I WILL GLORY IN THE CROSS
GALATIANS 6:14 - BUT GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY OR BOAST, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD.
PAUL HAD MUCH THAT HE COULD HAVE BOASTED ABOUT.
HE WAS THE CHURCH'S GREATEST PREACHER, THE GREATEST MISSIONARY, THE GREATEST THEOLOGIAN, HE WROTE MORE BOOKS THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE BIBLE, ALMOST ONE-HALF OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. --- HE WAS A FULL-BLOODED JEW. HE WAS OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN. HE HAD BEEN SELECTED AS A PHARISEE. HE WAS, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, A BIG COG IN THE SYNAGOGUE.
YET PAUL SAID, I GLORY, I BOAST, I BRAG ON ONE THING - THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND NOT JUST THE CROSS --- BUT THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
PAUL’S PRIDE WAS THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
PAUL'S PREACHING WAS THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
PAUL'S PRAISE WAS THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
IN PAUL’S DAY THE CROSS WAS NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT --- GALATIANS 3:13 – CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE. --- IT WAS AN INSTRUMENT OF DEATH. CRUCIFIXION ON A CROSS WAS ONE OF THE CRUELEST FORMS OF EXECUTION EVER DEVISED BY MAN.
TODAY WE HAVE TURNED THE CROSS INTO A PIECE OF GOLD JEWELRY THAT WE WEAR AROUND OUR NECKS --- YOU MENTION THE CROSS TODAY YOU THINK OF A JEWELER. BUT IF YOU MENTIONED THE CROSS IN PAUL'S DAY IT WAS AN INSTRUMENT OF DEATH.
IN MODERN PULPITS ACROSS AMERICA IT IS BEEN SAID THAT MAN'S PROBLEM IS A LACK OF SELF ESTEEM, AND WHAT HE NEEDS IS POSITIVE THINKING.
OR MAN'S PROBLEM IS IGNORANCE, AND WHAT HE NEEDS IS EDUCATION.
OR MAN'S PROBLEM IS POVERTY, AND WHAT HE NEEDS IS MONEY.
OR MAN'S PROBLEM IS ENVIRONMENT, AND WHAT HE NEEDS IS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.
THE BIBLE SAYS HIS PROBLEM IS SIN, AND WHAT HE NEEDS IS THE CROSS, THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
WE NEED TO GET THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS BACK INTO THE PULPITS OF AMERICA
I CORINTHIANS 1:18 - FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT PERISH FOOLISHNESS; BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.
YES, AS PAUL WE NEED TO GLORY IN THE CROSS --- WE NEED TO PREACH THE CROSS!
1. WE ARE TO GLORY IN THE PERSON OF THE CROSS
IT IS NOT THE CROSS THAT MAKES CHRIST SPECIAL. IT IS CHRIST THAT MAKES THE CROSS SPECIAL!
A CHRISTIAN PROFESSOR WAS LECTURING IN A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ONE DAY AND A YOUNG JEWISH MAN ASKED, WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT JESUS CHRIST? --- WHAT DID JESUS CHRIST DO THAT WAS SO SPECIAL? --- THE PROFESSOR REPLIED, SON, I TAKE IT THAT YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS, AND YOU KNOW THAT HEROD AND PILATE AND THE OLD ROMAN EMPERORS CRUCIFIED SOME 30,000 YOUNG JEWS. THE YOUNG MAN SAID THAT IS CORRECT. --- WELL, I'M GOING TO NAME ONE OF THOSE JEWS AND YOU NAME ANOTHER. I NAME JESUS CHRIST. --- NOW, YOU NAME JUST ONE MORE OF THE 30,000 WHOM THEY CRUCIFIED. WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF ANOTHER ONE." DO YOU KNOW WHY HE COULDN'T CALL THE NAME OF ONE OUT OF 30,000? WHY DO WE REMEMBER ONE NAME WHEN WE CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER 29,999?
BECAUSE JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIED FOR OUR SINS AND WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
YOU SEE, JESUS TURNED THE CROSS FROM A SYMBOL OF GUILT INTO A SYMBOL OF GLORY, FROM A BEAM OF EXECUTION INTO A BALM OF SALVATION.
IT IS NOT THE CROSS THAT IS SO WONDERFUL, IT IS CHRIST ON THE CROSS THAT IS SO MARVELOUS.
JESUS KNEW THE MANNER OF HIS DEATH. HE KNEW HE WOULD BE CRUCIFIED.
HE KNEW THE MOTIVE OF HIS DEATH. HE CAME TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD.
HE KNEW THE MOMENT OF HIS DEATH. HE DID NOT DIE UNTIL HE SAID, "FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT."
WITHOUT THE CROSS:
WE WOULD NEVER KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO BE SAVED AND BE FREE FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN, TO BE FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN AND ONE DAY JESUS WILL COME AND DELIVER US FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN!
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF THE CONFESSION, REPENTANCE, FAITH, TEARS, AND REMORSE THAT YOU COULD HUMANLY MUSTER, WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY USELESS WITHOUT THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF HELL, AND NO WAY INTO HEAVEN, EXCEPT THROUGH THE CROSS.
2. WE ARE TO GLORY IN THE PURPOSE OF THE CROSS.
THROUGH THE CROSS THE LOVE OF GOD IS EXPRESSED:
JOHN 3:16 - FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
ROMANS 5:8 - BUT GOD COMMENDED HIS OWN LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.
I JOHN 4:10 - IN THIS IS LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON TO BE THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS.
A LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD JUST STARTED SCHOOL WAS AT CHURCH WITH HER MOM AND SHE SAW THE CROSS AND SAID "MOMMY, WHY IS THAT PLUS SIGN THERE?
WELL, SHE GOT IT RIGHT. THE CROSS IS GOD'S PLUS SIGN TELLING YOU AND ME THAT GOD IS FOR US, THAT GOD LOVES US, THAT HE LOVES US SO MUCH HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR US THAT WE MIGHT BE SAVED.
SOMEONE HAS WELL SAID THAT IT WAS AT THE CROSS THAT MAN DID HIS WORST TO GOD, BUT GOD DID HIS BEST FOR MAN.
THROUGH THE CROSS THE LAW OF GOD IS SATISFIED.
EZEK. 18:20, THE SOUL THAT SINS SHALL DIE.
ROM. 3:23 – THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH
IN OTHER WORDS, EITHER ALL HAVE TO DIE FOR THEIR SINS, OR SOMEONE HAS TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF US ALL. THAT'S WHERE CHRIST AND THE CROSS COMES IN.
WHEN JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THAT CROSS, HE NOT ONLY DIED TO PAY FOR OUR SINS, HE DIED TO FULFILL THE LAW OF GOD.
I OWED A DEBT I COULD NOT PAY. HE PAID A DEBT HE DID NOT OWE.
3. WE ARE TO GLORY IN THE POWER OF THE CROSS
BEFORE JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, THAT CROSS WAS A SYMBOL OF SHAME, WEAKNESS, AND DEFEAT. BUT EVER SINCE OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THAT CROSS AND CAME FORTH VICTORIOUSLY FROM THE DEAD, THAT CROSS HAS BEEN A SYMBOL OF GLORY, POWER, AND VICTORY.
THE CHRISTIAN HAS THREE ENEMIES:
THE INTERNAL FOE CALLED THE FLESH
THE EXTERNAL FOE CALLED THE WORLD
THE INFERNAL FOE CALLED THE DEVIL. --- BUT THROUGH THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE VICTORY OVER ALL THREE.
THROUGH THE CROSS WE HAVE VICTORY OVER THE FLESH.
WE CAN NAIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH TO THE CROSS OF CHRIST EVERY DAY.
THROUGH THE CROSS WE HAVE VICTORY OVER THE WORLD.
LISTEN CAREFULLY. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE SALVATION THROUGH THE CROSS, BUT WE HAVE SANCTIFICATION THROUGH THE CROSS. JESUS NOT ONLY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE HAPPILY IN HEAVEN. HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE HOLY ON EARTH.
JESUS DIED TO DELIVER US FROM WORLDLY CHRISTIANITY. --- YOU MIGHT AS WELL TALK ABOUT A HEAVENLY DEVIL AS TO TALK ABOUT A WORLDLY CHRISTIAN.
PAUL SAYS THAT THROUGH THE CROSS THE WORLD HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED TO ME.
HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO THINK WHAT THIS WORLD DID TO JESUS? IT CRUCIFIED HIM. --- THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO CRUCIFY THE WORLD. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND AS A CHILD OF GOD THE WORLD HAS NOTHING TO OFFER YOU.
CRUCIFIXION IS ONE FORM OF DEATH THAT YOU CANNOT INFLICT UPON YOURSELF. I MEAN YOU CAN SHOOT YOURSELF, DROWN YOURSELF, HANG YOURSELF, STAB YOURSELF, POISON YOURSELF, BUT YOU CANNOT CRUCIFY YOURSELF.
CRUCIFIXION IS SOMETHING YOU MUST SURRENDER TO. --- EVERY DAY IF YOU WILL SURRENDER AFRESH AND ANEW TO THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND TAKE DEATH TO SELF, YOU CAN FIND VICTORY IN ANY SITUATION.
THROUGH THE CROSS WE HAVE VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL
EVER SINCE CALVARY THE DEVIL HAS BEEN A DEFEATED FOE. HE SAILS A SINKING SHIP.
THE ONLY HOPE FOR A LOST AND DYING WORLD IS THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
WE NEED TO ANCHOR OUR CHURCHES AGAIN TO THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS AND SAY WITH PAUL, "GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY, EXCEPT IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
