Our Glory Is in the Cross Alone
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by Frederick Drummond, Sr.
The world to come has invaded this present evil world and established a new rule to live by—in Christ—and this was
accomplished by the cross. This introduced the greatest
change in Gods dealings with mankind since the planting
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and the ensuing fall of man. Death and everything
negative were introduced by that tree and compounded by
the giving of the law. But thanks be to God, all of this has
been done away with in Christ.
No wonder the Scriptures speak of the people of the
cross as a new creation and make the old ones way of living
obsolete. Thus the days of living with the burden of guilt
have been replaced and the torment of right and wrong
done away with. Instead of being subject to the accuser of
the brethren, God's new creation enjoys the comfort of the
Holy Spirit.
Paul was turned off by those who desired "to make a
good showing in the flesh," (Galatians 6:12) because they
were not willing to stand up for "the cross of Christ." He
pointed out to those Galatian church members that they
should have no part with those who gloried in their flesh,
because God's new creation glories in one thing alone, "the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been
crucified to me [them]" (its fleshly ways no longer control
us) "and I to the world" (they are to live by the Spirit alone)
because they are a part of God s new creation.
This is the new rule we believers live by in this Dispensation of Grace, and it has provided for us a lifestyle of
peace and mercy. We are the new Israel of God that lives by
a brand new rule—in Christ—and we have nothing to do
with the bondages that daily entrap the old creation in
fleshly living—being required to do this or that or be condemned and die.
At last we have been freed from this world's problems
through grace, and along with it their fascination with impressing one another in the flesh. Our point of glory is the
cross alone. Our only message is Christ and His glorious
cross. This satisfied God, and it should satisfy us also.
GOD'S GLORIOUS NEW CREATION |
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1. The world's power over us has been broken by the cross. |
...the world has been crucified to me... (vs. 14a)
((Jn. 16:33; Rom. 8:37; I Jn. 2:12-14)
|
2. We no longer owe the world anything be-cause of the cross. |
.. .and I to the world, (v. 14b)
(I Jn. 4:4,5;Jas. l:27; 2 Tim.4:I0; I Jn. 2:15-17) |
3. We are now a part of God's new world to
come because of the cross. |
.. .a new creation, (v. 15)
(2 Cor. 5:17-19) |
4. We now live by a new rule (in Christ) be-cause of the cross. |
...as many as walk according to this rule... (v. 16)
(1 Jn. 4:12-17
|
Paul told the Galatian church members to stop glorying
in their flesh. "If you are going to glory in anything, glory in
the cross alone" (Galatians 6:14). Having been saved by
grace through faith, no one should be so foolish as to try to
add works to Christ's perfect sacrifice. His atonement accomplished a complete work and therefore saves to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). Christian, Christ has already
earned your right to live a powerful life free from condemnation forevermore.
CONDEMNATION |
or |
JUSTIFICATION |
The tree
The law
The accuser
The flesh
Works
|
|
The cross
The grace
The Comforter
The Spirit
Rest
|
|
THEIR FRUIT |
Fear
Hypervigilance
Works of the flesh
Self-righteousness
Condemnation
|
|
Love
Easy Leadership of the Spirit
Fruit of the Spirit
In Christ
Justification
|
Having come this far in our thinking, it is time to go
further in our study of the freedom Christ has earned for
us. Terry Virgo states, "Because the law's role has been fulfilled in bringing you to Christ, it is of crucial importance
that you don't go back to law, failing to grasp the new and
glorious liberty into which you have been brought as a son
and, indeed, an heir of God, with the inner witness of the Holy Spirit confirming the full rights of sonship."8 Truly we
believers are a new creation, something the world hasn't
seen since Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, and
we are called to show off the wonderful grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ as the most spiritual people that have lived on Earth since then. Grace has enable God to show off His
love through His people as never before. To see His love in
action in our lives is to see God living among us. This is the
testimony of grace.
Paul had to remind the Corinthian church members of
this tremendous truth—"The law has passed away." He
said, "The glory was passing away" (2 Corinthians 3:7), and
again, "What is passing away was glorious" (2 Corinthians
3:11), and then again, "The veil is taken away in Christ"
(2 Corinthians 3:14), and then finally, "When one turns to
the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Corinthians 3:16). Are
you getting the point yet? The law has been taken away and
a new dispensation—grace—has replaced it. We have been
set free.
Listen in as well!
Our Glory is in the Cross Alone
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