Now
is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince
of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said,
signifying what death he should die. (John
12:31-3)
In days before gyroscopes, the most important part of a ship, and the smallest,
was the magnetic compass. It was not dependent upon a clear sky for celestial
navigation at night, and worked during the daylight hours as well. It served
the ship and her crew as the hidden conscience of man, informed by the Holy
Ghost, serves to warn of wicked inclinations.
Like the human conscience, the magnetic compass is capable of distractions from
outside sources. For example, when threatening storms arise on the high seas,
the compass may momentarily fluctuate from magnetic north, but it will yet come
back to the proper reading and settle to the proper heading. The same is true
of the Christian conscience. There are times when great troubles arise, and the
solution to settle those troubles in some ungodly way, may pass through the
mind of the believer; but the Holy Ghost intensifies its mysterious appeal to
conscience and the temptation subsides. There are times when other vessels,
heavy laden with metallic products, may pass nearby causing the magnetic
compass to be drawn from its proper reading. But, once the passing influence
has past, it will return to steady. Life is full of ungodly temptations, and
even good people will sometimes have their heads turned by those temptations,
but if they hold steady to the bow, those temptations recede upon the waters of
life and our course is sure and steady in life.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the first Great Magnet to our souls. He draws men and
women to Him as a magnet draws heavy metal. The drawing power of that Great
Magnet is completely irresistible. Like a physical magnet that draws only those
metals that are similar to its own composition, our Lord draws those whom He
has chosen as His Elect to Him. A magnet of iron will not draw aluminum or lead
or gold. It must be metal of a similar nature. But there is another
characteristic of the magnet that must be taken under counsel here - that is
the transfer of magnetism that occurs when iron remains in prolonged contact
with the mother magnet. If an iron spike comes into contact (and is drawn to
it) with a magnet, and remains in contact or proximity for a time, that iron
will then take on the magnetic nature of the mother magnet.
The same is true of the person who is drawn to Christ. As the new believer
follows closely in the footsteps of Jesus, he begins to assume the nature of
the Great Magnet which he follows. The atomic ionization in the heart of the
Christian becomes aligned (like iron atoms) with those of the Lord. It becomes
less challenging now to continue in the Way of Christ. Please consider another means by which
an iron rod may become a magnet:
A magnet has a north pole and a south pole. North and south will attract, but
"like" poles will repel each other. Magnetism is created when
electrons "spin" in the same direction. In some substances this
occurs naturally, but in most substances it does not. Items can be magnetized
by striking them abruptly so that all the electrons "spin" in the
same direction. If we align an iron rod with magnetic north, and dip the tip
whatever number of degrees of the earth's parallel of our location (toward the
North Pole), and strike the iron abruptly, it will become magnetized. Though
the physical makeup of the iron is unchanged, it has assumed a new nature -
much like the counsel of Jesus to Nicodemus about being "Ye must be born again." Our natures
are changed abruptly when we come to Christ (as we are drawn). If we resist too
long, we may be abruptly stricken with circumstances that make further
resistance to Christ impossible.
A Word of Caution
When we have taken on the nature of Christ (as an iron rod the nature of the
magnet), we, too, have a north and south pole. As long as we are aligned with
the will of God, we are drawn ever more closely to His side; but like two
magnetic bars, if we turn from Him, our natures will repel us further from Him.
When we approach Him, He moves further out of reach. When He approaches us, we
withdraw further from Him. The only means of correcting our backsliding natures
is to make a compete turn around so that our poles are now aligned for
attraction and not repulsion. As Christians, we still may harbor hidden and
cherished sins in some unopened chamber of our hearts. Sins are like weeds -
they never shrink, but grow larger and proliferate. When we give counsel to the
temptations arising from those 'weeds,' we are then at odds with Christ and His
nature and are repelled from Him like magnets having both negative poles
facing.
After God had brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt with miracles and signs,
the grumbled every step of the way about the food, the weariness of the
journey, the heat, the luxuries left behind in Egypt, etc. But sins, though
they have the possibility of being forgiven (if repented of) leave scars and
pain. Look at the following account of the sinfulness of Israel in the
Wilderness: 4 And they journeyed from
mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul
of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against
God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in
the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul
loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents
among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to
Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and
against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And
Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass,
that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of
brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had
bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Num
21:4-9)
When I was a young lad, it was difficult for me to connect the dots in the
above account. But God uses every instance, even our sins, to open our eyes to
our great need of a Redeemer. The fiery serpents were the punishment for their
sins. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23); therefore, the bite of the
fiery serpent would kill its victim - unless God would provide a remedy. The
sin of Adam brought pain and suffering to all of Creation, and we suffer in
this life even with hearts redeemed. However, the death penalty has a solution.
Just as those bitten by the fiery serpent would live if they would look to the
brazen serpent nailed by Moses to the pole, so would all who are bitten by the
serpent's poison of Eden live if they look to Jesus Christ, and Him CRUCIFIED.
He was lifted up for you and me. He draws us to Himself if we have the metal to
be drawn, and our basic nature is changed in an instant. Now
is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince
of this world be cast out. And
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This
he said, signifying what death he should die.
The drawing power of the Lord must meet with like metal, and the metal must
draw near to assume that nature that pursues righteousness.
Once I understood the symbolism of Jesus' remarks, all made perfect sense to
me. He took upon Himself the sins of the world just as the serpent's bite
brought death to all its victims. But being lifted up on the cross as the
emblematic brazen serpent was lifted up in the Wilderness, all have a remedy
from eternal death if they will buy look to the cross. By His crucifixion, Jesus
paid the sin-debt that we should have paid. It was you and I who should have
been nailed to that rugged old cross at Calvary. And in a certain sense, we do
share that cross to the sins of self. We are in Christ and have become new
creatures; however, we have a cross to bear daily. If we follow Christ in
pleasant and verdant pastures, should we not follow Him as well on the Via
Delorosa - or the road to Calvary? Though we are not worthy to die in remission
of our sins, we are able to die to self and live for others - even some of
unlikeable nature. We were all of unlikeable nature before we came to Christ.
So Christ is the first Great Magnet. He draws His own to Himself as the fishers
draw the great nets of fish to shore. As we become little magnets of the Lord,
should our lives, too, not draw others to Him?
