By Paris Reidhead

Christianity says, “the end of all being is the glory of God.”  Humanism says, “the end of all being is the happiness of men.” And one was born in hell – the deification of man. And one was born in heaven – the glorification of God.

That this philosophical postulate that the end of all being is the happiness of man has been sort of covered over with evangelical terms and biblical doctrine, until God reigns in heaven for the happiness of man, Jesus Christ was incarnate for the happiness of man, all the angels exist and everything is for the happiness of man.  And I submit to you that this is unchristian.

Isn’t man happy?  Did God intend to make man happy?  Yes.  But as a bi-product and not prime product.

This is the betrayal of the ages, and it is the betrayal in which we live.  And I don’t see how God can revive it until we come back to Christianity that is in direct and total contrast with the vengeful Humanism that’s perpetrated in our generation in the Name of Christ.

I have talked with people that have no assurance of sins forgiven.  They want to feel saved before they are willing to commit themselves to Christ.  But I believe that the only ones whom God actually witnesses by His Spirit that they are born of Him are the people, whether they say it or not, that come to Jesus Christ and say something like this, “Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you and love you and serve you and do what you want me to do, as long as I live even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because you are worthy to be loved and obeyed and served, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you.”

Why should a person come to the Cross?  Why should a person embrace death with Christ?  Why should a person be willing to go in identification down to the cross and into the tomb and up again.  I’ll tell you why.  Because it’s the only way that God can get glory out of a human being.

There is only one reason for you to go to the Cross, dear young person.  That’s because until you come to the place of union with Christ in death, you are defrauding the Son of God of the glory that He could get out of your life.  And until you have understood the sanctifying work of God by the Holy Ghost taking you into union with Christ in death, and burial, and resurrection, you have to serve in what you have, and all you have is that which is under the sentence of death – human personality, and human nature, and human strength and human energy.  And God will get no glory out of that.

So the reason for you to go to the Cross isn’t that you are going to get victory, you will get victory.  It isn’t because you are going to have joy – you will have joy.  But the reason for you to embrace the Cross and press through until you know that you can testify with Paul “I am crucified with Christ,” isn’t what you are going to get out of it, but what He will get out it, for the glory of God.

May the Lamb that was slain, receive the reward of His suffering!

I’m going to say to you dear friend, if you are out here without Christ, you come to Jesus Christ and serve him as long as you live whether you go to hell at the end of the way, because He is worthy.

I say to you, Christian friend, you come to the Cross and join him in union and death and enter into all the meaning of death to self in order that He can have glory.

I say to you dear Christian, if you do not know the fullness of the Holy Ghost, come and present your body a living sacrifice and let Him fill you that He can have the purpose of His coming fulfilled in you and get glory through your life.

It’s not what you are going to get out of God, it’s what He is going to get out of you.

-Paris Reidhead

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The above is an excerpt from the sermon, ‘Ten Shekels and a Shirt’. A transcript of the entire sermon and the audio can be found here.