God's Gifts from Christ's Cross
Are you in a fellowship group with other Christians? In the group I attend, we've been studying the intensity of Jesus' struggle in Gethsemane and on the Cross, as well as what happened as a result of His death for us.
Sometimes it's easy to race through answering questions, even when they focus on the deepest and most moving part of our faith--the Cross of Christ.
I'm grateful that the Holy Spirit slowed me down and helped me focus on various Scriptures. The following are so amazing and awe inspiring that I wanted to remind you of them. These are just some of God's gifts to us through the Cross of Christ.
- John 3:16 We don't need to go through life feeling guilty and ashamed, or fearful of death.Through faith in Christ dying for our sins, we can have forgivenness and eternal life.
- Romans 5: 7-8 While we were sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5: 9-10 When we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son.
- 2 Cor. 5:21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us.
- Eph. 5:2 He gave himself up for us.
- Col. 2:13 When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ.
I was also struck by a convicting, yet motivating truth, by Calvin Miller in his book, Into the Depths of God.
"We would like to appear to be like Jesus without the discipline of really being like him... We talk ourselves into a spiritual reputation we have never really earned. We continue to live on the surface, only talking of the deeper life."
How does this statement speak to your heart? With Good Friday and Easter coming next week, I want to do more than talk about a deeper life. I want to think about the amazing truths that these Scriptures teach--and live in the power and wonder of what Christ accomplished on the Cross for all who believe.
How about you? What aspect of Christ's death touches your heart the most--and motivates some change in your life?
