The Message of the Cross
One of the themes at Sam Parson’s memorial service was that he was a Man of God…Absolutely. It’s one thing to intellectually assent to the doctrines of Christ but it’s another thing altogether to live the life to which he called us. As a living epistle for Christ, Sam understood that he was God’s workmanship, God’s magnum opus, created in Christ Jesus unto the good works which God had foreordained for him to walk. In fulfilling God’s call, Sam taught us how to “tune our hearts to sing thy praise.”
Pete talked to a man who served on his church’s elder board. When Pete called him “man of God,” he looked away. Pete asked him why and the man said, “because I feel unworthy.” A man of God is a true Christian. To confess Jesus is Lord, means that Jesus is his lord or owner. A man of God is God’s man. Grammatically speaking, the phrase “man of God” is the “genitive of possession.” Christianity is not who we are but whose we are.
According to Ephesians 2, “AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
The gospel message is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. However, where sin abounded grace did much more abound. According to Romans 5:8, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Without the gospel of grace, false religions attempt to perfect the flesh. The Pharisees thought that they would get into heaven by their own good works. However, to come to repentance we must first acknowledge that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” Repentance is to turn from self and unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
Continuing in Ephesians 2:4: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;). 6. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Our salvation is to the glory of God. It’s not about us, it’s about Him. God chose us before the foundations of the world according to Ephesians 1 for one purpose: that we might be to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Similarly God called his prophet Jeremiah. According to Jeremiah 1:4-8, “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
The Lord is our strength and our salvation. In whom shall we be afraid? The arm of flesh shall fail you…ye dare not trust your own. He is our sufficiency unto all things..he is our all in all. Therefore, be not afraid of their faces. When we don’t know how to answer, God will put the words in our mouths.
When God looks at his children, he see’s what he’s made us in Christ. We were formerly dead in trespasses and sins. However, Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
We have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus. The devil weaves a web to trap those who have come to Christ. However, the scripture says, casting all your cares upon him for he careth for you.
There’s a book called “Classic Sermons on the Cross of Christ.” George H Morrison who was pastor of Wellington Church in Glasgow wrote a message on Galatians 5:11. Paul prayed that the Galatians might be brought into the fold even though they had fallen into the bondage and rituals of the Old Testament law. The cross of Christ was offensive to the Jews because they thought that their messiah would come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They didn’t expect a suffering servant: Jesus Christ and him crucified. Written across the cross is the word “sacrifice.”
The cross swept away much that the Jews took pride in. They were centered on their own rituals and on their own self righteousness. The cross of Christ says, “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” The law of sin and death says I can never give enough, serve enough, love enough or do enough. As Jesus said, “there is none good, no not one.”
Pete recalls that Arthur Blessitt came to speak at a revival at his conservative Southern Baptist church in Birmingham. In the late 60’s Arthur Blessitt was known as the minister of the Sunset Strip. He attracted hippies and other people whom the proper Southern Baptists of Birmingham considered “undesirables.” Arthur had the audacity to lead the Birmingham hippies in a cheer to Jesus inside the sanctuary at Pete’s conservative church. The regular congregation and the deacons were appalled. They reprimanded him for “desecrating the sanctuary” and commanded him not to lead another cheer for Jesus in their church. At the next service, Blessitt said, “I apologize for offending some of you.” Then he led the hippies outside to the steps of the church and led them in another cheer for Jesus. Pete says that this incident was the last time he ever experienced the movement of the Holy Spirit in his church.
The Jews had inherited the promises of God. They were not awed by the pagan cultures of their day. They knew that they were God’s chosen people and that they were given the oracles of God. They knew that they were holy and set apart from the Gentiles. However when Christ came, he came to set the captives free… For after the day of Pentecost there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, barbarian, Schythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all and in all.
The apostle Paul said, We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. The crossroads of history leads to the cross of Christ. At the cross, Jesus Christ who knew no sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. At the cross of Christ we die to self in order to live for him. For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me. Therefore, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation unto the Jew first and also to the gentile.
We who have been saved by grace have been bought with the price Jesus paid on our behalf. We are his purchased possession. A man of God is God’s man, absolutely. It’s not who we are but rather whose we are. We are a new creation in Christ and the dwelling place, the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.
As his holy of Holies, may we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael