Glorying in The Cross
"But
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world." -GALATIANS
6:14 [KJV]
Paul
did not glory or boast in the abilities God had given him, the
churches he had established, or the persons who had been converted
under his ministry. He gloried only in the cross of Christ. “Cross”
was a term which the Apostle used to set forth the successful,
substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. This is that truth that
the blessed Savior satisfied every demand of divine justice by His
death and resurrection thereby putting away the sins of His people,
redeeming us from the curse of the law and bringing in everlasting
righteousness.
The
very message which was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness
to the Gentiles was his greatest source of joy and comfort. While the
enemies of the cross wanted the message concealed, Paul proclaimed it
with boldness; he saw it to be the revelation of the righteousness of
God and the demonstration of the wisdom and the power of God. Rather
than push the cross off to the side, this was the heart and soul, the
very center and life of his preaching, and so he stated:
"I
determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified" (I
CORINTHIANS 2:2).
He declared that Christ was "delivered for our offences,
and was raised again for our justification" (ROMANS
4:25), that "He died for our sins according
to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the scriptures" (I
CORINTHIANS 15:3-4)
and that in Him "we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace"
(EPHESIANS
1:7).
This
was his constant message that "now in Christ Jesus ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ"
(EPHESIANS
2:13). "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savor" (EPHESIANS
5:2).
–Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd
Thirteenth
Street Baptist church of Ashland, Kentucky USA
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