WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PREACH THE CROSS? It doesn’t mean that every time the Preacher preaches that his message must be about the Cross, etc. But it does mean that the Preacher must understand and preach that every single thing we receive from God comes to us through Jesus Christ by the means of the Cross. In other words, we must ever understand that Christ is the “Source,” and the Cross is the “Means,” by which we receive of this Source, whatever it might be. Let me say it again: The Lord gives nothing to humanity, unless it comes through Jesus Christ, and the way it comes through Jesus Christ is exclusively by the Cross. In other words, it’s the Cross which made everything possible because it was at the Cross that Jesus atoned for all sin, past, present, and future, thereby satisfying the demands of a thrice-Holy God. It doesn’t matter what man needs, it doesn’t matter what Satan has done to man, how bad the bondage might be, how dark the darkness might be, what Jesus did at the Cross answers every single need that humanity may have, irrespective as to what it might be. Peter said: “According as His Divine Power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who has called us to glory and virtue: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Pet. 1:3–4). According to Paul, “all things” given to us, which means everything that pertains to “life and Godliness,” come to us exclusively through the Cross of Christ. The Cross is what made everything possible because it satisfied the terrible sin debt that man owed to God, but could not pay. SATAN WAS DEFEATED AT THE CROSS Contrary to the thinking of many, Jesus did not go to the Cross to defeat Satan. That’s exactly what happened, but that was not the purpose of the Cross. The purpose of the Cross was to satisfy the Justice and the Righteousness of Almighty God. In was God Who had been greatly offended by man’s rebellion and terrible sin. In other words, the debt was owed by man to God, and, incidentally, a debt that man could not even begin to hope to pay. So, if man was to be redeemed, if this debt was to be removed, then God would have to do it Himself, which He did, by becoming man, “the Man Christ Jesus,” which He did, for the purpose of going to the Cross, which was necessary, in order that this debt be paid. Life was forfeited at the Fall, and we speak of the life that comes from God. For this “Life” to be regained, which refers to man once again being joined to God, His Creator, a perfect life would have to be given in Sacrifice. And let it ever be understood that the death of Jesus on the Cross was not an execution, but rather a Sacrifice (Heb. 10:12–14). Man could not provide a perfect life, inasmuch as due to Adam’s Fall, and due to the fact that the entirety of the human race was in Adam’s loins, so to speak, when Adam fell, the entirety of the human race fell. This means that every single baby that’s born is born in original sin. So, if God was going to redeem man, He would have to become Man. It is called the “Incarnation.” Isaiah prophesied as to how it would happen. He said that “a virgin would conceive” (Isa. 7:14). God as God could not redeem man. But let it ever be understood, that while God became Man, he never ceased to be God. As someone has said, “When God became Man, He purposely laid aside the expression of His Deity, while never losing possession of His Deity.” Angels could not redeem man, simply because they were of another creation. Man had to redeem man, that is if man was to be redeemed. So, for this to happen, God, as stated, would have to become Man, which He did. Swaggart, Jimmy: Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary: Daniel. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2004, S. 3
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 10:02:14 +0000