Apr 6, 2017
Episode 72 The Message of the Cross
What is the message of the cross? Paul said it is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the
power of God. Do we know the fullness of the message or just a
part? I think that all Christians know something of the cross of
Jesus Christ. Perhaps some just know it as a symbol of their
religion or maybe as some kind of “magic charm.” But most know that
Christ died on the cross for their sins, and have believed that
because of that they are forgiven and look forward to being in
heaven one day. But the cross is so much more than that. I would go
so far as to say that very few really know the cross as “the power
of God” in experience in their daily lives. Let us ask God to give
us a fresh vision of what Christ did at Calvary and how we enter
into His provision in all things.
• The cross has two basic aspects
o Judicial (the foundation for redeeming mankind from sin)
o Practical (deliverance from the power of sin into the
righteousness of God)
• The Judicial
o Mankind was dead in sin because of Adam (Rom. 5:12-14)
o Christ came to redeem mankind back to God (Rom. 5:6-8)
o At Calvary Christ took the sin of Adam’s race on Himself and
accepted God’s judgment of death (2 Cor. 5:21)
o He then rose again, conquered death and became the victor, the
“last Adam” (I Cor. 15:20-25, Heb. 2:14-15)
• The practical
o We come to Christ not just to know forgiveness of sins, but to
enter into His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-14)
o We are baptized into His death and rise in newness of life (water
and spirit)
o In this union with Christ, everything that He did becomes ours
through faith in Him and what He did
o Christ died to sin, the law, the flesh, and the world
o Our death to all of these is possible because He died and we died
in Him
o Our righteousness before God is the righteousness of Christ (1
Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 5:21)
o The experience of this comes as we believe God (in a life
relationship of faith)
o God does not accept anything of the old (Adam) into the new
(Christ)
He does not accept our efforts
He does not accept our natural abilities (from Adam)
o God only accepts what He has already done in Christ
o The Holy Spirit is sent to make the things of Christ real in us
(John 16:12-15)
• Additional resources at http://www.ntchurchsource.com/
• Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne
• Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com