"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Galatians 6:14
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3)
- According to the Scriptures, Jesus our Lord and Savior, died for our sins.
Like the apostle Paul, we must be motivated to survey and contemplate the wondrous cross and count our riches or “gain” as loss, to know and gain Christ.
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)
- We surrender to God and His will when we know and understand the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died.
We have nothing in the flesh in which to glory before God except in the death of Christ, for by Grace, we have been saved through faith in Christ.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)
- We must sacrifice all the vain things that charm us.
We sacrifice all the vain things that charm us by dying to ourselves, denying ourselves the pleasures of this world, and taking up our cross to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1)
"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."' (Matt. 16:24)
- We must be crucified with Christ to let Christ live in us.
Since Jesus loved and gave Himself for us, we must put to death all worldliness and ungodliness that may remain in us and no longer love the world.
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Col. 3:5)
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world." ( 1 John 2:15-16)
- We must sacrifice all things.
"For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt. 26:28)
- We must remember God's Love and what Jesus did to redeem us.
As we reflect on the actual crucifixion of Christ, we must remember what Jesus did for us and how God's love saved us and made us alive together with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." (Eph. 2:4-5)
- We can be saved from our sins through Jesus' blood, shed on the cross.
"But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water." (John 19:33-34)
- We can be saved through Jesus' suffering, sorrow, bitter grief, and death on the cross.
"After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), 'I thirst.' 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.'" (John 19:28-30)
- God showed His wondrous love to us by sending His beloved Son to die for us.
And although we have nothing to give to Him, since everything belongs to Him, God has shown amazing love to us by sending His beloved Son to die for us so that we could be saved.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Therefore, since God has abundantly given us His amazing and divine love through the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, we must give our souls, lives, and all to Him. We must die to sin and no longer be its slave.
"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions." (Romans 6:5-12)
Are you willing to surrender and give everything to Christ (your soul, your life, and your all), the One who died for you on Calvary? Are you willing to offer yourself as a holy, acceptable, and living sacrifice to Him, that is, be devoted to Him completely, the One who died to purchase your salvation? Why not start surveying the cross on which the Prince of glory died with dedication and devotion to Him alone?
I hope this beautiful hymn may stir your soul the way it stirred mine.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my Lord;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Luci
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