Your Unique Journey To The Cross Series

As we continue to move on down the path of “Your Unique Journey to the Cross,” I want to share with you just a little of the theological and Scriptural foundation for what I’m trying to communicate to you. So let’s call this first half of the sermon:

I. POSITION verses CONDITION

I could call this Actual Reality vs Experiential Awareness. Because the truth is this is Actual Reality, it has already occurred, it’s all past tense according to the Bible. You see, we were all born “in Adam”as Romans 5:12 states, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Then, 1 Corinthians 15:22 states “As in Adam all die, so as in Christ all will be made alive.” God takes us out of Adam and places us into Christ. One way of stating that is as Paul puts it in Colossians 1:13, “for He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

So in Christ, we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), we have a new present and a new future, but also we have a new past. Ephesians 1:4 says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love.” When God chose us we were in Him. So just as you were in Adam - when he died you died, in Christ you also died to sin, you were buried with Him, raised with Him, ascended with Him, and you were seated with Him! Also in Christ you have received the gift of righteousness according to Romans 5:17 and Philippians 3:7-9. But even though we’ve received the gift of rightness and been made perfect in Christ according to Hebrews 10:14b, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” We’ve been made whole, complete, perfect, and righteous in our spirit. However, our soul has not been renewed totally and completely so that we choose to walk after the flesh, we carmel coat that onion.

Therein is the need for Our Journey to the Cross. To peel off layer by layer, that onion, that flesh, the Self trying to live the Christian life. As this is done, what is “Actual Reality” will become an “Experiential Awareness.” We will experience it in our present lives, it will become our condition, not just our position. But what do many of us who are in Christ experience? I would suggest that many Christians are struggling. They’re struggling to live a life that they cannot live. You’re struggling to find the abundant life you’re looking for, that you already have – instead of understanding you were crucified with Christ, that you’re new creations, that you’re identified with Christ, that you’re one with Christ and that when it comes to the end time judgment you’re going to see that you’re one with Christ, in Christ and that Christ is all that you need to be. But instead of seeing that – you’re trying to become something that you already are. You’re struggling to obtain victory over sin and temptation, when in fact, in Christ you already have it. Why is it like this? Because you’re living according to your expectations rather than according to fact. According to the Word of God we are more than conquerors, God leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. However, that’s not the average experience of most Christians. But the Christian who knows actual reality, who knows his life in Christ, his resources in Christ, his position in Christ – struggling should never be your experience.

Each one of us is on a unique journey towards brokenness, humility, loss or the cross. We have different places where we’re resting or fixated or stuck in our experience. But you see, God’s intent is to bring each one of us into fullness of life; each one of us into an experiential awareness of Christ as our life. Now, some of us have only been aware of our salvation and maybe our assurance of salvation. That is, you know you’re going to heaven, you’re assured of forgiveness. But you don’t see that God wants to transform who you are. You don’t see that who you are is terribly important; that it will change what you do. And if you’re trying to change what you do by trying to change who you are, you’ll never get there. But if you’ll accept by faith who you are and enter into this brokenness that I’m talking about, in your own unique journey, wherever you may be in that process – you can experience an abundant life, the life of the Lord Jesus for your life. You can exchange your life for His at the cross and your position will become your condition!