The Beauty of the Cross

The beauty of the cross

Without the cross we are lost, forever lost.

Read Ephesians chapter 1

Ephesians, was written around 60-61 AD by Paul in Rome while in prison. When we through the advantage of time can see that…

-       Jesus had purpose for Pauls current position.

-       Jesus was present in his pain. (he would cry he wanted to be there and talk face to face, so he wrote letters, which have become our treasures)

-       Ephesians chapters 1-3, highlights our position in Christ.

-       Our position in Christ is Justified = acquitted (a not guilty verdict) In many jurisdictions, an acquittal is final and cannot be appealed by the prosecution. Our acquittal is found in the cross of Jesus.

-       Galatians 2;16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

-       Justification is a outside inside job

-       Ephesians chapters 4-6 speaks of how we are to live while on Earth This is sanctification the inside out work.

Chapter 1 alone, speaks of us being saints, us being redeemed in Christ, us being predestined, deeply loved, in the beloved, redemption, forgiven, revealing the mystery of salvation in Christ, revealing the mystery of the promised seal of the holy spirit living in us as promised in Joel, and ends with the powerful pray asking the Holy Spirit to lead us into…

-       Wisdom

-       Revelation

-       Knowledge

-       Understanding

-       Enlightened

-       And that we would live in the knowledge of the hope (eternal) hope we have in Christ.

·       The entrance to the Kingdon of heaven is through the cross

·       Our life is lived through the cross. Galatians 2;20 I have been crucified with Christ; 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.

·       Our Eternal Hope of the resurrection from the dead is only found through the cross.

·       The cross that Jesus went to was the ultimate picture of the beauty of sacrifice for those you love.

·       Unbelief will look at extravagant giving as a waste. The disciples looked at the women that washed Jesus feet with costly fragrant oil worth 1 years wages as a waste. We will never fully understand the layers of blessing in the sacrifice of giving to others.

·       Today when people look at the cross they say what a waste, what’s the point, 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 for the message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of the prudent.

- The power of God here is, God will keep His promise to save those that believe in Jesus.

John 17: 24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

-       We are called and invited into His glory.

-       We are wired to work in this place.

-       We are created to live with Jesus forever.

This scripture says there was a plan and there was love.

1.       God’s plan the cross was all for us

Eph 1: 3-5

Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world, to be holy, blameless in His sight.  In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will.

We couldn’t invent these verses; they were Holy Spirit inspired.

i)                    There was love between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, before we came.

ii)                   Also, this scripture is saying His thoughts and love towards us was present before we existed.

iii)                 This scripture is also telling me that before anything was made, God’s plan was looking forward to a people that would be holy and blameless.  And that we would be added into the beloved.

The Father says in Matthew 3:17   this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Eph 1: 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved.

This love story first showed up in Genesis 22: 2

Then God said “Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

Vs 7   Isaac asks his dad: My father, look the fire and the wood but where is the lamb?

Vs 8 And Abraham said: my son God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.

Vs 14  Abraham called the name of the place ‘the Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.

You see, the Lord will provide the sacrifice.  All we have to do is believe and trust in God.

This was all a part of the plan of God.

Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him as righteousness, which means:

Holy and blameless, and acquitted

2. This plan the cross, was to save us from our sins

John 1: 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

John the Baptist was shouting:

Behold = to look, pay attention, observe

                 = to inspect, to examine

John was saying “look at the lamb that God has provided.”

God says in John 3: 16   for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.  That whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God’s greatest show of love manifested:

Addition notes:

Heb 12 v 1-2 Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.

Ephesians 6; 10-17

The armour of God shows us how to enforce the truths from the previous chapters in Ephesians (1,2,&3) of who we are in Christ.

The armour of God is about right believing.

V 13 Withstand the wiles of the devil.

Withstand = Greek – anthistemi – antihistamine – stand against, resist, oppose.

Wiles = method, lie in wait, tricking, travesty

V 14 Gird your waist with truth – right believing – we need to know the truth, the truth of God’s Word.

Breastplate of righteousness.  Understanding our righteousness in Christ protects our heart.

V 15 – by faith we have peace with God through forgiveness and salvation. God loves us but He also likes us.

V 16 – shield of faith.  Quench the lie of satan by believing (faith) what the Word of God (truth) says about me.

V 17 – helmet of salvation – the word of God protects our mind.  We have to believe our salvation is secure.