Salient points about the CROSS
- One of the most important word to a Born again Christian is the “CROSS.” It is a symbol of atonement and reminds Christians of God’s love in sacrificing His only son for humanity
- It represents Jesus’ victory over sin and death – through His death and resurrection He conquered death itself
- It is a word to be wept over. The apostle Paul said in our text, “Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). Tears are not the only proper response to militant Islam, but tears are right when a group of people declare themselves enemies of the cross
- The tears are not for fear that we will be hurt. They are for sadness that Christ’s sacrifice and God’s love are so dishonored, and that so many enemies of the cross will perish. 2COR 2:4 says “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you”
- The cross is the greatest display of God’s Love that ever was or ever will be. John 3:16
- The cross was the climax of Christs obedience. It is as though all His obedience was summed up in those final hours of final testing. There is no obedience that can be compared to the obedience of staying on the cross in fulfillment of the father’s will. Phil 2:8 says “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”
- The cross is our life and our joy and our only hope of fellowship with God. Without the sacrifice on the CROSS there will no true salvation for man.
- To hate the cross is to hate the demonstration of the love of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing”
Some behaviors that make us big enemies of the CROSS: Matthew 7: 21 – 23 & 2 Timothy 2:20,
- Lack of Love – 1Cor 13: 1-8
- Forgetting past favour quickly
- Treating your partner with disdain/disrespect
- Pride
- Unwillingness to accept/confess a fault and ask for pardon
- Envy/Jealous of others’ progress/success
- Indulgence in unholy anger
- Love for money
- Backbiting
- Adultery/Fornication
- “Little” Lies
- Incessant aspiring after honours of the world
What should be our reaction to the CROSS?
Mark 8: 34 -38 “And when He had called the people unto Him with his disciples also, He said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it……”
- What does it mean to take up our CROSS and follow HIM and How can we effectively take up our CROSS and follow Him? Matt 25:32-40, 2Tim2:19
Conclusion:
- Anything that stands between us and our salvation is an enemy to the cross
- Being an enemy of the cross is equivalent to crucifying Christ on the cross for the second time
- There are many Christians who live continually as enemies of the cross by indulgence in any known sin. However, this one thing is clear: if they refuse to submit to the first death in order to experience this first resurrection, they will never experience the blessing of the second resurrection. The Holy Spirit is the agent of all resurrection (Romans 8:11). And if He didn’t resurrect you the first time in the image and likeness of Christ, He won’t resurrect you the second time to make your body conform to the body of Christ’s glory.
