The Cross of Christ
“But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” - Galatians 6:14
Jesus' death upon the cross is the centerpiece of human history. It is the most widely known fact and the least understood.
It was in the mind of God before Creation (1 Peter 1:20 ) and it was the substance of Paul's preaching. (1 Corinthians 2:2 )
The cross of Christ demonstrates the wisdom and power of God in a way that nothing else does.
God has set Jesus forth as a “propitiation”, a sacrifice to appease his wrath toward our sin. ( Romans 3:25 )
The Lord intends the death of Jesus upon the cross to be the point of focus for our hearts and minds as surely as the Israelites were to look upon the serpent lifted up for their healing (John 3:14) Jesus crucified must capture our hearts.
Yet the cross of Christ may not constrain our hearts, even though we may understand it from scripture. Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live, should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
It is the Father's will for us to live unto Jesus. But we may live without Jesus as our husband.
Our thinking may remain that of a single person, "how will this affect me, what will this cost me, what will others think of me"?
Unless I am constrained by Jesus' death for my sins - the world will not be crucified unto me, nor I unto the world.
I may cover my life with things that make me appear righteous to others, and forget that the Lord sees if I live unto him.
Only in the cross would Paul boast. The pride that darts through our hearts changing colors must be recognized.
Paul could no longer boast of his own attainments under the law. He came to count them as manure. (Philippians 3:8)
Isaiah had written that all of our righteous acts are as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) Our sins leave us no excuse for pride.
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,... "
We must guard our hearts to remember what is of first importance. The supper is to remind us of Jesus and his death for our sins.
No other truth has a memorial given for it. If we turn our eyes anywhere else, we will begin to sink as surely as Peter in the water.
It is a terrible irony that some have drowned spiritually by looking at the water instead of Jesus.
The earliest Christians spoke the gospel with great joy, but even they were sometimes distracted. Inequity in benevolence began early. (Acts 6:1) The epistles are full of corrections. It is not surprising that we find our minds drawn away by other things.
Our teaching may be true, without imparting life . Only seeing Jesus crucified empties me to receive his life , repeatedly.
"For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the lif e also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh ."
2 Corinthians 4:11