Ramifications Of The Cross
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1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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The apostle Paul declared he was determined to know nothing among the saints except Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil; that work was finished at the cross.
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1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
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Some of the so called church world suggest the way to grow the church is to take down the cross. “It may be offensive to some” as their justification for such nonsense. If Jesus Christ crucified is not preached you don’t even have the message of salvation.
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Galatians 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
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The leaven being offered was to abandon the cross for works of the law. The cross is offensive to those rejecting salvation. The cross is offensive to those who want to earn their salvation by their own good works.
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Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
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If your boast is in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ, your boast is in vain! Jesus Christ and Him crucified is where the power of salvation is at; there is no other way to be a new creation!
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1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
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It is through the cross that the enmity between God and man ended!
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Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
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The Father’s heart is a heart to reconcile man to Himself. The work is exclusively done through the blood of His Son at the cross.
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Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
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The forgiveness of sin was only made possible when Christ nailed to the cross the handwriting of requirements that was against us. That which was contrary to us Jesus took out of the way. Only at the cross was this work done.
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Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
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Jesus abolished in His flesh the enmity or hostility that was against us. Jesus made peace through the cross.
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1 Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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Jesus Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree. He became the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls! The bearing of sin was done when His own body was hung on the tree. At the cross is where our healing is and there is no other place for genuine healing.
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Galatians 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
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At the cross Christ redeemed us from the curse; Jesus became a curse for us! Many look for deliverance in the wrong places. Your deliverance is at the cross and it is no where else!
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Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
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The prophet Isaiah spoke of the cross of Jesus Christ. It pleased the Father to bruise Jesus and He put Jesus to grief. This all happened when Jesus soul was made an offering for sin. The Father seen the labor of Jesus soul and was satisfied. The offering of Jesus was and is enough! Isaiah testified that Jesus would justify many because he would bear their iniquities. At the cross the wrath of God was poured out on His only begotten Son!
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Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
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Here in Psalms is a prophetic utterance that God would pour out His anger this He did when Jesus was made the sacrifice for our sin. This is the only way God separates us from our sin. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.
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2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
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The Father has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ! God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. Jesus at the cross made this available!
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2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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At the cross the trade was made; Jesus made it possible that we might become the righteousness of God.
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John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
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Roman 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
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Whose obedience shall we trust in? Who is the one Man who brings righteousness to many! It is the man Christ Jesus! Put your confidence and faith in His obedience. There is no other way to righteousness.
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Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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Jesus' obedience to the death of the cross fulfilled the purpose of the Father! That is why God highly exalted Him and has given Him the name which is above every name! Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus.
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Revelation 1: 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
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At the cross Jesus obediently washed us from our sins in His own blood. Because of the cross He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father! The divine order of God begins at the cross.
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