March 30, 1956
Fellow Christians: Today is once more Good Friday, the day on which Christ sacrificed his life on the cross in order to save the world. Today, Christians the world over are commemorating our Savior's death, and because He died on the cross, the cross has since become the symbol of Christianity. Wherever there is a church or a Christian, this symbol is evident. To some people, the cross represents suffering, sorrow, shame and failure. But to the Christian church, it is a symbol of everlasting glory, the center of Christian faith.
Christ was nailed to death on the cross. His is the most courageous, the most loving, the most sacred and the most fearless, unbending, transcendent of all souls. In order to save all peoples and the world through realizing His ideal of the Kingdom of Heaven, He taught His disciples faith, hope, and charity. What is this ideal of the Kingdom of Heaven? It is freedom for mankind and peace for the world. Therefore, the cross is also a symbol of freedom and peace.
What is faith? Faith is belief, belief in the Lord who reigns over the world. The Lord of creation is without beginning, and without end. He is everlasting Truth. It has been said that Heaven and earth shall pass away, but truth shall not pass away. And because Jesus had such faith, He did not hesitate to sacrifice his own life to fight Satan and sin till victory was His. It is said in the Bible: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ... "
What is hope? Hope embraces patience. It means that when faced with danger, persecution, hardship and temptation, we should not be discouraged, nor be worried. Above all, we should neither be disheartened nor be in despair. A Christian should not face the future with fear. He should face it with hope in God, who is Truth, and is ever-victorious. Thus saith the Bible "Hope in God." The secret of success, therefore, lies not only in faith but also in patience. We read in the Bible: "In the midst of trouble and danger, and when surrounded by rising waves, then in Him-God, let us rejoice and let us all the more be courageous and strong." The Christian religion is a positive one; it encompasses courage and strength in marching toward its goal. The Christian religion is not negative or hesitant.
What is· charity? It is universal love. It means to love others as thyself. Jesus said: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Paul said: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up;
"Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
"Rejoice not in Iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
"Charith never faileth
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Enmity, cruelty, despotism, persecution and deceit are regarded by Christians as toils of the devil.
Quoting again the Blble:
"Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
"Their feet are swift to shed blood:
"Destruction and misery are in their ways:
"And the way of peace have they not known:
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
And because Christ recognized the sins of the world and because of His desire to save us sinners, He willingly gave up His life on the day of His choice. This 'evidence of His love for us was not without purpose. Freedom for mankind and peace for the world must have as its centrality God's own Truth. Only through it can the Kingdom of Heaven on earth be built; only through it can His struggle and sacrifice have meaning.
In other words, the purpose of Christ's struggle on earth was to preach deliverance to the captives and set at liberty them that are oppressed. He exhorted His disciples to pursue truth, because "the truth will make you free," Hence when He was on earth it was necessary for Him to battle ceaselessly against Satan, the violator of truth and freedom. By freedom is meant not only liberation from physical restraint but also liberation from inner spiritual oppression. We must understand that as long as mankind lives under the oppression of sin, it is bound to suffer to the utmost. But Christ has overcome sin on the cross. He has even overcome death. All those who believe in Him will gain spiritual freedom, eternal life and satisfying peace. I firmly believe that only through fighting evils of this world as Christ did, can mankind attain peace through freedom. Christ 'said: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Let us analyze the three spiritual gifts which I have just mentioned. Faith has its roots in the past; hope has its seeds in the future, while charity flourishes in present action. Just as faith must go hand in hand with action, so action' because of faith is made perfect. It is said in the Bible: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." At the same time, charity works only when it is practiced in action, concrete action. Christianity, with its teachings on faith, hope and charity, emphasizes charity as the most important of the three. This explains why Christianity is a religion of positive action, and not of futile negation.
Why did Christ say that He had overcome the world and believed that the final victory must be His? Because He was confident that He was on the side of God's Truth and that God was on His side and abided with Him. On the cross, He was more than ever convinced of His resurrection after death and that His soul and life would endure unto eternity as with Truth. On the third day after His crucifixion, that is, on Easter morning, His faith was vindicated. Because of faith, Christ bore accusations and abuses, however vicious, torture and punishment, however painful, with courage and endurance. Without uttering a word, He passed away in perfect calm. He showed neither sorrow nor bitterness, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly. His prayer, in the Garden of Gethsemane was: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will but thine, be done." His faith in God was so strong that even unto death it was unshakable. This should be an example to true Christians that not only should we face death without fear, but that we can overcome death. Does not the Bible also say: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
People may ask how can a man be resurrected after death and what accompanies resurrection? Jesus said: "Except a' corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that, loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" There is only one way for a corn of wheat to bring forth fruit: to fall into the ground and to die. In the light of this Truth, Christ chose the cross. By losing his life, He gained life eternal, life abundant and life glorious for countless men and women who would follow in His footsteps.
In conclusion, we have discussed (1) life and death in the Christian sense, (2) the Christian ideal of Kingdom of Heaven on earth—freedom and peace, and (3) the Christian spirit and behavior. I should like to point out that the Christian spirit is also the spirit incorporated in Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three People's Principles. I sincerely hope that my fellow Christians will continue to practice this Christian spirit and help our compatriots to practice faith, hope and charity. In fighting Communist evils, let us be guided by Christ's spirit. We shall then be able to increase our potentials in our anti-Communist struggle and hasten the day of success for our national recovery and reconstruction. * Translated from the original in Chinese.