The Purpose of The Cross
I wrote this blog because many times I have attended the
church house and not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ at all!!! Much to my chagrin the main topics range from psycho ,motivation, business success, and how to find a mate or principles of friendship.
With so much going on in terms of the old adage of Church
traditions verses cultural relevancy there appears to be a shift in the way
many pastors are delivering God’s word to the world. Pastors adopting the change preach a more
culturally relevant message, ditching the traditional language of theology.
Many like Rick Warren who is called the father of this new
age Christian movement justify their actions by saying “"I like to teach
theology to people without telling them it's theology and without using theological
terms," said Warren on ABC News' Nightline. "Simple does not mean
simplistic. Simple does not mean superficial. Simple means it's clear."
Amid some complaints
that the popular teaching may be more "self-help" than biblical,
Warren acknowledged the difficulty in balancing relevance and biblical
teachings. The evangelical pastor, however, is trying to bridge what happened
over 2,000 years ago to today.
Said Warren "When you're preaching and teaching the
good news, you walk a very fine line where you're taking the world of the Bible
and the world of today, and you're building a bridge between those
[worlds]," he explained on Nightline. "Now, it's easy to be biblical
if you don't care about being relevant ... And it's easy to be relevant if you
don't care about being biblical. I happen to want to be both."
However not everyone is a fan of the Purpose driven
self-help message.
Hence the title of
this blog
The Purpose of the Cross.
The first thing we need to do is to determine what is the
True gospel of Jesus Christ and look at any message which would divert from
that path and then see where that path leads people.
The true message from God can be found in John 3:16. This is perhaps the popular verse in the
world but usually it is given only a perfunctory glance without any though to
the depth of its real relevancy.
John 3:16, “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What a great message of hope and love from our Creator, but
look at it from another point of view.
When Adam failed he brought into the world sin for each and every person
that would be born afterwards.
Roman 5:12
reiterates this by saying, “Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned:”
So it begins to be clear that God’s love motivated Him
through mercy to send His only Son. But
what did He send His son to do exactly?
Let’s take a look at the scripture, let the Holy Spirit move on the text
and let the word of God do the talking.
Are We To Carry Our Own Cross?
"I am crucified with Christ– nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ lives in me– and the life which I now live in the flesh, I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest mystery
of divine wisdom and Almighty power, of eternal love and super-abounding grace,
which could ever have been displayed before the eyes of men or angels. I call
it a mystery, not only as incomprehensible by natural intellect, but because
the very essence of a mystery, in the Scripture sense of the term, is to be
hidden from some and revealed to others.
Thus the Lord said to his disciples
when they asked him why he spoke unto the multitude in parables, "Because
it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it is not given" Matthew.
13:11. In the same spirit he on another occasion said, "I thank you, O
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes– even so, Father; for so it
seemed good in your sight." Luke
10:21
The cross, then, is a mystery, not only as enfolding in the
ways of God the deepest treasures of heavenly wisdom and grace, but because the
power and wisdom of it are hidden from some, and made known to others. The
apostle, therefore, begs of the saints at Ephesus that they would pray for him
that utterance might be given unto him that he might open his mouth boldly, to
make known the mystery of the gospel, for which he was an ambassador in bonds. Ephesians 6:19 & 20. And again he
says, "Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace
was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and
to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages
past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." Ephesians 3:8 & 9.
Salvation by
the Cross Is an Offense
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Salvation by the cross was and still is today of all
doctrines the most offensive, and the most unintelligible. That the promised
Messiah would be crucified, was unto the Jew, who anticipated a triumphant
king, a stumbling block; that a crucified man was the Son of God was to the
Greek foolishness, for it contradicted sense and reason. Thus the preaching of
the cross was to those who perish foolishness.
But there were those whose eyes
were divinely enlightened to see, and their hearts opened to believe and
receive it. He therefore adds, "But unto us who are saved it is the power
of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18.
Though foolishness to the learned Greek, there were those who saw in the cross
a wisdom as much surpassing all other as the midday sun surpasses the faintest
star; which made the apostle say, "We do, however, speak a message of
wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of
this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a
wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time
began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:6-8.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
Here we get an idea of the brutality regarding God sending
His only Son that His death on The Cross might make atonement for human
rebellion which left us in compete darkness and if darkness is without the
knowledge of God or Salvation then how much more so His death accomplished.
The purpose of the cross carries a message which extends
even into our time as the singular and primary reason for the gospel. Holy Scriptures are a study in self-help or
self-realization but to bring humanity back into a “real” relationship with The
King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. The
wisdom and power and majesty of Christ sacrifice however does not stop at His
execution which gave humanity n opportunity at a reprieve but is a call to
believers to operate in the same manner as He has.
Arm yourself to Suffer like Christ
“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh,
arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the
flesh hath ceased from sin;” 1 Peter 4:1
In the above verse we see Peter giving believers a call to
arms. In warfare armor is an offensive and defensive weapon and when we place
upon ourselves the mind of Christ then we begin to be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness , faithfulness, Gentleness,
self-control, and most of all Forgiving.
You see when you understand the purpose of the cross you
will see that Christ lay down His own life.
In John 10:18 it reads “No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father.” Jesus wants you to know through His word that His love for His father
is what caused Him to place His life on the most horrible form of execution in
the history of mankind so we could live.
Now we can look at 1
Peter 4:1 again through the light of a savior who is attempting to
communicate through a distance and time gap of 2000 years. That the wages of sin is death and the gift
of God is eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While 1 Peter 4:1
is a call to arms then Romans 8:29
states the end result of picking up your cross and denying the flesh of sin and
resisting unto the death. Romans 8:29 reads “For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Now many have taken this verse out of context by saying that
God has already chosen a few set people to be in His kingdom but I’ll
illustrate the meaning of the verse by using the USMC.
You see the Marines states that if you come
into their organization, go through an intensive boot camp, follow orders,
learn your specialize skill in arms and weapons, and graduate, then you will be
a Marine for life. The Marines have
predestine anyone who goes through their program to have certain qualities and
intellectual components and that is exactly what Christianity has, a
predetermined quality which will affect you on every level, Mind, Body, Spirit,
Soul. The cross then becomes an example for
us in arming ourselves against our own flesh.
To deny sin to the death until it is put to death.
The Cross is a Sacrifice
The cross is again spoken of in Romans 12:1 where it states “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” So it is easy to see that the cross has a
purpose in the lives of the believer.
Not only was the death of Christ on the Cross for the believer, now we
can see the reason we are to operate as if we are on The Cross in our day to
day life. This is explicitly spoken of
by Jesus Himself in Luke 9:23 where
Jesus says “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. “
Here Jesus did not say take up the cross He died on but to
pick up the cross in your life. That is
the cross which will allow you to put to death the sins and thoughts which will
lead you to perdition.
It’s amazing how this message is being omitted from the
church house and the problems are piling upon those who attend. Many simply have given up and moved on to the
cults who offer yet still a form of godliness but deny the power of the Holy
Spirit through Jesus Christ. Any
Christian message which does not include the cross is another attempt at
reconciliation with God without the mediator who is Christ. This of course is a liberal spirit which
seeks to offend none and draw all.
Jesus
himself was an offense to the religious, political, and socio establishments of
His time as is His true message today.
To the top leaders of Israel Jesus stated “Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in
him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it.” This of course offended
them and they called Him a Samaritan (an insult) and a devil. You see Jesus was the most radical man in the
world and if you look closely, come with any mental sensitivity then you will
see that He is today.
His words, ways, principles and deeds remain an offense even
to those who profess to believe on Him today.
Please take the time to read the following verses in John 6:35 to
66. This show the mentalities of those
who wish to follow Christ but are offended at His words and seek to change it.
John 6:35-66, 35Then
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go
hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you,
you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All those the Father gives me
will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have
come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
39And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all those
he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father’s will is
that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,
and I will raise them up at the last day.”
41At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because
he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They said, “Is this not
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say,
‘I came down from heaven’?” 43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus
answered. 44“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,
and I will raise them up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets:
‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned
from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from
God; only he has seen the Father. 47Very truly I tell you, the one who believes
has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in
the wilderness, yet they died.
50But here is the bread that comes down from
heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came
down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52Then the Jews began to
argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last
day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my
flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
57Just as the living
Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me
will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your
ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live
forever.” 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Are Offended And
Desert Jesus
60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard
teaching. Who can accept it?” 61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about
this, Jesus said to them, “Does this
offend you? 62Then what
if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives
life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are
full of the Spirit and life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who
would betray him. 65He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can
come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66From this time many
of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
This is the message
that Jesus teaches and it is contrary to human intellect and it is offensive to
every man. That is why when we are
willing to accept God’s will in spite of the way it feels or sounds He indwells
us and we are filled with His Spirit which gives us the Power to live this
contrary lifestyle which goes against the human will.
I cannot imagine
Sunday church house where the Jesus being preached is limited to how to find a
friend (real topic) or 7 ways to gain prosperity, or better yet how to treat
the new comer in Christ. This puts shame
to all the disciples and saints who haphazard themselves for the true word of
Jesus Christ and brings condemnation to those place in the position of a
Watchman over the sheep of Christ.
Ezekiel 33:6, But
if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that
the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that
person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the
watchman's hand.
It’s Time To Preach God’s Gospel
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is
written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:15.
The above verse is beautiful and was first written in the
book of Isaiah. It describes the true
messenger of God as being sent. This is
a big contrary to the theology school and church house's dissemination of
Apostle, Prophets, Pastors, Evangelist, and Teachers who are For Profit in
their motivation and seek to ply their trade in a world where the word of God
is in a situation similar to a famine.
Many cannot differentiate from the truth and the false and are led
astray by what scriptures liken to wolves in sheep clothing.
In their attempt to draw men together for “business” these
fake, phonies, and frauds have create an atmosphere in Christian that I
described in my book’s synopsis as a club house experience.
Please read that synopsis to my new book
A
Declaration to the Spiritual Soldier;
ABOUT THIS BOOK
I don’t have a problem with the traditional church house,
but I do have a problem with church house traditions overriding the gospel of
Jesus Christ and presenting stumbling blocks to the millions who will never
enter into the church house and be saved.
The church house does not save.
It is Jesus Christ who saves.
When I say traditional church I am not talking about the
church of God of which Jesus Christ is Lord.
I am talking about the Northern American church that has largely
forsaken its mission covenant with God to become part of a largely
capitalistic, consumer, materialistic and organized religion which substitutes
church for a clubhouse experience where religious people hang out with other
religious people who dress, behave, vote, and believe like them. This book will separate me from millions in
that world who will never be able to see why I wrote it and who will never
understand the content of it.
This book is not for you if you are content with the status
quo. If twice a week church attendance
and singing in the choir are enough for you, it will definitely cause a fire to
be lit in your spirit. This book is not
for you if you cannot separate faith from institutionalize religion, or if you
can’t contemplate a God that is larger than your experience of Him in your
church experience.
On the other hand, if you believe that God has not abandoned
us, then by all means purchase this book.
If you know deep down, that the world we live in is evil and against God
and that the church is in a state of apostasy, then please buy this book. If you can see that it is impossible to
deliver God’s message to the millions upon million who are lost within her own
corridors and to the world outside, then please pick up this book.
Let me be blunt. I am
writing this book as a polemical textbook.
I want to stir up the body of Christ.
Especially, those “who get it.”
This book is controversial because it presents the unadulterated word of
God without compromise. This book speaks
of the renewing of the mind. This book
speaks of the examining of one’s self through the standard of Holy Scriptures
and not the religious institution you attend.
I want it known that NOTHING in this book nor is anything I
publish done to convince people of ANYTHING, as the convincing belongs to the
"Spirit of God." Nor are they
published to coerce people into following what is presented within its
pages. However, I do know that the days
ahead will more than validate and authenticate the integrity which does lie
upon its pages.
We must come to the understanding that we are on a journey,
and in that journey, it is not so much of where we are presently, but WHERE WE
ARE GOING. God Himself is the author and
finisher of The Book. We are merely
cascading towards an apocalyptic and all-consuming end.
The quality of church that must emerge in the North Americas
must be able to see that millions upon millions will never enter the
traditional church house and receive salvation.
There are millions under 30 who have no God consciousness. As I stated in my introduction, they have not
accepted the tenants of Christianity and live a pagan lifestyle in which if it
feels good, then it must be good. They
are technologically advanced, politically astute, educationally empowered, but
lack the necessary moral compass derived from a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ.
In a way they are a reflection of our brothers and sisters
within the church who give them the credence to remain ignorance in God because
they see no value or difference between Christianity and this world. To them the average Christian is
hypocritical, ignorant, and a micro- organism of the world itself.
Listen they are not stupid.
They understand the workings of the world and see the wolves and false
teaching better than the religious addicts who sit by blindly with their self-
righteous attitude running on self will run riot.
My life calling has been to reach God’s people, who are
unaware they are lost, so that they can go out and reach a harvest because “The
Harvest Is Ripe.” “The Laborers are
Few.” When was the last time you felt
new power flow into your life? When was
the last time the Holy Spirit came to you in a still small voice and told you
while in the supermarket, while on vacation or better yet while driving, “STOP
AND DISCIPLE.”
As Christians, we are in
a war and this war is for your soul and the souls of the lost. Did you know that you are responsible? Not your Pastor, not your Deacon, but you are
responsible as a laborer in the harvest.
We are not on a pleasure cruise, or just experiencing life
as it naturally unfolds. We are IN A
WAR. As I stated in my new book, this
war that is being fought is between Yahweh Elohim and Satan himself, between
Yeshua The Messiah and the anti-Christ, the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of
Darkness.
If you are not viewing your
existence on this earth from the perspective of this war, YOU ARE AND HAVE BEEN
COMPLETELY DECEIVED!!! Not only deceived,
but headed toward a speeding train wreck with a horrific ending. The days SOON ahead are going to be
horrendous.
When I speak of an Army, I do not mean one of flesh but the
army of the Lord God Himself. When I say
weapons, I do not mean those that would inflict physical wounds but spiritual
warfare. This is the power of Yahweh
Himself living within us. Do not be
deceived. The truth is available, but
many rely upon corrupt man to dispense it without thought as to who that man is
or what is his motivation.
We are told in 1st John 5 that "the whole world lieth
in wickedness." Is that THE
TRUTH? If so, then what kind of world
are we living in? And, how did this come
to be? Why is the whole world operating
in WICKEDNESS? Do you see it that
way? If you don’t see it that way, then
ask yourself WHY NOT?
We are all physically living in this world, "The
Kingdom of Darkness". Do you
understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? That kingdom is working overtime to hold us
captive through lies, deception, and illusions.
It IS Satan’s MATRIX" and we are being programmed
constantly through its propaganda, through the techniques of mind control, both
from the natural realm and upon our minds from the spirit realm. We now know that this is taking place in the
world, but few understand that this stronghold has made its way into the church
“house” of God. This "strong
delusion" is taking everyone who does not receive the "love for the
truth" to destruction.
People, we are in a very serious day. This nation has cursed itself "unto
spiritual death", unto severe judgment, and those judgments ARE
FALLING. With over 60 million abortions,
slavery, the genocide of people in every country on the planet, inequity of
justice, the modern slavery called private prison farms, the "Beginning of
Sorrows" IS ESCALATING. Natural calamities
are ON THE RISE. We are constantly on
the threshold of economic chaos. New
diseases are showing up constantly and on top of that, the New World Order or
biblically the political and religious BEAST in The Book of Revelation has
determined to wipe believers off of the face of the earth, and has set up the
necessary machinery to do so.
People everywhere are wondering what is wrong with their
life. Most are running to and fro,
especially the Internet "surfers", to try and find a solution, while
the Bible gathers dust within the reach of their hand.
Yes, knowledge is increasing at a very rapid rate, yet life
for most seems to worsen. Why hasn't
this increase of knowledge brought about happiness? As you will see, the solution to the happy,
successful life is very plain when a person's understanding is opened.
You can seek knowledge, hoping someone will solve your
problems for you, but until you find the Truth and apply it to your life, your
life WILL NOT CHANGE. God is not
obligated to bless you if your house is not in order. We cannot keep doing the same things and
expect different results.
That is
insanity.
Therefore, God brings that
which will cause the desire in us for change, and then gives us a revelation
through His Word that will cause that change, if we submit to it. Yes, He is the one who does the work, who
energizes us, enables us to submit, but we will have to submit by applying
ourselves to the revelation He is opening up to us in order for us to come into that which He is changing us to.
Gaining head knowledge is one thing; gaining experience of
that knowledge through life's situations is quite another. The Word does NOT become flesh in us by the
gaining of head knowledge. It may be the
beginning of change, but it will not bring forth actual change. What changes us is being put into situations
where the Word becomes life in us by putting ourselves on the Cross, and
letting the Word come forth in us.
This
IS what is happening to those who are being put through very difficult times,
if they are walking the walk with Yahweh Elohim correctly. If such a one is walking correctly, then the
Word will come forth in that individual, become life in them, and bring the
individual into subjection of the Word.
The Word is Jesus Christ who is manifesting Himself within us.
There are a number of people with a "Great
Calling" upon their life, and they KNOW it. They are isolated and hidden from view. They are frustrated, because their "calling"
seems of little value, let alone that which is bringing forth fruit. Because of that "calling", the
enemy has launched viciously upon them, and has worked overtime to keep them
suppressed, oppressed and ISOLATED! These
are the ones with whom I am trying to reach.
They need the understanding of what is happening to them, and WHY!!!
In closing, the most important matter, the highest priority
on our list, should be to come out of all the lies and deceptions that are
running rampant over the earth, and come into the truth. Those that do NOT will be left with a
"Strong Delusion", and the ultimate consequence of such. (End
of Synopsis)
As you can see these are strong words which carry in this politically correct world an offensive message and many will feel judged and
rightly so as the word of God through His Holy Spirit is designed to judge and
correct us in our day to day lives.
As a minister of the Most High I cannot and I will not be
detoured from the simplistic truth which God gave me when “He sent me.” The sad truth is this message has been
rejected by the masses and many times they are the determining factor in what
the Pastor will be preaching on any given Sunday.
The people want to know what success is,
let’s teach a sermon and bring in the most successful business man in
America. It’s time to wake up my
brothers and sisters. God’s word is
slowly fading from the American scene and is being replaced by the God of
self.
What is the Purpose of the Cross?
The cross is a great in revealing the truth. The cross is the
measure of the magnitude of our sin. When we read of what took place at the
cross, we almost tremble at the way men mocked God, knowing that had we been
alive then, we would have joined them, apart from the grace of God.
The cross
reveals to us the dreadfulness of our sins. It is just such sin that required
the cross to cure it. If the price of the cure is also the measure of the
magnitude of the disease, sin is a horrible malady. The cross is the measure of
God’s hatred of sin. The cross is also the measure of God’s love and grace,
poured out upon those whom He saves.
The cross, as terrible as it is, is a wondrous and even
beautiful thing, for the Christian. We sing that song, “The Old Rugged Cross,”
with gratitude and wonder. We sing that we “love that old cross …”, and so we
do, or rather, we love Him who died on it.
And every week, in some church at least, we gather to celebrate, once again, the
sacrifice which our Lord made on our behalf, through the shedding of His
precious blood. No matter how many times I read the accounts of our Lord’s death,
I am always struck with wonder, gratitude, and praise. I am reminded of the
words of a hymn that is not in just our songs, but should be in our lives,
“Jesus, keep me near the cross …” So it should be.
I am sure that the events which occurred at the cross had a
great impact on those who witnessed the death of our Lord. The centurion was
convinced from what he saw that Jesus was the Son of God. Some of those who
heard Peter preach at Pentecost may well have witnessed our Lord’s death at
Calvary. Luke 23:48 tells us that
the multitudes, when they beheld this sight, went away beating their breasts.
It was a horrible day for those who thought it might be entertaining. I wonder
how many of these folks were later saved.
If you are a Christian, you should be stirred in your soul
every time you read of our Lord’s death. We should never tire of remembering
Him and His death, as our Lord commanded (see Luke 22:19). We should take every temptation to sin seriously,
knowing what our sin cost Him at Calvary. We should never cease to preach
Christ crucified, for this is what the gospel is all about.
1 Corinthians 11:23.
Is it possible that someone is reading these words who has
not yet grasped the fact that the death of Jesus Christ is no mere historical
fact, unrelated to men and women today? The death of our Lord Jesus Christ on
the cross was His full and final payment for the penalty of our sin. It is on
the basis of His death and resurrection that the offer of salvation is made to
all.
Those who trust in the work of Jesus at Calvary are saved. Have you
received the gift of salvation, which was purchased at Calvary? If not, I urge
you to acknowledge your sin, and to own up to the fact that His suffering at
Calvary is what you deserve. Receive the gift of the forgiveness of your sins,
trusting that He has paid the penalty for your sin.
As I think of the picture of the cross which John has
painted for us, I remember the crowds as they taunted and mocked the Lord Jesus
Christ. I hear their words ringing in my ears, “We have no king, but Caesar!” John 19:15, and “His blood (Jesus’s) be
upon us and our children!” Matthew 27:25.
These are the most horrifying words imaginable. Not many years later, Jerusalem
will pay a heavy price for the Jews’ part in the rejection and crucifixion of
Jesus Christ.
Thirty years later, on this very spot, judgment was
pronounced against some of the best citizens of Jerusalem. Of the 3,600 victims
of the governor’s fury, not a few were scourged and crucified! Judas died in a
loathsome suicide, the house of Annas was destroyed some years later, Caiaphas
was deposed a year after the crucifixion, and Pilate was soon after banished to
Gaul and there died in suicide. When Jerusalem fell, her wretched citizens were
crucified around her walls until, in the historian’s grim language, ‘space was
wanting for the crosses, and crosses for the bodies.’ The horrors of the siege
of Jerusalem are unparalleled in history.
I pray that you do not allow sin to reign in your bodies and
reject Jesus Christ. It’s one thing to
not know and reject God’s word. It’s
another thing to sit in a church house for 20 years and never break a sweat for
yourself regarding God’s word. Our
Pastor cannot and will not stand before God for you. He will be judged based on his works just
like you will.
In closing the Purpose of the Cross is to show you how much
God loves us all and to bring us to repentance because of that love. To destroy the works of the flesh in our
lives and to take us out of self and into God’s will for our lives. It is time to follow the word of God and heed
to Him and Him alone.
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23
