Glorying In The Cross
Galatians 6:14
WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN BY
"THE CROSS"? He is not talking about the historic fact that Christ
died upon the cross. The knowledge of that fact, though it is necessary to
salvation, is not salvation. Neither is Paul referring to the literal, wooden
cross upon which Christ died. He was not an idolater, a worshipper of religious
relics. He knew that there was no superstitious, spiritual value in that piece
of wood. And he certainly is not suggesting that we glory in some sign, symbol,
representation, or form of the cross. When Paul speaks of the cross, he is
talking about the glorious, soul saving doctrine of the cross, the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ! He is talking about blood atonement (
HOW DID PAUL GLORY IN
THE CROSS? The word "glory" means to exalt, to boast of, and to
rejoice in. Paul exalted, boasted of, and rejoiced in the sin atoning death of
the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cursed tree.
He exalted the doctrine
of the cross as the only theme of Holy Scripture and the singular subject of
his preaching (I Cor. 2:2;
This man rejoiced in
the cross, the gospel of Christ, as the only grounds of his confident hope
before God. He trusted Christ alone as his Savior (Phil. 3:3; I Cor.
And he preached the
cross, boasting of Christ's death as the only means of reconciliation to and
acceptance with God, the only means of salvation for quilty sinners (Gal.
Don Fortner