WHY MUST I GLORY IN THE
CROSS?
With the Apostle Paul, I have
made it my solemn determination "NOT TO KNOW ANYTHING AMONG YOU, SAVE
JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM AND HIM
CRUCIFIED." I say, "GOD FORBID THAT I
SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST". To glory in
the cross is to trust the crucified Christ alone as my Savior. His cross is my
only hope before God, my only grounds of peace, pardon, and justification. To
glory in the cross is to live by the cross and for the cross. And to glory in
the cross is to proclaim it boldly and constantly. That which
is in the eyes of men most offensive and most repugnant, we take to be our
glory. The cross of Christ is our one message. We glory in that message
with good reason.
1. THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS A COVENANT RESPECTED.
Before the world began God the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit chose a people and agreed to save them upon the condition that
a suitable ransom would be found, a ransom that could fully satisfy divine
justice. That ransom was found in the voluntary agreement of the Lord Jesus
Christ to assume our nature and die in our stead at
2. THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS A CONQUEST REALIZED.
Our Lord did not die at
3. THE
CROSS OF CHRIST IS A COMPASSION
REVEALED.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took our sins upon himself and died in our place upon the cursed tree, because
of his great love for us - "hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us! My heart is constrained by the love of Christ to
glory in the cross, I cannot do otherwise.