Focus: The Cross Is God's Answer!

Text: Gal.6:14

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

Jesus Christ turned the cross, a thing of ignominy, agony, shame, and reproach, into a thing of glory. Paul says, "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have CRUCIFIED the LORD OF GLORY" (1Cor.2:8). The cross is both the product of human ignorance and the instrument of divine wisdom. 

For lack of knowledge man used the cross to eliminate the Lord of glory, and by an act of infinite wisdom God used the same cross to achieve an eternal weight of glory. The cross is God's answer to the human malady, and that is the reason Paul gloried in the cross, and he says, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1Cor.2:2).

Through the Cross God has solved or settled the problems of Sin, Death, Satan, Self, and the World.

*The malady of sin:

The Lord says about Mary, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their SINS" (Mt.1:21). The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from the bondage of sin. Sin has had dominion over us all our lives, but on the cross the yoke of sin was destroyed. John says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the SIN of the world" (Jh.1:29). In Matthew Christ is the Savior of His people. In John He is the Savior of the world. In Matthew He saves us from our SINS. In John He saves us from our SIN. 

Sins speak of quantity, while sin speaks of quality. The cross is God's answer for the human sin.

Paul says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his CROSS" (Col.2:14). Again he says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve SIN" (Rom.6:6). The dominion of sin loses its influence.

*The malady of death:

God used the death of Christ on the cross to destroy the power of death. The writer of Hebrews says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb.2:14,15). In 1Cor.15, Paul says, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1Cor.15:54,55). In Romans 6, he says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom.6:4). Christ has tasted death for every man. He did not only die for us; He died with us. And He resurrected also with us. We share His resurrection. 

We experience His resurrection through supernatural regeneration. Our spiritual rebirth is the same as our spiritual resurrection with Christ.

In Christ we are a new creation. In Christ also the believers will experience physical resurrection, which the Apostle Paul calls, "the redemption of our body." The fear of death loses its force.

*The malady of Satan:

Paul says, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col.2:15). The Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over Satan by the cross. The writer of Hebrews says that Satan had the power of death, and through the cross Christ destroyed him. Satan is forever a loser. Christ has spoiled or disarmed him eternally. The power or yoke of Satan is broken.

*The malady of self or the flesh:

Paul tells us, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal.2:20). The cross deals not only with our sin, but also with our 'self' or the flesh. The cross is the place of death, and Christ tells us to take our cross daily and follow Him, and Paul declares, "I die daily." 

As we let the cross do its work in us, we die to self. Christ takes over the throne of our hearts and rules as Lord from there. Paul says, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal.5:24). That's what we do, mortifying the deeds of the flesh. Paul says, "For if ye live after the FLESH, ye shall DIE: but if ye through the Spirit do MORTIFY the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom.8:13). Paul says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom.6:6). Again he says, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the FLESH, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Rom.14:13). 

The flesh does not die once; it dies every day through the application of the principle of the cross.

While our sins are forgiven, our flesh must go to the cross and die. Someone said, ""ME" is always at the bottom of all sin. One little word M-E. It may spell drink, lust, pride, covetousness, self-will; but it is some form of "me." The lust of the flesh loses its center and control.

*The malady of the world:

Paul declares, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the WORLD is CRUCIFIED unto ME, and I unto the WORLD" (Gal.6:14). The cross separates us from the world. Death has occurred, and still occurs, and on daily basis we cease to exist. Any day we refuse to die to self, Satan wins. 

Christ is our new center. With the cross of Christ at the center of our lives, the world loses its charm, luster, fantasy and fanfare. The world also loses its grips on us. Satan showed Jesus Christ all the glory of the kingdoms of this world, but they meant nothing to Him. He would not succumb to the flashiness of the world. We constantly need a fresh revelation of the cross to look away from and rise above worldliness in all its forms. The lust of the eyes loses its power at the cross. The pride of life is leveled by the cross.

We thank God for the cross! We rejoice for what the Spirit is using the cross to do in us. Christ the crucified is now Christ the glorified. The crown of glory is forever connected to the cross of shame. Through the cross of Christ we have the victory over sin, self, Satan, death, and the world. Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter