What does all this tell us? What is the message here? Just this: the cross of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Mercy Seat of the Old Testament. The cross of Jesus Christ is where God meets with us, where He speaks to us today, where God has mercy on sinners, where sinners can receive forgiveness and a full pardon for their sins, where sinners are accepted and loved and welcomed. God is teaching us that His mercy is most fully expressed at the cross of Jesus Christ.
Hymn writers have found and exulted in the correlation between the Mercy Seat and the cross of Jesus Christ, and have written hymn lyrics like these:
Is there a heart o'erbound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross each burden bearing;
All your anxiety leave it there.
https://hymnary.org/text/is_there_a_heart_oerbound_by_sorrow
In my past, I lived in many habitual sins, tried everything the world had to offer to break free, but in the end, I could not get the victory. Maybe you have had issues with habitual sin as well. Do you know what I found out in my search to find freedom from habitual sin? I discovered that what I needed was not a new diet, a new pill, a blocker or filter, or a 12-step group, but rather a fresh discovery of God’s mercy. What I found out is that God’s grace and mercy, when received in the heart, saps the very life out of sin. And God’s mercy is best seen at the cross of Jesus Christ.
God’s mercy, like the manna given to the Israelites in the wilderness, is new every morning. We must, like those Israelites, rise early and seek it out, feed on it, and enjoy it. As we do that, sin’s power is withered, for grace is always stronger than the pull of sin.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
Question 5. Please examine your heart and write out whether or not you are coming to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ more fully through the study of His Word? We do not want to merely gain knowledge, but rather to grow in our application of the cross to our lives. Are you doing this? Please consider, and write out your thoughts:
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Ken writes, "In the past 6 days, I have discovered many truths of how the Cross impacts my life. It is becoming more than just where my Savior died for my sins, it is becoming more of a focal point of God's love and compassion for me."
Margaret writes, "Yes, I am coming to embrace the cross of Jesus more fully through this study and also applying it in my life. Although I have known a lot of this stuff, there has been something not quite tying it in. Maybe it has been the journey from my head to my heart that has been missing. But somewhere deep inside, God is fitting the jigsaw pieces together for me and the true meaning of the cross is becoming more alive. During all this, I am drawing closer to Jesus as He is drawing me closer to Him."