Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Plan (Pt.3)

Jesus began His revelation to the world at the Sermon on the Mount, which we looked at yesterday.

Understand that I believe this is different and set apart from anything else Jesus taught or preached. While Jesus taught about salvation throughout the gospels it is explained in its fullest sense here.

It was so important that He gave it to the Apostle Paul so many years later, even perhaps as long as a decade after Paul's Damascus Road experience.

What is the culmination of this revelation? Indeed, what IS the heart of the revelation?

Jesus pointed out the condition and needs of the human heart and the result of the saved soul, but He reserved the one special element that was the most critical. He has to leave it out because it had not yet been concluded when He conducted the Sermon on the Mount teaching.

The critical element is The Cross.

Yes, we need the acknowledgement of the bankrupt spirit, the mourning of our dead sinful state, the meekness of His righteousness, and certainly the hunger and thirsting for more of Him, but...

None of that comes to any conclusive victory without the Cross. Without the Cross it's all just Law.

This is what He gave to Paul.

Paul gave it to the world. Even Paul struggled with trying to live righteously until he received this revelation (Rom. 7).

1 Cor. 1:23 - "We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense."

Gal. 3:13 - "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'"

1 Cor. 2:2 - "For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified."

Gal. 6:12 - "Those who want to make a good impression and a fine show in the flesh would try to compel you to receive circumcision, simply so that they may escape being persecuted for allegiance to the cross of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."

And perhaps the greatest testament from Paul of all:

Gal. 6:14 - "But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!"

Clearly this is THE most important thing that Paul felt he could share with the world.

Nothing. Nothing but the Cross of Jesus Christ by which mankind is saved to God and from his sin and worldly ways. Nothing but the Cross of Christ for his freedom from sickness and disease. Nothing but the Cross of Christ to effect even our Holy Ghost baptism.

The Cross is the central event in all of biblical and world history. There has never been anything greater or more effective than what Jesus did on the Cross.

This is THE revelation of God to man. Within it holds the secret and power of successful living for anyone who merely says "YES!" to it!

How about you today? Have you said "Yes!" to it? Have you appropriated all the blessings that are contained in it?

You know if you have or not. Perhaps only you and Jesus know this.

You cannot get anywhere with God until you deal with Calvary. You can't live on the Incarnation, and you can't leapfrog over the Cross to the Tomb.

You have to first deal thoroughly with the Cross.

Personally, I think this is what is weakening the Church today. The Cross is no longer popular. It is systematically being replaced by new emergent theologies and doctrines.

Why don't you have a conversation with Him about it today? Seriously. Why not?

If there is anything that lives up to "Keepin' it Real", in my humble opinion, it doesn't get any more "real" than this people.

Be blessed,

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><

No comments:

Post a Comment