To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Month: March 2011

The CROSS Examination :: Place of Settlement

The CROSS on which Jesus Christ was nailed is the place of divine settlement. When one is born into the world, they are born into a world that is sinful and subject to its power.  They are born into a world with the overarching arm of the law that aims to penalize those who are guilty of breaking it.

Sin aims to gain mastery and rule over the residents of this world but the Bible prescribes that we must rule over it (Genesis 4:7). Yet we sin and become guilty according to the law. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The law obligates that the wages of our sin be paid. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But thanks be to God, that on the Cross, the sin-debt was paid in full (John 19:30) and nailed to it (Colossians 2:14). When Jesus said from the Cross, “Tetelastai”, it is rendered as “It is finished”, but this word is used in business transactions to mean “Paid in Full”. In other words, Jesus Christ took the letter of the law; the obligations that were imposed on each of us, and nailed it to the cross, blotting it (settling the sin-debt) once and for all.

The lyrics of one of the stanzas of the song, “Before the throne of God Above” beautifully accentuates this fact that our sin-debt has been nailed to the Cross and blotted out in its entirety. The lyrics go as “Because a sinless Savior died, my guilty soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied. To look on Him (Jesus Christ) and pardon me.

The Cross is the place of divine settlement. Our sin-debt was paid for in full. So when the Just God and Holy Father, looks at me, He does not see in my sinful state or my past sins, but instead as one that is pardoned and set free from the ordinances of the condemning law.

Has you sin-debt be dealt with? In other words, have you believed in Jesus Christ, who settled our score paying the wages of our sin with his life, dying on the Cross, wherein He nailed our sin-debt. Let us cross examine ourselves and settle with Him, who settled for us, so that we may be able to settle with God eternally.

Colossians 2:13-14 (KJV)
13
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14
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;

The CROSS Examination :: Place of Strength

The CROSS on which Jesus Christ was nailed is the place of divine strength . The Bible says the “Joy of the LORD is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). What is the joy of the LORD? The Bible has the answer to that question as well. The Prophet Isaiah records that it was the LORD’s delight (joy) to bruise Jesus Christ, His Only begotten Son, so that by His death would be the offering for our sin (Isaiah 53:10). This would imply that the Joy of the LORD was indeed the CROSS on which Jesus paid for our sins with His life. But what is Strength then? One of the word that the Thesaurus suggests in place of the word ‘strength’ is the word ‘Power’. In other words, the Joy of the LORD is our strength can be rephrased as “The CROSS is our POWER”. The Apostle Paul, in his address to the Church in Corinth, states this aptly, when he says, that the preaching of the cross to those that perish is foolishness, but to them that are saved, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The CROSS of Christ Jesus is a place of Strength.

Let us cross examine ourselves and let us joy in the CROSS which is the power of God, made manifest to mankind. Are you perishing or have you been saved? All of us who are weak and heavy laden, can cling to the Cross of Jesus Christ, from which flows, God’s power i.e., divine strength.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV)
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.

The CROSS Examination :: Place of Surrender

The CROSS on which Jesus Christ was nailed is the place of divine surrender. It is the Cross the submission of Jesus Christ , the Son of God, to God’s will for the Salvation of mankind (Matthew 26:39), culminates into total surrender (Philippians 2:8). It is the Cross, where Jesus Christ, who being God, made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a man, and humbled Himself to becoming a dead man (not dead God), on the Cross, so that the sons and daughters of men (i.e., you and me) could live; live abundantly in His grace and eternally in His glory.

Let us cross examine ourselves and let our submissions of part of our lives be total surrender of our very life to and for Him. Let it be said of us, that “For to us to live is Christ and to die is gain”. Let us totally surrender to Jesus Christ, the God who surrendered His all, including His very life, being obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross. Can you show me of another who has done the same for you/me?

Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 26:38-39 (KJV)
38
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

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