Sharon Lackey
The Wonderous Power of The Cross
The Power of the Cross, from sulking to Salvation
“Oh, the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross, bids me come and die that I may truly live.”
The power of the cross is the forgiveness of sins, which leads to Salvation--Eternal, Abundant Life in Christ Jesus. The cross takes us out of death into His marvelous Life and the very power that comes from His Life. But the forgiveness of sins, which leads to Salvation is not a one-time saving, it’s a daily saving from the self-life (flesh) by the Saving Life and power of Christ living within us. We are freed and remain free by being united (one) in His death and resurrection, and by daily choosing His Life in us or death to self.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
“I have been crucified with Christ.” Sin and death no longer have any power over us. Just as Christ died for sin once for all, we have died to sin once for all. “I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” We have been taken out of sin, out of the dark cave, and placed in Christ where we now live in His freedom. “The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God.” Just as we have received Christ Jesus, “by grace through faith,” so now we live. Daily living in Christ is a choice we make by grace through faith.
“…I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life in order that you may live…” (Deut. 30:19) Life and blessing come from daily choosing Life. Living is found in Jesus Christ and death is found in walking after our flesh (sin). Choice, faith, or lack thereof is what keeps us as cave dwellers or as Christ Dwellers, releasing death or His Life. When we find ourselves once again dwelling in the dark cave experiencing death, we only need to return to our Father. “In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved.” Daily Salvation and the Power of the Cross are forever at our disposal when we choose the Life of Christ within us when we walk by faith in Christ. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
The Power of the cross is the Person of the cross, Jesus Christ, His death, and His resurrected Life living itself out in us as we daily surrender to Him. “Then He said to them, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it’” (Luke 9:23-24).
His very death and very Life delivered us out of the dark cave of death into His Person and Power. Daily He works His death in us producing His beautiful Life in us. “Oh, the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross, bids me come and die that I may truly LIVE.”
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