Celebrating the cross and its freedom
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)
Hello Saints,
This is such an interesting time of year…the new creation reality is all around us! The doves have returned to my ladder to bring forth the next generation of doves. For many years now, since I have had my ladder hanging on the outside wall of my garage, the morning doves have returned in early spring, actually before spring even arrives officially, to build their little nest and prepare a place for their young to be born. Even the ground produces new buds as last year’s fallen seeds become this year’s shoots. God has worked into the natural laws that govern our universe an amazing picture of salvation. As Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Whether it is a living creature or a lone plant, a seed has to die (stop being a seed) before it can produce anything of value. Likewise, the Bible is very clear that in order for new spiritual life to be created, there must first be a death to the old life: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We can sum it up like this – “know death, know life; no death, no life” (John 12:25, a truth repeated in every gospel). God has made it so plain! Yet, year after year as creation shouts the necessity for a ‘new creation’ by the sovereign hand of God, in order to experience new life, the major religions of the world continue to propagate their works driven message of salvation – a cross-less life of good deeds… “just do this good deed, attend this ceremony, say these prayers, etc. etc. etc.”. It’s all around us! Whether it be the mosque, synagogue, church or temple, there is such a hustle and bustle of religious activity. The message seems loud and clear to the masses: “if you want to connect with the deity of the day, you gotta be busy doing something!” How sad that the simple good news of the gospel is lost in a world of “do” rather than the truth of “done”. “It is finished” proclaimed Jesus as He took His last breath! No more striving, no more working to earn, no more sacrifices on the religious altars of works based institutions….I have come that you may have life, and this life to the fullest! You can’t earn it. If you want life, you have to die! This is the message the true follower of Jesus proclaims. The cross of Jesus Christ is the only way true death can happen, so that true life can emerge out of it. This is why a former religious zealot like Paul could so adamantly declare, “I will boast in the cross of Jesus, for that is where I finally died to all works of the flesh, and man made religions, and those religions have died to me – the world’s deceiving way of salvation and its hold on me has finally been destroyed once and for all, and I am free to live for Jesus” (my paraphrase)! In the context of the book of Galatians, being a circumcised Jew means nothing; putting my hope in obedience to the law means nothing. The only thing that matters is whether I believe in the Son of God who died for me – who was the dead seed buried in the ground from which was birthed new life for me. This is Paul’s message to a religiously busy world fooled and deceived by a works salvation: “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). “The righteous shall live by faith, not works” (Gal. 3:11-12).
Have you truly died to religious expectations? Have you found the freedom of following Jesus by faith? It starts with death…have you truly died yet? Listen to Paul’s words:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
There is no life without first experiencing crucifixion with Christ. When I truly die to myself and my ways, Christ really starts to live His life through me, and I start to experience true faith, love and life. Friends, the cross is where it starts and continues. We need to continually die to experience the life that Jesus has purchased for us and wants us to live. Are we truly dead to religious expectations? Have we truly died to the world’s hold on us to be what it wants us to be (Rom. 12:2). True life doesn’t start till true death happens: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”(Romans 6:4).
Friends the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are locked in a works earned salvation that nullifies the crucifixion of Jesus. We are not of that group; our eyes have been opened! We are dead people made truly alive by Christ. If you find yourself stuck in the rat race of trying to earn God’s favor through your good deeds, look to the cross where His death means an end to your striving. It’s by faith in the amazing grace of God offered in His crucified Son that sets us free from dead works and releases us to live the resurrection life He purchased. Do you want to know true life and true freedom? Look to the cross! (Meditate on Romans 5 & 6)
… Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
… Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all
(Chris Tomlin, Isaac Watts)
Enjoy your new life of freedom in Christ!
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