Who would have thought the cross up as a way to save the world?
"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
The cross of Christ splits mankind into two categories: fools and the wise. The fools however are the ones that are being saved and the wise are the ones perishing. The graffiti above so aptly portrays the lost world's view of the cross. I guess today it would be like walking around saying that some prophet was executed in an electric chair in some remote prison to pay for your sins. In our natural minds we would hear this and scoff with ridicule. Even though the cross is offensive and one of the most despicable visuals of the Roman world, that is not what makes the cross of Christ so offensive. The cross is offensive because it is the best, most honest assessment of the sinful condition of mankind. The evoked question should and usually is, "why would God do that to His son?" Answer: we are a brutal, savage people who kill babies calling it a mother's choice and murder people in our hearts everyday! It shows the cost required to pay for the sins of man. "The cross is the brutal truth about me."
The implications of this message:
- my mission field is populated with perishing people who hate the cross because they are quite happy with self salvation. They have it covered and don't need my help or anyone's help.
- The cross is shameful as an actual, historical image but also it's implications to the sinner. When is the last time I bore the shame of the cross for His name and glory? When is the next time I get the chance?
- When I shy away from being a shamed fool for Christ I negate the cross, denying its power alone to save.
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I recently received an email saying that to be able to work in the nursery I would need to fill out a form so I could have a background check done. I figured that would be the end of me helping in the nursery. I know what they would find on that background check. Would it be enough to disqualify me for service in that area? Maybe not, but I tell you that if my whole life and my every action were available on that background check, I would definitely be disqualified.
ReplyDeleteLike Mark, my heart was racing. I was not thinking of the woman who people would run to the nursery to snatch their children away from. But rather I was thinking of the children that would have been snatched from my hands by their parents, had they even a slight clue as to my former life.
Before Byron let on that this person was fictional, I was hearing of her dreadful sins, But I was not thinking of her sins, I was thinking of my own. I was hearing of her salvation and her willingness to serve the body. And all I could respond with was, PRAISE GOD! He did that for ME too! My heart went out to this woman, I loved her, not because of what she had done or was now doing but because we both share in this amazing gift that was provided for us by our Lord.
I will be filling out that form, but it is a formality, I do not deserve to be serving in that capacity. But then again, Christ did not deserve the penalty for MY sins.
Thank you Mark for your willingness to put down your thoughts of the sermons. These last 2 weeks have been very convicting to me. I am realizing more and more just how concerned I am to please men instead of God. And what a stab in the heart to realize that that's really being ashamed of Christ, a shame of the most important, blessed hope in the entire world. And yet, even when I am ashamed of Him, He still loves me.
ReplyDeleteMelea
This the power of the cross
ReplyDeleteChrist became sin for us...
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.
The foolishness of the cross? That I should stand blameless before the Creator of the universe. (Jude 24,25)