Posts Tagged ‘ Cross ’
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
Psalm 126:5, ESV
God is a Comforter. He sees our tears, our pain and trouble. He has redeemed these through the cross.
Believe in Him, and find the joy that surpasses understanding!
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
Psalm 51:1-2, ESV
We are woefully wicked in our sin. Thanks be to God for showing us grace and mercy through the cross to blot out that sin!
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18, NASB
The message we share sounds foolish to the world.
Be ready for that. Do not be ashamed of sounding foolish. That is being ashamed of His saving work.
Be strong in the power of Christ.
People ask if the the Bible is reliable, that it can be trusted as authentic and historical. (See the video on YouTube by clicking this sentence.)
There are a few items that prove the historicity and reliability of the Bible.
To begin with, in the last 20 years alone, several archaeological discoveries have been made confirming the existence of Kings David and Solomon, as well as much of ancient Israel from Biblical times, including NT times.
One of the greatest discoveries was the Dead Sea Scrolls, collections of biblical manuscripts dating from before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and even before the time of Christ. These scrolls contained much of the Hebrew Bible, confirming that existed it before Jesus’ time. This is important, because it means the prophecies of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection existed prior.
What about the New Testament?
First, if we want to discuss numbers of manuscripts, as a whole there are about 24,000 of the New Testament, and the four Gospels alone have nearly 6,000 copies from early on, possibly as early as late first century or early second century. This is within 100 years of Jesus’ and the Apostles’ lives. Even further, we know the majority of the gospels were written before 70 due to Paul – who was killed by 64 – quoted Luke 10:7 in 1 Timothy 5:18. By contrast, the next closest ancient document is Homer’s “The Iliad” with 643 manuscripts from over 500 years after Homer lived.
This should be enough to convince anyone, but just in case, the ultimate proof is that Jesus corroborated much of the OT and said His testimony is true. His proof was that He predicted His own death and resurrection (See Luke 20-22), adding validity to His claims by being crucified and rising again.
Therefore, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (vv. 16-20)
In other words, the resurrection proves the Bible is true (by backing up Jesus’ claims). (See also the series beginning with this post.)
Wanna debate, challenge, or question what was said here? Leave a comment below or send us an e-mail at Together@asimplemanofgod.com.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
1 John 4:9, ESV
The ultimate proof of God’s love for us?
He sent His only Son to die on a cross that we may be brought into eternal life with Him (by simply believing in Him.)
My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:9 ESV
Do you yearn for and earnestly seek the Lord?
One of the reasons we see unpleasant things happen in this world is that He allows or even orchestrates them for our righteousness.
Case in point: Jesus was born to die on a cross.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8:34-35, ESV
God’s primary concern is not our happiness and comfort in this life.
God’s primary concern is His glory through the salvation of His people. That frequently takes sacrifice and suffering, as our greatest example (Jesus) gave us through the cross.
As we continue looking at hymns and songs that majorly impacted my my spiritual life – and I offer a reminder to check out the other blog I contribute to, ProverbialThought.com, and the daily thoughts on the Bible (specifically Proverbs) – I offer another two songs that directly relate to last week’s hymns.
What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness[Chorus:]
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the crossWhat restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father’s love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome[Chorus:]
It’s a miracle to me
And It’s still a mystery [2x]
It’s a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believeMighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is …
Mighty is …
Mighty is the power of the crossThank You for the cross [2x]
Love the cross [2x]
So Powerful …
What can take a dying man?
And raise him up to life again?Worship You Jesus
By your wounds we are healed
By your wounds we are saved
Mighty is the power of the cross [2x]
Thank You Jesus for the Holy cross
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[Refrain]
As discussed last time, the cross is central to Christian theology and doctrine. It is the ultimate demonstration of love, that the Father loves us and the Son calls us friends, willing to lay His life down for us (John 15, 1 John 3:16).
Further, there is no forgiveness of sins but by the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9-10), and Christ’s blood being spilled is what has brought us peace with God and cleansed us of our sin (Isaiah 53, Hebrews 13).
Let us continue looking at the hymns and songs that have made a big impact on my spiritual life.
This week, I bring you two hymns that are simply … wondrous.
- On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.- Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.- In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.- To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.
- When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.- Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.- See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?- Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
The work of the cross is central to Christianity!
Without the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, there is no forgiveness of sin. Without the atoning work of Christ on the cross, we are still steeped in and deceived by our sin.
Did Jesus gladly bear our sins? Yes. Did He enjoy the process? Absolutely not.
For the joy set before Him, having the hope of eternity with the Father and joined with the Saints, He endured the pain and shame of the cross to bring about our forgiveness. (Philippians 2, Hebrews 12)
If we claim to believe it, we are no longer our own (and never really were). Instead, we are God’s, and He commands all of our life. We owe Him everything, for He made the ultimate sacrifice to redeem our souls and our life on this Earth.
Turn to the cross and repent. Allow Christ to indwell you and change you by the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV
We are utterly sinful.
Christ is completely pure.
He took on our disgusting, separating sin on the cross, so that, when the Father looks at us who believe this, He sees the purity of the Son.
a simple man of God 