Friend, we want to see Jesus lifted up on the cross pierced in His heart to transform ours, and we want to be putting “faith” in the message of the cross and “confidence” in Jesus’ flesh rather than confidence in our own. We are not those who want to put confidence in the flesh listing out what WE have done or what WE do, but rather we put confidence in Jesus’ flesh that was crucified for us, boasting in the list of what Christ HAS already done for us when He was crucified.
Faith comes through “hearing” the message of the cross: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
“Hearing” with faith the message of the cross is how we receive the Spirit: “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:2)
Faith in the death and resurrection of Christ brings a washing, rebirth, and renewal by the Holy Spirit: “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5)
What man, or group of men, could we hear from that would change our lives? What other message could we hear by which we would receive God’s Spirit? From who or where could we go to receive mercy, salvation, washing, rebirth, and renewal by the Holy Spirit?
Our lives are no longer under the written code instituted by the finger of God and written on tablets of stone, but rather we are under a New Covenant given by “nail-pierced hands” written with the blood of Jesus on tablets of human hearts.
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV).
No group of men or any man could ever offer this gift to you and me.
Please look to the cross now: can you hear the nails being driven into your sin through Jesus’ flesh? Can you see the blood of Jesus staining the wooden post with every strike of the nail? Can you see every strike to His face by the fists of evil men? Can you see Jesus pouring out His life like a fountain? Can you see Jesus being put to death on the cross for you as the crowd gathered around not to weep for their sins nor the death of their Savior, but to cheer His death yelling “Crucify Him!?” “Crucify Him!?”
Question 3: Can you hear the sound of the nails being driven into Jesus’ hands and feet, blows to His face, the striking of Jesus’ head over and over as He went to the cross to pardon your sin and pay your debt? Please share your thoughts.
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Miles writes, "The cross has been known to me for 4 decades but had no impact as I surrendered myself to the cravings of my flesh. Now God has miraculously rescued me from my own evil demonstrating His love for me, Jesus dying for me the chief of all sinners! How I blinded myself from His love and mercies and now to stand firmly in His blood stained grace oh what an amazing grace he has lavished on me."
Alex writes, "Yes, I can. Our sinless Savior suffered because of my sins. He received the reviling, hate, whips, shame, humiliation, torture, and bloody death that I deserve because of my heinous sins. All of this because of the great love with which He loves us! This is how horrible sin is, that it would cost our Lord Jesus His precious life. This is how amazing the love of God is for us, that He would send His Son to suffer and die in this way because of our sin, to free us from the life sentence we had earned by our rebellion. This is how profound and eternal the love of Christ is for us, that He would willingly suffer and die on the cross, suffering more torment and pain than anyone ever has or ever will. And this gives us the assurance that we are forever His, because He would never go through all of that in vain, but He will see the fruits of the travail of His soul. Praise Him!"
Paul continued to show the transformation that took place in his life as the reason he considered his gain as loss and the reason for his ongoing pursuit of Christ. He described how he was transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light, from a “persecutor of the church” to “pursuer of Christ.” At the cross, Paul was transformed into a preacher of the gospel. He now saw his mission was to love the church as Christ Jesus loved him and gave Himself up for him.
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7 NIV).
What gains did Paul now consider to be loss for the sake of Christ? All the knowledge Paul gained through his religious efforts, all his human achievements now considered to be loss. Wasn’t there something he could have held on to from his former religion to harmonize with Christ? All of it couldn't be thrown in the garbage, could it?
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NIV).