THE TWO SIDES OF THE CROSS- What is The Cross?

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1^st Corinthians 1:18 (KJV)

“The cross is foolishness, despicable and it’s also an incoherent method for any coherent individual to bring salvation to a group of enslaved people. What kind of salvation strategy is this?” Retorts one college professor. Personally, the college professor’s assertion is not offensive, because the wisdom in bringing salvation to the human race was not formulated and conceived by the limited carnal knowledge of man; the professor’s orientation is a testament to the limitation of a person who has not come to terms with the influence and the workings of the Holy Spirit. 

The fact is, this so called “ABSURD” method of salvation was not formulated and fashioned within the fore walls of humans’ higher institutions of learning, its full meaning and cohesiveness cannot be encapsulated by the most enlightened mind that does not hinge on the help that comes from the Holy Spirit. The scriptures says in 1Corinthians 1:23(KJV) “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness”. A recent popular Ghanaian maxim would have normally put the college professor this way “I CAN’T THINK FAR”.  

Yes, Human Beings in our perishing and lost conditions cannot with all our learning comprehend certain spiritual realities because the god of this world has blinded our eyes according to 2 Corinthians_4:4(KJV) “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

But to us who are saved and are being saved THE CROSS is the power and wisdom of God and also the greatest gift given to us by the father of all creation. The cross is that convergence, where the divine power of God takes over frailty of the human race, “God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness.” 2^nd Peter 1:3 (GNB); it was the critical meeting point where all the powers of the oppressor and the effects that were against the human race was totally destroyed. 

The scriptures says “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” Colossians 2:14 (KJV). The cross represent the death of our savior; where our fleshy deeds with its destructive tendencies where destroyed as opined in Galatians 2:20(KJV) “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Let’s take a look at some of the representation of the CROSS:

•  DEATH SENTENCE

The death of the cross is said to be one of the humiliating death sentences a human being can be subjected to, yet Jesus Christ chose voluntarily to die for us through it. The bible says “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans_5:8 (KJV). His method of salvaging the human race from the impending wrath of his Father beats the imagination of the god of this world, If it didn’t they wouldn’t have crucified Him as the scripture says “If the prince of this world had known, they wouldn’t have crucified the King of Glory. 

The death sentence Jesus Christ endured on the cross dealt a blow on the sinful nature of our flesh and totally destroyed its power over anybody who has been redeemed. He carried our sins and all its negative ramification on his body and had them all nailed on the cross and said it is finished. Therefore if anyone is in Christ sin has no dominion over him because of the crucifixion of our sinful flesh on the cross as stated “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5(KJV)

•  THE DIVINE EXCHANGE

The cross is an emblem of divine exchange; it was an evidence of the good will of the Heavenly Father towards the Human race. It was the highest form of exchange, in that, He did not give all the wealth of this world neither did he send any of His divine beings such as the angels or the cherubim to come and die for the human race. Rather, He gave his own self, His only begotten son, freely and cheerfully into the hands of sinful men and through a very shameful and disgraceful death such as hanging on the tree, to take the curse. Galatians_3:13 (KJV) “ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” 

in exchange of that He imputed unto us who have been saved, righteousness- just as we have never sinned. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 (KJV). It was this distinct act of sacrifice that gifted us with the divine power and grace of God so us to function in the similitude of God on this earth “God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness.” 2^nd Peter 1:3 (GNB)

• THE POWER OF GOD

To us who have been saved, the cross also represents the power of God, but to those who are perishing it is foolishness 1^st Corinthians 1:18. The cross is what gave us latitude to experience the divine power of God, it is this power that delivers the believer from all the control, guilt, and pollution of sin. It is the power that has the propensity to quicken our mortal bodies with it accompanying weakness, so us to make us victorious in our walk with God. It was after the work has been done on the cross that the Holy Spirit was given to empower believers Act 1:8. 

It is this empowerment that makes us alive and useful in the service of God. It is this power that gives us total dominion over sin; the power of the Holy Spirit restores life to the soul of the believer and abides with him as a helper. It makes our bodies the seat of godly passion and desires. A man without this power becomes wretched a man as stated by Apostle Paul in Romans 7:19-24.

“The Gospel of the Cross is the medium through which God exerts his power in the salvation of sinners”

       TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK WITH THE SUB TOPIC -“The rough side of the Cross”

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