nothing and filled the earth with oceans, streams, flowers, trees, animals and birds by His word (see Genesis 1-2), came to earth to live not as the divine and almighty God, but rather as a mortal human being (John 1:1-3, 14).
In Philippians 2:6-8 Paul tells us that Christ left all this behind to live and die for us. "He, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his privileges as God's equal, but stripped himself of every advantage ... he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, to the point of death, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal" (New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. in Modern English).
If ever there were a time when the world needed to be reminded of the terrible cost of sin, it is now. It seems the world, and American culture in particular, is going insane.
Unelected judges defy the will of the people to legalize homosexual behavior and marriage while removing mention of God from public life. Sexual immorality dominates popular entertainment, which is then reflected in real life by skyrocketing rates of venereal diseases, unwanted pregnancies and broken homes.
Legalized abortion snuffs out the lives of millions of babies dismembered before they can even draw their first breath. Millions seek escape in chemical concoctions. Meanwhile, war-much of it motivated by religious hatred-traumatizes country after country.
This world believes sin is fun and exciting. But in reality sin is hideous. Sin kills. Sin carries an enormously high price. It kills not only us, but it also killed the One who made us.
It took the dying of mankind's Creator in a terrible death to pay the terrible price for the sins of all mankind. In this issue, and in our new free booklet Jesus Christ: The Real Story, we hope to help you better understand the One who paid that price for you and me- the One who truly gave all. GN
